Bentonville Union order of battle facts for kids

The Battle of Bentonville was one of the last major battles of the American Civil War. It happened in March 1865 in North Carolina. This article tells you about the Union Army units and their leaders who fought in this important battle. Knowing how an army was organized, called an "order of battle," helps us understand how they fought.

Understanding Army Ranks and Units

Armies are organized into different groups, each with a leader. Here are some of the ranks and terms you'll see:

• MG means Major General. This was a very high rank, like a commander of a large part of the army.
• BG means Brigadier General. These generals usually led brigades.
• Col means Colonel. Colonels often commanded regiments.
• Ltc means Lieutenant Colonel. They were second in command of a regiment.
• Maj means Major. Majors were also high-ranking officers.
• Cpt means Captain. Captains usually led companies.
• Lt means Lieutenant. Lieutenants were junior officers.
• Bvt means Brevet. This was an honorary rank given for bravery or good service, but it didn't always come with higher pay or command.
• w means the person was wounded during the battle.
• k means the person was killed in action.
• mw means the person was mortally wounded, meaning they died from their wounds later.

The Union Army was made up of different types of units:

• Companies were small groups of soldiers.
• Regiments were larger units, usually made up of about 10 companies.
• Brigades were groups of several regiments.
• Divisions were groups of several brigades.
• Corps were very large groups, made up of several divisions.
• The entire army was led by a top general.

General Sherman's Grand Army of the West

The main Union force at Bentonville was the Grand Army of the West, led by MG William T. Sherman. General Sherman was a famous Union commander known for his "March to the Sea."

His army included special units:

• His Headquarters Guard was the 7th Company, Ohio Sharpshooters. These were skilled marksmen who protected the general.
• The Engineers and Mechanics helped build bridges and roads. These included the 1st Michigan and 1st Missouri regiments.

The Right Wing: Army of the Tennessee

One major part of Sherman's army was the Right Wing, also known as the Army of the Tennessee. It was commanded by MG Oliver O. Howard.

General Howard's forces had their own special units:

• His Escort was the 15th Illinois Cavalry, who rode with him for protection.
• The Pontoon Train Guard was Company E of the 14th Wisconsin. They protected the special floating bridges used to cross rivers.

XV Corps: General Logan's Troops

The XV Corps was a big part of the Right Wing, led by MG John A. Logan. This corps had four main divisions, each with several brigades and many regiments.

Here's a look at how the XV Corps was organized:

• 1st Division, led by Bvt MG Charles R. Woods, had three brigades. For example, the 1st Brigade included regiments from Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio.
• 2nd Division, led by MG William B. Hazen, also had three brigades with regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio.
• 3rd Division, led by Bvt MG John E. Smith, had two brigades with regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri.
• 4th Division, led by Bvt MG John M. Corse, had three brigades with regiments from Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. This division also had an "Unassigned" unit, the 110th United States Colored Troops, which did not fight in this battle.
• The Artillery for the XV Corps was led by Ltc William H. Ross. They had several batteries, like Battery H, 1st Illinois Light, and the 12th Wisconsin Battery. These units operated cannons.

XVII Corps: General Blair's Troops

Another important part of the Right Wing was the XVII Corps, commanded by MG Francis Preston Blair, Jr..

• His Escort was Company G of the 11th Illinois Cavalry.

The XVII Corps had three main divisions:

• 1st Division, led by MG Joseph A. Mower, had three brigades with regiments from Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
• 3rd Division, led by BG Manning F. Force, had a Provost Guard (military police) and two brigades with regiments from Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
• 4th Division, led by Bvt MG Giles A. Smith, had two brigades with regiments from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio.
• The Artillery for the XVII Corps was led by Maj Allen C. Waterhouse, with batteries from Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio.

The Left Wing: Army of Georgia

The other major part of Sherman's army was the Left Wing, also known as the Army of Georgia. This wing was recently called the Army of the Cumberland. It was led by MG Henry W. Slocum.

• His Chief Engineer was Lt William Ludlow.
• The Pontoniers (soldiers who built pontoon bridges) were from the 58th Indiana.

XIV Corps: General Davis's Troops

The XIV Corps was a key part of the Left Wing, commanded by Bvt MG Jefferson C. Davis.

• His Chief of Staff was Ltc Alexander C. McClurg, and his Inspector General was Ltc Henry G. Litchfield.

The XIV Corps had three main divisions:

• 1st Division, led by BG William P. Carlin, had three brigades. Regiments came from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Some leaders here were wounded or killed, like Maj Willard Eaton (killed) and Ltc David Miles (wounded).
• 2nd Division, led by BG James D. Morgan, had a Provost Guard and three brigades. Regiments were from Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Ohio. BG Benjamin D. Fearing was wounded while leading his brigade.
• 3rd Division, led by Bvt MG Absalom Baird, also had three brigades. Regiments were from Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio.
• The Artillery for the XIV Corps was led by Maj Charles Houghtaling. They had batteries from Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Lt Samuel D. Webb of the 19th Indiana Battery was killed.

XX Corps: General Williams's Troops

The XX Corps was another large unit in the Left Wing, led by Bvt MG Alpheus S. Williams.

This corps also had three main divisions:

• 1st Division, led by BG Nathaniel J. Jackson, had three brigades with regiments from Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
• 2nd Division, led by Bvt MG John W. Geary, had three brigades with regiments from New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
• 3rd Division, led by Bvt MG William T. Ward, had three brigades with regiments from Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
• The Artillery for the XX Corps was led by Maj John A. Reynolds. They had batteries from New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Cavalry: General Kilpatrick's Horsemen

The Union Army also had cavalry, which were soldiers who fought on horseback. The 3rd Division of Cavalry was led by Bvt MG Judson Kilpatrick.

His cavalry division had four brigades and an artillery unit:

• 1st Brigade, led by Col Thomas J. Jordan, included cavalry regiments from Indiana, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.
• 2nd Brigade, led by Bvt BG Smith D. Atkins, had mounted infantry (soldiers who usually walked but rode horses) and cavalry from Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.
• 3rd Brigade, led by Col George E. Spencer, included cavalry from Alabama, Kentucky, and Ohio.
• 4th Brigade (a temporary group), led by Ltc William B. Way, was made up of three regiments.
• The Artillery for the cavalry was the 10th Wisconsin Battery.

This detailed organization shows how the Union Army was a massive and complex fighting force, with many different units working together under their commanders during the Civil War.