Army of the Ohio

The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.

History

General Orders No. 97 commanded Major General Don Carlos Buell to assume command of the Department of the Ohio. All the forces of the department were then organized into the Army of the Ohio with Buell in command. Early in 1862, the army fought its first engagement at the Battle of Mill Springs, although only the 1st Division, commanded by George H. Thomas, was engaged. The whole army marched to the reinforce Ulysses S. Grant on the second day of the Battle of Shiloh. Buell was replaced as commander of the Department of the Ohio by Horatio G. Wright in August, and Henry W. Halleck ordered Thomas to assume command of the army. However, Thomas foresaw a major battle and felt it unwise to change an army commander on the eve of battle. Thus Buell remained in command of the army and Thomas was made second-in-command. The battle Thomas foresaw occurred in October, 1862, when the army repulsed the Campaignbox Confederate Heartland Offensive at the Battle of Perryville. Buell came under criticism for not following up his victory and was relieved of command of the army, replaced by William S. Rosecrans. Rosecrans was also appointed to command of the Department of the Cumberland and subsequently renamed the army the Army of the Cumberland.

On March 25, 1863, Major General Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Department of the Ohio. Burnside consolidated all the forces of the department and created the XXIII Corps, which was also named the Army of the Ohio, with himself in command. He became one of the few officers to directly command two completely different armies (he had earlier commanded the Army of the Potomac). The new Army of the Ohio first repelled Morgan's Ohio raid, although the entire army rarely functioned as one whole unit during this campaign. Next Burnside moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. Here the IX Corps was added and the army grew to two corps, plus a division of cavalry. Burnside defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Fort Sanders. After the battle, he asked to be relieved of command due to illness. Major General John G. Foster replaced Burnside as commander of the army and Department of the Ohio on December 9.

Foster's time in command of the army was short. On February 9, 1864, Major General John M. Schofield assumed command of the Department of the Ohio, and then the Army of the Ohio and the XXIII Corps in April. During this time the XXIII Corps and the Army of the Ohio would be synonymous. Schofield led the army during the Atlanta campaign and pursued John Bell Hood into Tennessee after the fall of Atlanta. At the Battle of Franklin, Schofield inflicted a severe defeat on Hood's Confederate army before joining with George H. Thomas and the Army of the Cumberland for the Battle of Nashville. On February 9, 1865, Schofield was transferred to command the Department of North Carolina. When Schofield departed to assumed departmental command, Jacob D. Cox temporarily assumed command of the army.

The XXIII Corps was ordered to North Carolina and only Cox's division was present for the battle of Wilmington. It was not until March, 1865 that the rest of the XXIII Corps landed at New Bern, North Carolina. Upon the arrival of the XXIII Corps in its entirety, Schofield joined that corps with the X Corps under General Alfred H. Terry to form the Army of the Ohio. The army was designated the Center of William T. Sherman's Army Group and participated in the final stages of the Carolinas Campaign. With the close of the war, the troops were mustered out of military service. A number of post-war reunions were held by various elements of the old Army of the Ohio.

Commanders

Major General Don Carlos Buell (November 15, 1861 – October 24, 1862) also department commander until March 11
Major General William S. Rosecrans (October 24 – October 30, 1862) became the Army of the Cumberland
Major General Ambrose Burnside (March 25 – December 9, 1863) also department commander
Major General John G. Foster (December 9, 1863 – February 9, 1864) also department commander
Major General John M. Schofield (February 9 – September 14, 1864) also department commander
Major General Jacob D. Cox (September 14 – October 22, 1864)
Major General John M. Schofield (October 22, 1864 – February 2, 1865)
Major General Jacob D. Cox (February 2–9, 1865)
Major General John M. Schofield (February 9 – March 31, 1865) also commander of the Department of North Carolina

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History

Commanders

Major Battles and Campaigns

References

See also

External links