Atlanta campaign Union order of battle, second phase facts for kids

Have you ever wondered how a huge army is organized during a war? This article explains how the Union Army was set up during the second part of the Atlanta campaign in the American Civil War. This was a very important time, from July 17 to September 8, 1864, when Union forces were trying to capture Atlanta, a key city in the South.

An "order of battle" is like a detailed list showing all the different units in an army, from the biggest groups down to smaller ones, and who was in charge of them. It helps us understand how the army was structured and who led the soldiers in battle.

Understanding the Ranks and Terms

When you read about armies, you'll see many special terms and abbreviations. Here are some you'll find in this article:

Military Ranks

• MG = Major General: A very high-ranking officer, usually in charge of a large group of soldiers (a division or corps).
• BG = Brigadier General: An officer who commands a brigade, which is a medium-sized group of soldiers.
• Col = Colonel: An officer who commands a regiment, a smaller group of soldiers.
• Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel: An officer just below a Colonel.
• Maj = Major: An officer who commands a battalion, which is part of a regiment.
• Cpt = Captain: An officer who commands a company, a small group of soldiers.

Other Important Terms

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

Overall Command: Military Division of the Mississippi

The entire Union force in this area was called the Military Division of the Mississippi. It was led by a very famous general:

• MG William T. Sherman

General Sherman had a Chief of Artillery, BG William F. Barry, who was in charge of all the cannons. He also had a special Headquarters Guard, the 7th Company Ohio Sharpshooters, led by Lieut. William McCrory, to protect him and his command center.

The Army of the Cumberland

One of the main armies fighting under General Sherman was the Army of the Cumberland.

• MG George Henry Thomas was its commander.

This army also had its own Chief of Artillery, BG John M. Brannan, and an escort unit, Company I, 1st Ohio Cavalry, led by Lieut. Henry C. Reppert.

IV Corps

The IV Corps was a large part of the Army of the Cumberland. It was commanded by:

• MG Oliver O. Howard (later MG David S. Stanley)

This corps was made up of several divisions, and each division had brigades. A brigade is a group of several regiments.

XIV Corps

The XIV Corps was another important part of the Army of the Cumberland.

• MG John M. Palmer was its first commander, followed by BG Richard W. Johnson and BG Jefferson C. Davis.

XX Corps

The XX Corps was another large unit within the Army of the Cumberland.

• MG Joseph Hooker was its first commander, followed by BG Alpheus S. Williams and MG Henry Slocum.

Cavalry Corps

The Cavalry Corps was the mounted force of the Army of the Cumberland, used for scouting, raids, and quick attacks.

• BG Washington Elliott was the Chief of Cavalry.

The Army of the Tennessee

The Army of the Tennessee was another major force under General Sherman.

• MG James B. McPherson was its commander until he was killed on July 22.
• After that, MG John A. Logan took over, followed by MG Oliver O. Howard.

This army also had an escort unit, the 4th Company Ohio Cavalry and B Company, 1st Ohio Cavalry.

XV Corps

The XV Corps was a key part of the Army of the Tennessee.

• MG John A. Logan was its commander, followed by BG Morgan L. Smith.

XVI Corps

The XVI Corps was another part of the Army of the Tennessee.

• MG Grenville M. Dodge (w August 19) was its commander, followed by BG Thomas E. G. Ransom.

It had an escort unit, Company A, 52nd Illinois.

XVII Corps

The XVII Corps was the last major unit of the Army of the Tennessee.

• MG Francis P. Blair, Jr. was its commander.

It had escort units: Company G, 9th Illinois Mounted Infantry, and Company G, 11th Illinois Cavalry.

The Army of the Ohio (XXIII Corps)

The Army of the Ohio was the third main army in General Sherman's forces.

• MG John M. Schofield was its commander.

It had an escort unit, Company G, 7th Ohio Cavalry.

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 fighting continued.