Military Organization

1. Military Organization Opposing Forces

2. Different Theaters • 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

3. Eastern Theater

4. Western Theater

5. Renaming the Armies (1862) • 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

6. Organization • 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?

7. 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.

8. Infantry • 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

9. Artillery • 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?

10. Cavalry • 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

11. The Army • 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

12. Union vs. Confederate Soldiers