Atlanta campaign Union order of battle facts for kids

This article is like a team roster for the Union Army during the Atlanta campaign of the American Civil War. It lists the different army groups, their leaders, and how they were organized from May 7 to July 17, 1864. This was a very important time in the war, as the Union Army tried to capture Atlanta, a key city in the South.

The Confederate Army's roster is listed in a separate article.

Understanding the Ranks and Terms

To understand how the army was organized, here are some common abbreviations and terms:

Military Ranks

• MG = Major General: A very high-ranking officer, usually in charge of a large group of soldiers called a corps or an army.
• BG = Brigadier General: A general officer, often leading a brigade.
• Col = Colonel: An officer who commands a regiment.
• Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel: An officer ranking just below a colonel.
• Maj = Major: An officer ranking below a lieutenant colonel.
• Cpt = Captain: An officer who commands a company.

Other Terms

• w = wounded: The soldier was injured in battle.
• mw = mortally wounded: The soldier was injured so badly they later died.
• k = killed: The soldier died in battle.

Overall Command: Military Division of the Mississippi

This was the largest group of Union armies in the Western theater of the war.

• Commander: MG William T. Sherman
• Chief of Staff: BG Joseph D. Webster
• Chief of Artillery: BG William F. Barry
• Headquarters Guard: 7th Company Ohio Sharpshooters, led by Lieut. William McCrory.

Army of the Cumberland

This was one of the main armies under General Sherman's command.

• Commander: MG George Henry Thomas
• Chief of Artillery: BG John M. Brannan
• Chief of Staff: BG William D. Whipple
• Escort: Company I, 1st Ohio Cavalry, led by Lieut. Henry C. Reppert.

IV Corps

A corps is a large military unit, made up of several divisions.

• Commander: MG Oliver O. Howard

First Division

• Commander: MG David S. Stanley
  • 1st Brigade: BG Charles Cruft, then Col Isaac M. Kirby. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG Walter C. Whitaker, then Col Jacob E. Taylor. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col William Grose. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Peter Simonson (killed June 16), Cpt Samuel M. McDowell (killed June 27), and Cpt Theodore Thomasson. It included Indiana and Pennsylvania light batteries.

Second Division

• Commander: BG John Newton
  • 1st Brigade: Col Francis T. Sherman, then BG Nathan Kimball. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG George D. Wagner, then Col John Blake. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: BG Charles G. Harker (mortally wounded June 27), then BG Luther P. Bradley. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Charles Aleshire and Cpt Wilbur Goodspeed. It included Illinois and Ohio light batteries.

Third Division

• Commander: BG Thomas J. Wood
  • 1st Brigade: BG August Willich (wounded May 15), then Col William H. Gibson. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG William B. Hazen. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: BG Samuel Beatty, then Col Frederick Knefler. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Cullen Bradley. It included Illinois and Ohio light batteries.

XIV Corps

• Commander: MG John M. Palmer

First Division

• Commander: BG Richard W. Johnson (wounded May 28), then BG John H. King
  • 1st Brigade: BG William P. Carlin, then Col Anson G. McCook. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG John H. King, then Col William Stoughton. This brigade included regiments from Michigan, Ohio, and several U.S. Regular Army battalions.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Benjamin Scribner. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Lucius Drury. It included Illinois and Ohio light batteries.

Second Division

• Commander: BG Jefferson C. Davis
  • 1st Brigade: BG James D. Morgan. This brigade included regiments from Illinois and Michigan.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col John G. Mitchell. This brigade included regiments from Illinois and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Daniel McCook, Jr. (mortally wounded June 27), Col Oscar F. Harmon (mortally wounded June 27), then Col Caleb J. Dilworth. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Charles Barnett. It included Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin light batteries.

Third Division

• Commander: BG Absalom Baird
  • 1st Brigade: BG John B. Turchin, then Col Moses B. Walker. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Ferdinand Van Derveer, then Col Newell Gleason. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col George P. Este. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt George Estep. It included Indiana light batteries.

XX Corps

• Commander: MG Joseph Hooker

First Division

• Commander: BG Alpheus S. Williams
  • 1st Brigade: BG Joseph F. Knipe, then Col Warren W. Packer. This brigade included regiments from Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG Thomas H. Ruger. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col James S. Robinson. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt John D. Woodbury. It included New York light batteries.

Second Division

• Commander: BG John W. Geary
  • 1st Brigade: Col Charles Candy. This brigade included regiments from Ohio and Pennsylvania.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Adolphus Buschbeck, Col John T. Lockman, then Col Patrick Henry Jones. This brigade included regiments from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col David Ireland (wounded May 15), Col William Rickards, Jr., then Col George A. Cobham. This brigade included regiments from New York and Pennsylvania.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt William Wheeler (killed June 22), then Cpt Charles Aleshire. It included New York and Pennsylvania light batteries.

Third Division

• Commander: MG Daniel Butterfield, then BG William T. Ward
  • 1st Brigade: BG William T. Ward (wounded May 15), then Col Benjamin Harrison. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col John Coburn. This brigade included regiments from Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col James Wood. This brigade included regiments from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Marco B. Gary. It included Michigan and Ohio light batteries.

Unattached Units

• Reserve Brigade: Col Joseph W. Burke, then Col Heber Le Favour. This included regiments from Ohio and Michigan.
• Pontooniers: Col George P. Buell. These soldiers built bridges. This included the 58th Indiana and a Pontoon Battalion.
• Siege Artillery: Cpt Arnold Sutermeister. This included the 11th Indiana Battery, which used large cannons for attacking forts.

Cavalry Corps

This unit was made up of soldiers who fought on horseback.

• Commander: BG Washington Elliott, Chief of Cavalry, Army of the Cumberland

First Division

• Commander: BG Edward M. McCook
  • 1st Brigade: Col Joseph B. Dorr. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Oscar H. LaGrange, Ltc James Stewart, then Ltc Horace Lamson. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Indiana and Wisconsin.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Louis Watkins, then Col John K. Faulkner. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Kentucky.
  • Artillery: 18th Indiana Horse Artillery Battery.

Second Division

• Commander: BG Kenner Garrard
  • 1st Brigade: Col Robert Minty. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Regular Army.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Eli Long. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col John T. Wilder, then Col Abram Miller. This brigade included mounted infantry regiments from Illinois and Indiana.
  • Artillery: Chicago Board of Trade Battery.

Third Division

• Commander: BG Judson Kilpatrick (wounded May 13), then Col Eli Murray, then Col William W. Lowe
  • 1st Brigade: Ltc Robert Klein. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Indiana and Iowa.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Charles Smith. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Eli Murray, then Col Smith D. Atkins. This brigade included mounted infantry and cavalry regiments from Illinois and Kentucky.
  • Artillery: 10th Wisconsin Battery.

Army of the Tennessee

Another major army under General Sherman.

• Commander: MG James B. McPherson
• Escort: 4th Company Ohio Cavalry; Company B, 1st Ohio Cavalry.

XV Corps

• Commander: MG John A. Logan

First Division

• Commander: BG Peter J. Osterhaus, then BG Charles R. Woods
  • 1st Brigade: BG Charles R. Woods, then Col Milo Smith. This brigade included regiments from Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col James A. Williamson. This brigade included regiments from Iowa.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Hugo Wangelin. This brigade included regiments from Missouri.
  • Artillery: Led by Maj Clemens Landgraeber. It included Missouri and Ohio light batteries.

Second Division

• Commander: BG Morgan L. Smith
  • 1st Brigade: BG Giles A. Smith. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG Joseph Lightburn. This brigade included regiments from Indiana and Ohio.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Francis De Gress. It included Illinois light batteries.

Third Division

• Commander: BG John E. Smith
  • 1st Brigade: Col Jesse I. Alexander. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Green B. Raum. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: BG Charles L. Matthies, Col Benjamin D. Dean, then Col Jabez Banbury. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Henry Dillon. It included Wisconsin light batteries.
  • Cavalry: 5th Ohio Cavalry and Company F, 4th Missouri Cavalry.

Fourth Division

• Commander: BG William Harrow
  • 1st Brigade: Colonel Reuben Williams. This brigade included regiments from Illinois and Indiana.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG Charles C. Walcutt. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col John M. Oliver. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Henry H. Griffiths and Maj John T. Cheney. It included Illinois and Iowa light batteries.

XVI Corps

• Commander: MG Grenville M. Dodge
• Escort: 1st Alabama Cavalry; Company A, 52nd Illinois.

Second Division

• Commander: BG Thomas W. Sweeny
  • 1st Brigade: BG Elliott W. Rice. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Patrick E. Burke (mortally wounded May 16), Ltc Robert N. Adams, then Col August Mersy. This brigade included mounted infantry and infantry regiments from Illinois and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Moses M. Bane, then Col Henry J.B. Cummings. This brigade included regiments from Illinois and Iowa.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Frederick Welker. It included Michigan and Missouri light batteries.

Fourth Division

• Commander: BG James C. Veatch
  • 1st Brigade: BG John W. Fuller. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG John W. Sprague. This brigade included regiments from New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col James H. Howe. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, New York, and Wisconsin.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Jerome B. Burrows and Cpt George Robinson. It included Michigan and Ohio light batteries, and a U.S. Regular Army battery.

XVII Corps

• Commander: MG Francis P. Blair, Jr.
• Escort: Company M, 1st Ohio Cavalry; Company G, 9th Illinois Mounted Infantry.

Third Division

• Commander: BG Mortimer D. Leggett
  • 1st Brigade: BG Manning F. Force. This brigade included regiments from Illinois and Wisconsin.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Robert K. Scott. This brigade included regiments from Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Adam G. Malloy. This brigade included the 17th Wisconsin and Worden's Battalion.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt William S. Williams. It included Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio light batteries.

Fourth Division

• Commander: BG Walter Q. Gresham
  • 1st Brigade: Col William L. Sanderson, then Col Benjamin F. Potts. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col George C. Rogers. This brigade included regiments from Illinois.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col William Hall. This brigade included regiments from Iowa.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Edward Spear. It included Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio light batteries.

Army of the Ohio (XXIII Corps)

This was another important army in the campaign.

• Commander: MG John M. Schofield, then BG Jacob Cox
• Escort: Company G, 7th Ohio Cavalry.

First Division

• Commander: BG Alvin P. Hovey
  • 1st Brigade: Col Richard F. Barter. This brigade included regiments from Indiana.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col John McQuiston, then Col Peter T. Swaine. This brigade included regiments from Indiana and Ohio.
  • Artillery: It included Indiana light batteries.

Second Division

• Commander: BG Henry M. Judah, then BG Milo S. Hascall
  • 1st Brigade: BG Nathaniel C. McLean, then BG Joseph A. Cooper. This brigade included regiments from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG Milo S. Hascall, Col John R. Bond, then Col William E. Hobson. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio.
  • 3rd Brigade: Col Silas A. Strickland. This brigade included regiments from Kentucky and Ohio.
  • Artillery: Led by Cpt Joseph C. Shields. It included Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio light batteries.

Third Division

• Commander: BG Jacob D. Cox, then Col James W. Reilly
  • 1st Brigade: Col James W. Reilly, then Col James W. Gault. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
  • 2nd Brigade: BG Mahlon D. Manson (wounded May 14), Col John S. Hurt, BG Milo S. Hascall, Col John S. Casement, then Col Daniel Cameron. This brigade included regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
  • 3rd Brigade: BG Nathaniel McLean, Col Robert K. Byrd, then Col Israel N. Stiles. This brigade included regiments from Kentucky and Tennessee.
  • Dismounted Cavalry: Col Eugene Crittenden. This included cavalry regiments from Illinois and Kentucky who fought on foot.
  • Artillery: Led by Maj Henry W. Wells. It included Indiana and Ohio light batteries.

Stoneman's Cavalry Division

• Commander: MG George Stoneman
  • 1st Brigade: Col James Biddle. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.
  • 2nd Brigade: Col Horace Capron. This brigade included cavalry regiments from Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.
  • Independent Brigade: Col Alexander Holeman. This included cavalry regiments from Kentucky.
  • Artillery: 24th Indiana Light Battery.

Army Strengths During the Campaign

This table shows how many soldiers were in each major army and corps at different times during the Atlanta Campaign. You can see how the numbers changed as the campaign went on.

See Also

• Atlanta campaign Union order of battle, second phase
• Atlanta campaign Confederate order of battle