Need direction please CSA and Union Army question

airlinkdiva

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Apr 7, 2014
Location
Right outside of Memphis,Tennessee
I want to know can someone direct me to a website that breaks down the actual Armies of both the CSA and Union?
I come across "Army of Tennessee", "Army of Mississippi",etc. I want to know how many on each side.
This would be helpful to me.
Thanks!
 
Hmm... Well, that can get involved, depending on how detailed you want the answer to be. Armies were formed and disbanded throughout the war; some were renamed (some more than once), some merged... The "Biggies" that are usually mentioned are (for the Union) the Army of the Tennessee, the Army of the Cumberland, and the Army of the Potomac; and on the Confederate side, the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee (note the "the" in the Union army of that name... the Union armies *tended* to be named after rivers and the Confederate armies after states, though there were plenty of exceptions on both sides...).
 
Hmm... Well, that can get involved, depending on how detailed you want the answer to be. Armies were formed and disbanded throughout the war; some were renamed (some more than once), some merged... The "Biggies" that are usually mentioned are (for the Union) the Army of the Tennessee, the Army of the Cumberland, and the Army of the Potomac; and on the Confederate side, the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee (note the "the" in the Union army of that name... the Union armies *tended* to be named after rivers and the Confederate armies after states, though there were plenty of exceptions on both sides...).
This is the info I need mainly the Biggies. I know not to even ask about commanders! But the main ones like those mentioned is what I need
 
How many armies per side? This might be of some help:
http://civilwarhome.com/confederatearmies.html
http://civilwarhome.com/usarmies.html

These were the major armies east of the Mississippi River.

Eastern theater:
Army of Northern Virginia (CS)
Army of the Potomac (US)

Western theater:
Army of Mississippi/Army of Tennessee (CS)
Army of Mississippi/Army of Vicksburg (CS)
Army of the Tennessee (US)
Army of the Cumberland (US)
Army of the Ohio (US)

Note that the Confederate Army of Tennessee first went by the Army of Mississippi until late 1862. Pemberton's army during the Vicksburg Campaign also went by the Army of Mississippi or Army of Vicksburg. So the Army of Mississippi at Shiloh and in the Kentucky Campaign was not the same Army of Mississippi in the Vicksburg Campaign. The Confederate Army of the West or Army of West Tennessee under Earl Van Dorn was the origin of the Army of Mississippi/Army of Vicksburg.
 
Fun fact: The Rebel army in Virginia was originally also called the Army of the Potomac. It got dropped right before the Peninsula Campaign started (or so I think), and thank goodness. Imagine how confusing that would be for all us trying to read about it afterwards!
I actually only learned this through a trivia question on here, so credit to @ami and whoever submitted that question.
 
And then you have "Departments", like the Department of Susquehanna (US - Darius Couch Maj Gen Commander) during the Gettysburg Campaign, which were bigger that lots of those Armies in that Wikipedia list...
 
How many armies per side? This might be of some help:
http://civilwarhome.com/confederatearmies.html
http://civilwarhome.com/usarmies.html

These were the major armies east of the Mississippi River.

Eastern theater:
Army of Northern Virginia (CS)
Army of the Potomac (US)

Western theater:
Army of Mississippi/Army of Tennessee (CS)
Army of Mississippi/Army of Vicksburg (CS)
Army of the Tennessee (US)
Army of the Cumberland (US)
Army of the Ohio (US)

Note that the Confederate Army of Tennessee first went by the Army of Mississippi until late 1862. Pemberton's army during the Vicksburg Campaign also went by the Army of Mississippi or Army of Vicksburg. So the Army of Mississippi at Shiloh and in the Kentucky Campaign was not the same Army of Mississippi in the Vicksburg Campaign. The Confederate Army of the West or Army of West Tennessee under Earl Van Dorn was the origin of the Army of Mississippi/Army of Vicksburg.
Thanks! This is the info I need :)!
 
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There were also some temporary ones of various sizes that were established more or less for the occasion; like in the Valley Campaign of 64 which means Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah and Early's Army of the Valley.
 
I just purchased Aurora Hunt's The Army of the Pacific 1860-1866. Have not started to read it yet.
 
I want to know can someone direct me to a website that breaks down the actual Armies of both the CSA and Union?
I come across "Army of Tennessee", "Army of Mississippi",etc. I want to know how many on each side.
This would be helpful to me.
Thanks!
Try the civil war reference work by Frederick Dyer entitled: "Compendium of the Civil War" which is a listing of all Union Army units. I hope this helps? Good Hunting.
 

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