Second Manassas Commands

[Manassas 1861]

When Lee organized his army into two wings at 2nd Manassas, the right under Longstreet and the left under Jackson. But why weren't McLaws', Walkers, or Hills divisions placed in either command? And when were corps created? I know the ANV had 3 corps by the time of the Gettysburg Campiagn.

 

[rpkennedy]

When Lee organized his army into two wings at 2nd Manassas, the right under Longstreet and the left under Jackson. But why weren't McLaws', Walkers, or Hills divisions placed in either command? And when were corps created? I know the ANV had 3 corps by the time of the Gettysburg Campiagn.

The "wing" organization existed because corps would not be legally authorized by the CSA government until October 1862. The wings tended to be fairly ad hoc and divisions were on occasion independent from either wing and answered only to Lee. It was a complicated chain of command that led to issues (McLaws technically answered only to Lee but was often seconded to either Longstreet or Jackson which led to confusion about who was in command of what).

Initially, the AoNV was composed of two corps (Longstreet and Jackson) but Lee believed that they were too large for a single person to command and used Jackson's death as an excuse to reorganized the army and create a third corps by taking Richard Anderson's Division from Longstreet and split Hill's Light Division in two (and added some fresh troops from NC) to create the other two divisions. That led to three corps of three divisions each.

Ryan

 

[Luke Freet]

When Lee organized his army into two wings at 2nd Manassas, the right under Longstreet and the left under Jackson. But why weren't McLaws', Walkers, or Hills divisions placed in either command? And when were corps created? I know the ANV had 3 corps by the time of the Gettysburg Campiagn.

rpk's post explains the wing/corps stuff, but to explain the excess divisions left behind: Lee had to leave troops behind to defend Richmond, as while the focus of the campaign turned towards Pope's Army of Virginia in the northern portion of the state, McClellan's Army of the Potomac remained at Harrison Landing, threatening Richmond. Thus, Lee took six divisions (more than enough for his purposes) into the Second Manassas Campaign. Of course, he then called these troops up from Richmond for the Maryland Campaign, by which time McClellan's Army of the Potomac (now merged with the Army of Virginia) had returned to Maryland. Given how quickly things transpired, Lee didn't have time to permanently assign the newly arrived divisions to either of his wings officially, so they acted as separate commands that were traded between Longstreet or Jackson, or operating independently.
To be fair, it would have been easier had Lee just created a third "wing" or corps, but he didn't yet have the authorization from Richmond and had yet to settle on the ideal candidates for such a position; why Lee didn't reorganize his command over the winter of 62/63, I can't say for sure.

 

[Stryker65]

When Lee organized his army into two wings at 2nd Manassas, the right under Longstreet and the left under Jackson. But why weren't McLaws', Walkers, or Hills divisions placed in either command? And when were corps created? I know the ANV had 3 corps by the time of the Gettysburg Campiagn.

The wings were a holdover from the Peninsula, when Johnston was pulling divisions from every corner of Virginia and North Carolina and placing them into holding pens (the Wings).

As to Lafayette McLaws', John G. Walker's, and Daniel H. Hill's divisions, they had been left in Richmond following the Seven Days in order to watch McClellan's army at Harrison's Landing.

Per Lee's report in OR V12P2 pp 553-554:

"Two brigades of D. H. Hill's division, under General Ripley had already been ordered from Richmond, and the remainder, under General D. H. Hill in person, with the division of General McLaws, two brigades under General Walker, and Hampton's cavalry brigade, were now [August 24] directed to join this army and were approaching."

Additionally, as per unit histories:
- Manly's NC Battery, McLaws' Division:

- 20th NC Regiment, D. H. Hill's Division:

- 24th NC Regiment, J. G. Walker's Division:

 

[RedRover]

As mentioned above, Walker's, McLaws' and Hill's divisions not attached to either the right or left wing of the army at 2nd Manassas as they had been left behind to watch McClellan. General Longstreet says once Lee was certain McClellan's troops were then reinforcing Pope's army, he had called for those three divisions from near Richmond to join him in the field..

They did not join in time to participate in the victory at Second Manassas, but followed Lee into Maryland... By Antietam D.H. Hill's division was attached to Jackson's left wing, and McLaws to Longstreet's right wing, etc.




Confederate act allowing for the combination of divisions into army corps by President Davis, with lieutenant generals to command them, etc. was only passed the day after the Sept. 17th battle at Antietam...

Several days after this act was approved, Jefferson Davis informed General Lee that he had authority to promote lieutenant generals to command multiple divisions, etc.

Next came an act authorizing the President to form provisional army divisions into fixed army corps...

So under these laws, General Longstreet was promoted to lieutenant General, on Oct. 11, 1862 (ranking from Oct. 9). Jackson was promoted to lieutenant general the same day, but ranking from Oct. 10, so that Longstreet had the seniority.

Then two army corps were formed in Lee's army along the Rappahannock, and their organization completed by orders dated November 6, 1862, with Longstreet commanding the first, and Jackson the second corps, of the Army of Northern Virginia.

This reorganization was completed in the winter of 1862-63.

Then, on May 30, 1863, Lee's army was reorganized again into three from two corps. A fourth corps was organized in late 1864.

 

[Stryker65]

Thus, Lee took six divisions (more than enough for his purposes) into the Second Manassas Campaign. Of course, he then called these troops up from Richmond for the Maryland Campaign, by which time McClellan's Army of the Potomac (now merged with the Army of Virginia) had returned to Maryland. Given how quickly things transpired, Lee didn't have time to permanently assign the newly arrived divisions to either of his wings officially, so they acted as separate commands that were traded between Longstreet or Jackson, or operating independently.

Forces taken to 2nd Manassas campaign:
Longstreet's Command:
- Huger's division (five brigades but two left in Richmond as "Walker's Division")
- Longstreet's division (six brigades)
- Jones's division (three brigades), originally from Department of the Peninsula
- Whiting's division (two brigades)
Jackson's Command:
- Jackson's division (four brigades)
- Hill's division (six brigades)
- Ewell's division (four brigades)

Before the battle, the unwieldy nature of Longstreet's six brigades (and the absence of its commander) led to a temporary split of the division: Wilcox's, Pryor's, and Featherston's brigades were placed into a provisional division under Wilcox, while the remaining three brigades (Kemper's, Jenkins', and Pickett's) were placed into a second provisional division under Kemper.

The Department of Peninsula (where Jones' division came from) at this time consisted of three divisions -- all under McLaws. After Jones' departure, the other two divisions remained behind guarding the Richmond area, in tandem with the detached brigades of Huger's division and the entirety of D. H. Hill's huge division. When Lee ordered these men forward, the two remaining divisions of the Department of the Peninsula were consolidated into one, under McLaws.

After Second Manassas, Wilcox's old provisional division was re-consolidated -- but with Huger's division, instead of Kemper's. Kemper's old provisional division, meanwhile, was consolidated with Jones' division, knocking "Longstreet's Command" down to two Really Big and one Really Small divisions. In order to balance it out for the Maryland Campaign, the two smallest new divisions (McLaws's and Walker's) were assigned to Longstreet's command, while the largest new division (D. H. Hill's) was given to Jackson.

 

[rpkennedy]

why Lee didn't reorganize his command over the winter of 62/63, I can't say for sure.

I think part of it is that Lee was skeptical of some of the senior division commanders in the army. The next ones up were D.H. Hill (3/25/62) and Lafayette McLaws (5/23/62) and that just wasn't going to work for Lee. He transferred Hill to North Carolina after Fredericksburg and much of Longstreet's Corps was sent to southern Virginia in the early spring of 1863. Lee just hadn't had time to reorganize the army until after Chancellorsville and Jackson's death kind of gave him that out.

Ryan

 

[Manassas 1861]

Forces taken to 2nd Manassas campaign:
Longstreet's Command:
- Huger's division (five brigades but two left in Richmond as "Walker's Division")
- Longstreet's division (six brigades)
- Jones's division (three brigades), originally from Department of the Peninsula
- Whiting's division (two brigades)
Jackson's Command:
- Jackson's division (four brigades)
- Hill's division (six brigades)
- Ewell's division (four brigades)

Before the battle, the unwieldy nature of Longstreet's six brigades (and the absence of its commander) led to a temporary split of the division: Wilcox's, Pryor's, and Featherston's brigades were placed into a provisional division under Wilcox, while the remaining three brigades (Kemper's, Jenkins', and Pickett's) were placed into a second provisional division under Kemper.

The Department of Peninsula (where Jones' division came from) at this time consisted of three divisions -- all under McLaws. After Jones' departure, the other two divisions remained behind guarding the Richmond area, in tandem with the detached brigades of Huger's division and the entirety of D. H. Hill's huge division. When Lee ordered these men forward, the two remaining divisions of the Department of the Peninsula were consolidated into one, under McLaws.

After Second Manassas, Wilcox's old provisional division was re-consolidated -- but with Huger's division, instead of Kemper's. Kemper's old provisional division, meanwhile, was consolidated with Jones' division, knocking "Longstreet's Command" down to two Really Big and one Really Small divisions. In order to balance it out for the Maryland Campaign, the two smallest new divisions (McLaws's and Walker's) were assigned to Longstreet's command, while the largest new division (D. H. Hill's) was given to Jackson.

If im not mistaken, Wilcox's provisional brigade would be placed into RH Andersons division, with Kempers provisional brigade placed into Jones division

 

[RedRover]

If im not mistaken, Wilcox's provisional brigade would be placed into RH Andersons division, with Kempers provisional brigade placed into Jones division

the three brigades comprising Wilcox's late 1862 so-called "provisional division" were indeed subsequently attached to Anderson's division, including Wilcox's own brigade, Pryor's and Featherston's brigades. Anderson was given permanent command of "Huger's Division" during July, 1862...

Upon the attachment of the brigades lately under Gen. Wilcox, permanently to Anderson's division, Wilcox resumed command of his own brigade alone.

From Webster's 1828 dictionary, provisional means temporary or expedient...

In his own official reports from the time, Gen. Wilcox does not refer to his command in mid-1862 as officially any kind of division, but simply three separate brigades of Longstreet's division placed under his command...

General Longstreet too refers to Wilcox's provisional division-like command as "brigades"...

 

[Stryker65]

Sd

If im not mistaken, Wilcox's provisional brigade would be placed into RH Andersons division, with Kempers provisional brigade placed into Jones division

Sorry about that. I should have clarified that while it was Huger's old division, General Anderson did command it. I had been comparing OOBs with the Seven Days/Peninsula, and the latter still listed "Anderson's" division as Huger's.