Army of the Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Army of the Ohio |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1861–62 1863–65 |
| Country |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Field army |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Don Carlos Buell William S. Rosecrans Ambrose Burnside John M. Schofield |
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two different groups of soldiers who fought for the Union during the American Civil War. The first Army of the Ohio later became known as the Army of the Cumberland. A second Army of the Ohio was formed in 1863.
Contents
History of the Army of the Ohio
The First Army of the Ohio
In 1861, Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell was put in charge of the Department of the Ohio. All the soldiers in this department were then organized into the Army of the Ohio, with Buell as their commander.
In early 1862, a part of this army fought its first battle at Mill Springs. Later, the entire army marched to help General Grant's Army of the Tennessee at the important Battle of Shiloh.
In August 1862, Buell was replaced as department commander. However, Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas, who was second-in-command, believed a big battle was coming. He felt it was a bad idea to change the army's leader right before a fight. So, Buell stayed in command of the Army of the Ohio, and Thomas became his main assistant.
The big battle Thomas expected happened on October 8, 1862, near Perryville, Kentucky. Confederate General Braxton Bragg had moved his troops into Kentucky. He hoped to get more soldiers and take the state for the Confederacy. Buell's full army was gathering when Bragg attacked. This fight is known as the Battle of Perryville. Many soldiers were hurt or killed on both sides.
The Union army lost 4,276 soldiers. This included 894 killed, 2,911 wounded, and 471 captured or missing. The Confederate army lost 3,401 soldiers. They had 532 killed, 2,641 wounded, and 228 captured or missing. Even though the Union lost more soldiers, Bragg's army left Kentucky after the battle. Because of this, the Battle of Perryville was a big win for the Union's strategy.
After this battle, Buell was removed from his command. Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans took over the Army of the Ohio. He also became the commander of the Department of the Cumberland. Rosecrans then renamed his soldiers the Army of the Cumberland.
The Second Army of the Ohio
On March 25, 1863, Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside took command of the Department of the Ohio. His headquarters were in Cincinnati, Ohio. Soon, two divisions of soldiers, called the IX Corps, joined Burnside's department.
On April 27, 1863, the War Department ordered all other troops in Kentucky to form a new group. This new group was called the XXIII Corps. It was led by Maj. Gen. George L. Hartsuff. By May 1863, Burnside had brought together the IX Corps and the XXIII Corps. He called this combined force the Army of the Ohio. This meant Burnside was one of the few officers to lead two different armies during the war. He had also commanded the Army of the Potomac earlier.
The IX Corps was later sent to Mississippi in June. They helped in the siege of Vicksburg. But they returned to the Army of the Ohio in August.
Meanwhile, the new Army of the Ohio's XXIII Corps stopped Morgan's Ohio raid. This was a daring attack by Confederate cavalry. The entire army did not always fight as one big unit during this time.
After the IX Corps returned, and with a new cavalry division, Burnside moved his army to Knoxville, Tennessee. There, he defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Fort Sanders. This was part of the Knoxville Campaign. After the battle, Burnside asked to leave his command because he was sick. Maj. Gen. John G. Foster replaced Burnside as commander on December 9.
Foster's time leading the army was short. On February 9, 1864, Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield took command of the Department of the Ohio. In April, he also took command of the Army of the Ohio and the XXIII Corps. During this time, the XXIII Corps and the Army of the Ohio were basically the same group of soldiers.
Schofield led the Army of the Ohio during the important Atlanta Campaign. After Atlanta was captured, he chased Confederate Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood into Tennessee. At the Battle of Franklin, Schofield's army strongly defeated Hood's forces. Then, Schofield joined Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas and the Army of the Cumberland for the Battle of Nashville.
On February 9, 1865, Schofield was moved to command the Department of North Carolina. When Schofield left, Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox temporarily took command of the Army of the Ohio.
The XXIII Corps was ordered to North Carolina. Only Cox's division was present for the Battle of Wilmington. The rest of the XXIII Corps arrived in March 1865. When they arrived, Schofield combined them with the X Corps. This combined force was still called the Army of the Ohio. It became the Center Wing of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's army. They took part in the final battles of the Carolinas Campaign. When the war ended, the soldiers were sent home. Many reunions were held later by different parts of the old Army of the Ohio.
Commanders
- Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell (November 15, 1861 – October 24, 1862)
- Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans (October 24–30, 1862) (The army then became the Army of the Cumberland)
- Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside (March 25 – December 9, 1863)
- Maj. Gen. John G. Foster (December 9, 1863 – February 9, 1864)
- Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield (February 9 – September 14, 1864)
- Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox (September 14 – October 22, 1864)
- Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield (October 22, 1864 – February 2, 1865)
- Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox (February 2–9, 1865)
- Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield (February 9 – March 31, 1865)
Major battles and campaigns
- Battle of Shiloh (under Buell)
- Battle of Perryville (under Buell)
- Morgan's Raid (under Burnside)
- Knoxville Campaign (under Burnside and Foster)
- Atlanta Campaign (under Schofield)
- Battle of Franklin (under Schofield)
- Battle of Nashville (under Schofield)
- Carolinas Campaign (under Schofield)
