Provisional Army of Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Provisional Army of Tennessee |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | May 9, 1861 |
| Country |  Tennessee |
| Type | Army |
| Size | 22 regiments of infantry, 2 regiments of cavalry, 10 companies of artillery, engineer corps, ordnance bureau etc. |
| Disbanded | August 7, 1861 |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-chief | Governor Isham Harris |
| Senior Major General | Gideon Johnson Pillow |
| Major General | Samuel Read Anderson |
| Brigadier Generals | William R. Caswell, Benjamin F. Cheatham, Robert G. Foster III, John L.T. Sneed, Felix Zollicoffer |
| Adjutant-General | Daniel S. Donelson |
The Provisional Army of Tennessee was a special army created in Tennessee on May 9, 1861. This happened when Tennessee joined forces with the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.
The plan was for this army to have 25,000 soldiers ready for battles. Another 30,000 soldiers would be in reserve. The Governor chose the main leaders for the army. But the soldiers themselves voted for their lower-ranking officers. This army later became part of the main Confederate States Army. This change happened between July 31 and August 7, 1861.
Contents
Why the Army Was Formed
After the attack on Fort Sumter, President Lincoln asked for soldiers to help stop the rebellion. Because of this, the government of Tennessee met to decide what to do.
On May 6, 1861, Tennessee's government voted to leave the United States. The people of Tennessee then voted to agree with this decision. Before this, Tennessee didn't have a strong state army. So, to get ready for war, they created the Provisional Army of Tennessee.
How the Army Was Set Up
The state government gave the Governor the power to create and equip this new volunteer army. The army was supposed to have 25,000 soldiers for battles and 30,000 in reserve. Soldiers would join for one year.
A senior major general would lead the army. The army would be organized into groups called regiments, brigades, and divisions. Important staff officers, like the Adjutant-General and Surgeon-General, were chosen by the Governor. The soldiers in each group voted for their own officers.
Each infantry (foot soldier) regiment had about 64 to 90 privates. It also had a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, a major, and ten companies. Each company had a captain, lieutenants, sergeants, and corporals.
Cavalry (horseback soldier) regiments were similar. They also had a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, a major, and ten companies. Each cavalry company had about 60 privates. They also had a farrier (who cares for horses' hooves) and a blacksmith.
Important Leaders Appointed
Many important leaders were chosen for the Provisional Army of Tennessee:
- Major Generals: Gideon Johnson Pillow and Samuel Read Anderson
- Brigadier Generals: William R. Caswell, Benjamin F. Cheatham, Robert G. Foster III, John L.T. Sneed, and Felix Zollicoffer
- Adjutant-General: Daniel Smith Donelson
- Inspector-General: William Henry Carroll
- Quartermaster-General: Vernon K. Stevenson
- Commissary-General: R.G. Fain
- Paymaster-General: William Williams
- Surgeon-General: Dr. B.W. Avent
Some people in Western Tennessee were not happy about the choice of Generals Pillow and Anderson. This was because these generals belonged to the Democratic Party, while Western Tennessee was traditionally a Whig Party area. However, most of the brigadier generals were Whigs.
Getting Ready for War
On April 25, Governor Harris told General Anderson to go to Memphis. His job was to organize the volunteer soldiers gathering there. General Anderson stayed until May 3, when General Sneed took over.
In Nashville, ten companies of soldiers joined the state army. On May 3, they became the First Tennessee Regiment. This was the first regiment of the new provisional army. Around the same time, another regiment formed in Winchester. It became the First Confederate Tennessee. By May 5, about 171 companies were ready for battle.
Different generals were put in charge of different areas:
- General Anderson commanded the Middle Department from Memphis.
- General Foster was at Camp Cheatham in Robertson County.
- General Zollicoffer was at Camp Trousdale in Sumner County.
- General Caswell led forces in East Tennessee from Knoxville.
- General Cheatham was at Union City.
- General Sneed was at Randolph.
By early June, five or six groups of cannons were placed along the Mississippi River. These cannons, including mortars, columbiads, and large cannons, were at important places from Memphis to Knoxville. Ten companies of artillery soldiers, led by Colonel John P. McCown, operated them.
About 15,000 volunteers gathered in West Tennessee under General Pillow. They were stationed in forts that were still being built. These included Fort Harris, Fort Wright, and Fort Pillow. Only about 4,000 volunteers guarded the supply center in Nashville. A very small force was kept in Knoxville. The Governor thought that Kentucky would stay neutral in the war, so he left the border with Kentucky unprotected.
Army Size
When the Provisional Army of Tennessee was transferred to the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, it was quite large. It included:
- 22 regiments of infantry (foot soldiers)
- 2 regiments of cavalry (horseback soldiers)
- 10 companies of artillery (cannon crews)
- An engineer corps (for building and destroying structures)
- An ordnance bureau (for weapons and supplies)
Joining the Confederate Army
On June 29, the Tennessee government decided that the Governor could offer Tennessee's volunteer soldiers to the Confederate States of America. This meant putting the defense of Tennessee into the hands of the Confederate President.
On July 31, the Governor ordered the officers of the provisional army to prepare their soldiers for inspection by Confederate officers. Lists of companies and regiments were given to the Confederate inspectors. This was the official way to transfer the soldiers from the State of Tennessee to the Confederate States. The transfer was completed by August 7.
Generals Pillow, Anderson, and Donelson were then made brigadier generals in the Confederate Army. The Provisional Army of Tennessee became a very important part of the Confederate Army of Tennessee.
