Military Organization
Opposing Forces
Eastern Theater
Union Army - Originally organized as the Army of Northeast Virginia under Gen. Irwin McDowell
Confederate Army – Originally organized as the Confederate Army of the Potomac under the command of P.G.T. Beauregard
Western Theater Union - Department of Kansas, Department of
Missouri, Department of the Ohio (3 separate Gen.)
Confederate – General Albert Sydney Johnston
Different Theaters
Eastern Theater
Western Theater
Union would eventually be reorganized under
the leadership of George B. McClellan as the Army of the Potomac
Confederate’s would eventually be reorganized under the leadership of Robert E. Lee as the Army of Northern Virginia
Renaming the Armies (1862)
Regiment – volunteers are assigned to a regiment Company – 10 company’s make a regiment
1 Captain & 2 Lieutenants command a company Companies are organized with men from the same town or
county and usually elected their officers Volunteers initially signed up for 3 month enlistments
(called 90 day men) but would eventually be mustered into the army for up to 3 years or more. By 1863 PA had provided over 170 infantry regiments
What does the initial 90 enlistment (on both sides) say about leadership’s idea of what the war would be like?
Organization
State raised, fed, and equipped troops until
they were formed and ready to be turned over to the federal government for service
Emergency Militia Andrew Curtin, PA Governor called up the state
militia to defend Harrisburg and Philadelphia against attack during Lee’s Gettysburg Campaign, but these troops were not a part of the regular army.
Organization
Infantry
Company – 100 officers and men commanded by a captain
Regiment – Composed of 10 companies commanded by a colonel
Brigade – Composed of 4 to 6 regiments commanded by a general
Division – Composed of 3-5 brigades commanded by a general
Corps – Composed of 3 divisions commanded by a general
Army – Composed of several corps, commanded by a general
Infantry
Regiments divided into companies called
“batteries” Artillery Battery:
100 soldiers, 6 cannons per battery Drivers – rode horses that pulled cannon,
caissons, and wagons Gunners – assigned to work the cannon and
maintain the cannon and gun carriages Approx. 6 soldiers assigned to repair parts,
tools, and blacksmith the horses As many as 3 officers needed to direct the
battery while in action As many as 90 horses to pull guns, caissons,
wagons Confederate artillery had less guns per battery
and used less horses per battery – WHY?
Artillery
Regiment organized into 3 battalions Each battalion organized into 4
companies sometimes called “troops”
Cavalry was EXPENSIVE because it had to provide not only for the soldier, but soldiers carried items for their mount such as the following: comb, canvass water bucket, grain
bag, etc. Confederate soldiers usually
provided their own horses
Cavalry
All 3 branches combined to make an “army” In addition, the army had the following units
Quartermaster Engineer Signal Units Teamsters
Armies on the march were followed by miles and miles of wagons called trains, carrying medical supplies, food, and ammunition
The Army
Union vs. Confederate Soldiers