Third Corps, Army of Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Third Corps, Army of Tennessee |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1862 – 1865 |
| Country |  Confederate States of America |
| Allegiance |  Tennessee |
| Branch |  Confederate States Army |
| Type | Army Corps |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 2-4 divisions |
| Part of | Army of Tennessee |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee Lt. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk Lt. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart |
The Third Corps was a military group that fought for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. It was part of the main Confederate army in the western part of the war, called the Army of Tennessee. This corps was known by the name of its commander, rather than just its number. Over time, it was led by several important generals, including William J. Hardee, Edmund Kirby Smith, Simon Bolivar Buckner, Leonidas Polk, and Alexander P. Stewart.
Contents
How the Corps Started
The Third Corps first formed when Major General William Hardee's division was reorganized. His troops had been fighting in Kentucky and Tennessee. They marched to Corinth, Mississippi, to join other Confederate forces. This was a big plan by General Albert Sidney Johnston to gather many soldiers together.
On March 23, 1862, Hardee's men arrived in Corinth. They joined forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard. When all these soldiers became one large group called the Army of the Mississippi, Hardee's division was named the Third Corps. Even though it was called a "corps," it was still structured like a division. It had three brigades, which are smaller groups of soldiers, led by Brigadier Generals Thomas Hindman, Patrick Cleburne, and S.A.M. Wood. It also had an artillery battalion with cannons. Hardee's corps was the smallest of the four corps, with 6,789 soldiers.
Hardee's corps was chosen to lead the attack on Grant's Union army. Grant's troops were camped at Pittsburgh Landing, near Shiloh. The Confederates planned to attack on April 4. However, the march was slow due to muddy roads and poor planning. The attack was delayed until the morning of April 6.
Fighting at Shiloh
Because Hardee's corps was at the front of the marching line, they were the first to fight at the Battle of Shiloh. This battle began on April 6, 1862. Hardee's soldiers spread out in a long line. They attacked the Union camps.
During the initial attack, Hardee's corps got a bit separated. Some brigades moved one way, and others moved another. Soon, soldiers from different Confederate corps mixed together. They continued fighting without their original groups.
Cleburne's brigade attacked General William T. Sherman's position. Cleburne's soldiers faced tough conditions, like marshy land, and suffered many casualties. For example, the 6th Mississippi regiment lost over 300 men in this attack.
The corps also fought at a place called Bloody Pond. Later, they helped protect the army's rear. After a few more months of fighting, the four corps of the Army of the Mississippi were combined. The Third Corps was then disbanded. The brigades that were part of it later formed divisions under other commanders, like Simon Buckner and Patrick Cleburne.
The Corps Comes Back (1862-1863)
The Third Corps was formed again several times after it was first disbanded.
Kirby Smith's Command
One time, it was re-formed when General Edmund Kirby Smith's troops from East Tennessee joined the Army of Tennessee. This new corps was very large, with about 26,500 men. It included divisions led by Carter Stevenson, John McCown, Henry Heth, and Thomas Churchill.
This corps was not fully involved in many big battles. At the Cumberland Gap, they had only light fighting. They were supposed to fight at the Battle of Stones River, but Stevenson's division was sent to Vicksburg. Heth and Churchill went to Knoxville. This left only John McCown and his small division. Many people believe that if General Braxton Bragg had all of Smith's divisions, he might have won the Battle of Stones River more clearly.
After this, the corps broke up again. McCown's division joined Hardee's corps. Stevenson's division stayed at Vicksburg. The other divisions were sent to new areas, and the corps was abolished.
Vicksburg and Joseph Johnston's Corps
The corps was formed a third time for the Siege of Vicksburg. Many soldiers from the Army of Tennessee were in the Vicksburg area. This corps had about 33,000 men. It included divisions led by Forney, Martin Smith, William Loring, John Bowen, and Carter Stevenson. The corps fought at the Battle of Champion Hill and during the siege itself. General Loring and his division managed to escape when Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, but the rest of the corps was captured.
A Third Corps was also formed under General Joseph Johnston during the Vicksburg campaign. This corps had soldiers from both the Army of Mississippi and the Army of Tennessee. It included Loring's division, which had escaped Vicksburg. It also had divisions from Charleston and other parts of the Army of Tennessee. At its largest, this corps had about 42,000 men. However, this corps was also broken up, and its parts later joined another Third Corps.
Chickamauga Campaign
The corps was formed again during the Chickamauga Campaign. General Braxton Bragg created this new corps for the Army of Tennessee. He combined Simon Buckner's troops from East Tennessee into his army. Buckner's corps had three divisions: Alexander P. Stewart's division, William Preston's division, and a temporary division under Bushrod Johnson. Johnson's division fought with another corps at Chickamauga and was later broken up.
The Final Third Corps
The Third Corps was formed for a fifth and final time. This happened after the Battle of Chattanooga. General Leonidas Polk's Army of Mississippi joined the Army of Tennessee for the Atlanta Campaign.
This final corps had about 20,000 men. It included divisions led by William Loring, who were veterans from the Vicksburg Campaign. It also had a division from Mississippi led by Samuel French, and another from Mobile led by General Cantey (later Walthall).
Polk's corps fought at Rocky Face Ridge and Resaca. They also fought at Pine Mountain, where General Polk was killed.
Stewart Takes Command
After Polk's death, the command of the corps changed hands several times. W.W. Loring took command briefly, but then Alexander P. Stewart took over.
Stewart's corps fought hard at Peachtree Creek, where they broke through the Union lines. At the Battle of Atlanta, the corps was held in reserve. Soon after, Stewart's corps fought at the Battle of Ezra Church. They tried to support another corps' attack, but it failed. Stewart and division commander Loring were wounded in this fighting. Stewart's corps did not take part in the Battle of Jonesboro. Even though it was the smallest corps, it suffered the fewest losses among the three corps in the army.
Franklin–Nashville Campaign
When the army commander, John Bell Hood, invaded Tennessee, Stewart's corps went with him. They fought heavily at Allatoona Pass. They also made a disastrous attack on the Union left at the Battle of Franklin. After suffering heavy losses, the corps was much smaller when it reached Nashville.
Stewart's corps was on the left side of the battle line at Nashville. They suffered many losses there. Later, they moved to the center of the line. They were lightly hit by musket fire but eventually fled the battlefield.
After this, the corps went to the Carolinas. They fought at the Battle of Bentonville. Finally, the Third Corps surrendered with the rest of the army at the end of the war.
