Opposing Forces. Eastern Theater Union Army - Originally organized as the Army of Northeast Virginia under Gen. Irwin McDowell Confederate Army.

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