Browse all content in the Civil War Western Theater Region.
Message from Richard Taylor Announcing that He Had Assumed Command of the Army of Tennessee
January 23, 1865 On January 23, 1865, Lieutenant General Richard Taylor informed the assistant adjutant general of the Confederacy that he had assumed command of the Army of Tennessee. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE Tupelo, January 23, 1865. COL. GEORGE WILLIAM BRENT, Assistant Adjutant- General, Montgomery, Ala.: ;;;;;;;;;;; COLONEL: General Hood desiring to leave, I have…
Message from Robert E. Lee Assigning Joseph E. Johnston to Command of Troops in Carolinas
February 22, 1865 On February 22, 1865, Robert E. Lee ordered General Joseph Johnston to Assume command of the Army of Tennessee and all troops in Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. HEADQUARTERS, February 22, 1865. General J. E. JOHNSTON: Assume command of the Army of Tennessee and all troops in Department of South…
Message from W.T. Sherman to William Sooy Smith
January 27, 1864 On January 27, 1864. William T. Sherman ordered Brigadier General William Sooy Smith to drive south through Mississippi and rendezvous with him at Meridian on or about February 10. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE Memphis, January 27, 1864 Brig. Gen. WILLIAM SOOY SMITH, Commanding Cavalry, &c., present: DEAR GENERAL: By an order…
Message from William J. Hardee Assuming Command of the Army of Tennessee
December 2, 1863 On December 2, 1863, Confederate Lieutenant General William J Hardee issued a message to the soldiers of the Army of Tennessee announcing that he had assumed command. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE, Dalton, Ga., December 2, 1863. To the Soldiers of the Army of Tennessee: General Bragg haying been relieved from duty with…
Message from William J. Hardee Assuming Command of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida
October 6, 1864 On October 6, 1864, William J. Hardee informed Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General of the Confederate Army that he had assumed command of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. CHARLESTON, S. C., October 6, 1864. General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.: I have the honor to report…
Message Relieving Joseph E. Johnston from Command of the Army of Tennessee
July 17, 1864 On July 17, 1864, Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General of the Confederate Army informed General Joseph Johnston that he was relieved from command of the Army and Department of Tennessee. RICHMOND, July 17, 1864. General J. E. JOHNSTON: Lieut. Gen. J. B. Hood has been commissioned to the temporary rank of general…
Message to Jefferson Davis from Hood, Hardee, and Stewart Regarding Hood’s Appointment as Commander of Army of Tennessee
July 18, 1864 On July 18, 1864, Confederate Generals John Bell Hood, William J. Hardee, and Alex P. Stewart wrote to President Jefferson Davis questioning the timing of Hood's appointment as commander of the Army of Tennessee. ATLANTA, July 18, 1864. President Jefferson Davis: The enemy being now in our immediate front and making we…
Mitchell’s Battery of Ohio Volunteer Artillery
1861–1865 In the American Civil War, Ohio provided the federal government with 260 regiments of men, including infantry, artillery, and cavalry units. Ohioans also served in several other regiments from other states, most notably from Kentucky, West Virginia, and Massachusetts, as well as in federal units. In the American Civil War, Ohio provided the federal…
Nathan Bedford Forrest
July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877 Known as "the Wizard of the Saddle," Nathan Bedford Forrest was a prominent Confederate cavalry officer whose reputation was stained by accusations regarding his role in the "Fort Pillow Massacre" on April 12, 1864. Nathan Bedford Forrest was born on July 13, 1821 in rural Chapel Hill, Tennessee.…
Nathaniel Lyon
July 14, 1818 – August 9, 1861 Infamous for his quick temper, Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was killed during the Battle of Wilson's Creek, on August 9, 1861, making him the first Union general to die in combat during the American Civil War. Nathaniel Lyon was born on July 14, 1818, in Ashford, Connecticut. He…