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Salient facts about Army of the Cumberland commanders

1. Robert Anderson 2. William T. Sherman 3. Don Carlos Buell 4. William S. Rosecrans 5. George H. Thomas

1. Robert Anderson (1805-71).- hero of more than Ft. Sumter

Capsule biography
Born in Ky. near Luoisville in 1805 into a solid family tradition of military service - southern, slave-holding, but devoted to national service.
West Point 1825.
Wounded in Mexican War, 1 brevet.
Taught artillery tactics at West Point to many of the future artillerists on both sides of the Civil War, including Thomas.
Acquired a reputation for extreme circumspection and attention to detail.
Liked to say that he lived by his father's religion and General Washington's politics, and that he needed only three documents to guide his path: the Ten Commandments, the Constitution, and the book of army regulations.
In the secession crisis sided with the North apparently without hesitation.
In 1860 took command of defenses of Charleston Harbor. He was put there by Buchanen because of supposed Southern sympathies. He surprised everybody.
Lacking clear instructions of any kind, he prudently transfered garrison from exposed Ft. Moultrie to more defensible Ft. Sumter 26 dec. 1860, inflaming Southern public opinion even more, but buying time for Lincoln.
Hoped personally that the Confederacy would be allowed to secede without war, but did his duty to the Union anyway. Said: "Our errant sisters...may at some future time be won back by conciliation and justice."
Hero of Ft. Sumter. Through his restraint almost singlehandedly made Beauregard blink (fire) first. Sustained its bombardment on 12-14 April 61. Surrendered when supplies and ammunition used up. Got everyone out alive except for 2 men who died from accident during gun salute at surrender ceremony. Took the flag with him when he left.
Not all Southerners present shared general enthusiasm. James Petigru said: "...we are on the road to ruin."
Promoted to brig. general of regular army 15 May 61.
Commanded dept. of Ky. 28 May - 15 Aug. 61 and dept. of the Cumberland 15 Aug. - 8 Oct. 61. Although at first he didn't have a single soldier at his disposal, he laid the groundwork for keeping Kentucky in the Union.
When he accepted command in Kentucky, he insisted on having Thomas, and assigned him to Camp Dick Robinson - the nation's first modern basic training camp.
Approved Thomas's plan to occupy East Tennessee.
Was an early advocate of engineer units, a concept which later proved decisive.
Lincoln to Stanton 17 Aug. 63: "At the request of Brigadier General Rober Anderson, I have concluded to appoint George H. Thomas of the 2nd cavalry a Brigadier" [of volunteers].
Citing "the mental torture of his command", he resigned on 8 Oct. 63 and retired from active service 27 Oct. 63, whereupon Lincoln proposed Thomas to assume Anderson's commission as regular army brig. general.
Used his influence in Washington to get Thomas supplies, tried to get him promoted to major general of volunteers.
Began the tradition of shielding Thomas from political intrigue, intervened when politicians tried have Thomas replaced by Mitchell. Anderson to Sherman: "I am very anxious that Thomas shall have charge of the advance upon Cumberland Gap and hope that Gen. Mitchell will not be allowed to supercede him."
Promoted to brevet maj. general 3 Feb. 65.
Presided at ceremony when the shell torn Union from 1861 was raised above Ft. Sumter on 14 April 65.
Translated French army manuals. Died in Nice, France 26 Oct.1871.

2. William T. Sherman (1820-91) - his brother was US senator

Capsule biography
West Point 1840
During Mexican War stationed in California.
Left army in 1853 to go into banking. Didn't do too well.
In 1859 became head of a military school in Alexandria, La.
28 Aug. became 2nd in command in Ky. under Robert Anderson, took over command on 8 Oct.
His outspoken criticism of the administration's policies and his bouts of depression almost ended his military career. He correctly estimated the forces he needed, but greatly overestimated the forces of the Confederates opposing him.
In a moment of panic he stopped Thomas from occupying East Tennessee. Union sympathizers were then hung. Cameron fired him and sent him to Halleck who saw Sherman's possibilities, that his brother the U.S. senator.
His request on 8 Nov. that McClellan relieve him from his Kentucky command was granted. Sent out west to Halleck.
At Shiloh concurred with Grant that there was nothing to worry about, performed capably on 6 April when it turned out they were both wrong. After Shiloh Sherman helped Grant get through a period of emotional depression.
On 27-29 Dec. at Chickasaw Bluffs north of Vicksburg Sherman tried frontal attacks through swamps against fortified position. He survived, although many of his men didn't.
At Jackson, Miss. 14 May 63 and Champion's Hill 16 May 63 he profited from the inability of Pemberton and Joseph Johnston to work together, or perhaps of Johnston's inability to work with anyone..
On 19 and 22 May 63 participated in 2 of Grant's 3 frontal assaults on Vicksburg. Got nowhere. He survived, but many of his men didn't.
During the Meridian campaign in Miss. 3 Feb. - 5 March 64 he planned to sweep to Mobile and rehearse for his war against civilians in Georgia. Didn't get very far at all.
For a detailed analysis of his part in the battle of Chattanooga see my article "Politics in the Union army at the Battle for Chattanooga". He ruined Grant's flawed plan but was promoted afterward anyway. His brother John was a U.S. senator and his father-in-law was a former U.S. senator.
For his part in the campaign for Atlanta see my 2 battle summaries Hundred Days and Atlanta. Out of hesitation he missed a bunch of chances to surround Johnston's army or significant portions of it.
Conducted from Atlanta to Savannah 15 Nov. - 21 Dec. 64 the most infamous raid carried out in history by U.S. troops against his own people. Andersonville and Petersburg could and did wait.
Outdid himself during the Carolinas campaign 1 Feb. - 23 March 1865. Violence against civilians increased.
Named Lt. General 25 July 66.
Was put in charge of the western command and supported Sheridan in his genocidal operations against the Indians. They both reported in turn to Grant and Schofield. Four peas in a pod.
Promoted to full Gen. 4 March 69. Succeeded Grant as Commander in Chief of the army 1869-83.

3. Don Carlos Buell (1818-98) - methodical organizer

Capsule biography
West Point 1841.
Mexican War hero. Wounded in action, 3 brevets.
Helped organize the Army of the Potomac under McClellan Sept.- Oct. 1861.
A conservative Democrat in an increasingly radical Republican administration.
Commanded Army of the Ohio 15 Nov. 61 - 24 Oct., 62.
Created the organizational basis for the future greatness of the Army of the Cumberland, i.e. turned a mob into an army.
Took on Gov. Morton of Indiana, freed his army from civilian control, made an enemy for life.
Occupied Nashville 16 Feb. 62.
Given an impossible assignment by an insistent Halleck: simultaneously liberate East Tenn., defend Nashville, protect Louisville, defeat Bragg, and maintain and guard 500 miles of railroad.
Saved Grant at Shiloh. Grant never forgave him.
Brought charges in May 62 against Col. Turchin for the pillage and rape of Athens, Alabama.
Built the first blockhouses to protect key railroad points.
Sincerely believed that the Civil War was a war about territory and maneuvers. He was a "soft war" soldier in a "hard war" conflict. He understood that you can win as surely by disrupting the organization of an opposing army as by attempting to massacre it. The "soft" way is cheaper.
Made mistakes at the battle of Perryville, but so did Bragg who had to withdraw into Tennessee. Kentucky was thus secured for the Union.
Removed from command twice, 30 Sept. 62 in favor of Thomas who refused, and then 24 Oct. 62 in favor of Rosecrans.
Buell's conduct of the war in Ky. and Tenn. investigated by a military commission (24 Nov. 62 - 10 May 63). Halleck does his best to blacken Buell's record. Commission's findings inconclusive, not published. Buell's Civil War career finished.

4. William S. Rosecrans (1819-98) - brilliant tactician

Capsule biography
West Point 1842.
Supervised military construction, taught at West Point.
Left the army in 1854 to pursue a career as civil engineer.
Instrumental in liberating western Virginia. McClellan took the credit.
Drove Price out of Iuka, Miss. on 19 Sept. 62. Absentee Grant (supposedly unaware of nearby battle due to "acoustic shadow") blamed Rosecrans for letting Price escape.
Repulsed Price and Van Dorn at Corinth on 3-4 Oct. Grant first blamed Rosecrans for not pursuing with sufficient vigor, then blamed him for pursuing too far. Grant wasn't there either, routinely provided himself with a scapegoat, just in case.
Assumed command of Buell's army on 30 Oct. 62, renamed it "Army of the Cumberland".
Applied newest technical principles to the creation and administration of a new kind of army for a new kind of war.
Had his officers wear "battle", i.e. non-distinctive uniforms in combat.
Challenged Stanton's strategy of victory through attrition (the substitute for military imagination).
In his first major battle at Murfreesboro (Stones River) he fought Bragg to a standstill. Bragg had to retreat.
Planned and conducted one of the greatest military marvels of the Civil War - the Tullahoma campaign of 22-29 June 63. The Union army advanced 100 miles at the price of 500 casualties.
Was the first high level commander to recognize the value of Wilder's concept of mounting infantrymen and arming them with repeating Spencers. Forced this concept on the War Department at the risk of his military career. Wilder made military history at Hoover's Gap on 24 June 63.
Crossed Tennessee River below Chattanooga on 29 Aug. 63 and began successful flanking movement against Bragg in Chattanooga.
In early Sept. 1863 encouraged and authorized the wealthy abolitionist George Stearns to establish in Nashville a recruiting center for colored soldiers.
Driven by ambition, also under incessant pressure from Halleck and Stanton, Rosecrans engaged Bragg too soon at Chickamauga on 19-20 Sept. 63, one of the most costly blunders of the war, if men's lives count for anything.
The evening of 20 Sept. 63, despite more than 30,000 Union and Confederate casualties, Rosecrans still held Chattanooga.
On 19 Oct. 63 relieved of command in favor of Thomas. He advised Thomas to accept the order.
Served in no significant capacity during the rest of the war.

5. George H. Thomas (1816-1870) - did his homework

Capsule biography
Born 31 July 1816 on family farm near Newsom's Depot, Southampton County, VA.
For his Army of the Cumberland career see Chronology AotC . He won every engagement or segment thereof where he commanded.
West Point 1840.
2 brevets in the Mexican War. "Artillery man holding the angle" at Buena Vista. He was later to hold many angles.
Artillery and cavalry instructor at West Point. He was called "slow trot" because he tried to keep the cadets from killing the broken-down horses. The sobriquet later proved useful to his detractors.
At first Manassas he was under the command of Robert Patterson who was to keep Joseph Johnston at Harper's Ferry. Thomas warned Patterson that Johnston was leaving, but Patterson ordered no engagement in order to hold Johnston. It is true that Johnston had the interior line due to Scott's order placing Patterson too far from Washington.
As a boy he gave the slaves on his family farm bible and reading lessons.
While stationed in Florida he conducted botanical studies.
While stationed at Ft. Yuma he conducted zoological studies which were praised by experts.
While stationed at Ft Yuma he compiled a 70-word dictionary of a local Indian language, a work praised by ethnologists.
He was wounded by an arrow through the flesh of his chin and into his chest during a skirmish with Comanches in 1860 in Texas. He pulled it out and went back to work. He also learned something from their tactics.
Won the first major Union victory of the war at Mill Springs (19 Jan. 1862).
Carried Rosecrans's concept of the technical army even further.
The techniques of economy of force he used in his defense of Snodgrass Hill at Chickamauga are today one of the basic tenets of the United States Marines' assault doctrine.
He helped introduce the use of map coordinates into battle planning.
He introduced the concept of remote fire control at the battle of Chattanooga using his model signal corps.
He was a pioneer (along with Rosecrans) in the use of combined forces. On 24 June 63 Wilder's mounted infantry secured Hoover's Gap for Thomas's infantry. Wilder had equipped his brigade with repeating Spencer rifles and had the firepower of a division. Never in the history of warfare had so much firepower covered 12 miles so quickly. At Nashville Wilson's super-division of 9000 dismounting cavalrymen armed with repeating Spencer carbines (thus with the firepower of an infantry corps) rode around to the rear of Hood's left. It was the only time during the Civil War in which an entire army was effectively destroyed on an open field of battle, unless you also count Mill Springs. The distinction from other famous cavalry units of the war is that Wilder and Wilson were not in any way independent from their army commander.
He had folding, portable pontoons (called Cumberland pontoons) developed.
Together with his chief topographical engineer, Col. William Merrill, he expanded Buell's blockhouse concept into the "Cumberland blockhouse" - a miniature fort at key railroad points consisting of double walls separated by 6 feet of earth and housing several cannons. Linked by telegraph to HQ, it could withstand siege until reeinforcements arrived.
He had the most highly developed telegraphy service of any army on either side. At Nashville his service made possible the coordination of dozens of widely scattered units during the concentration prior to the final battle.
Together with brevet Maj. Gen. Daniel McCallum he perfected what was probably the world's first successful movable railway base and repair center which closely followed the advance of Union troops.
He had a wide-ranging secret service with a spy network throughout the South which even reached into Johnston's HQ. The service collected topographical data, data on the opponent, broke codes, carried out sabotage, and subverted Confederate units. It supplied many commanders in other theaters (including Grant) with information. Maybe his service sent the Frenchman Noquet to the Army of Tennessee in order to disrupt it (he absconded with funds and then escaped behind Union lines). It was this secret service which enabled Wilson to track down and capture Davis on 10 May 1865 in Georgia.
He had the Civil War's most efficient hospital service where the use of chloroform was standard practice. Railroad cars were built to serve as field hospitals. His mobile field hospital system saved countless lives, Union and Confederate, at Chickamauga.
He established a service for providing his troops with magazines and books.
He established in Mill Springs, Ky. the first National military cemetery at a battlefield, cared for his men in this respect also. He then established one in Chattanooga on 24 Dec. 63. Said, when asked if the remains should be interred according to state origin: "Mix them up. I'm tired of states' rights." Also established the National military cemetary at Murfreesboro.
He hired the first female doctor in the army (Mary Walker) who later received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
He established the Civil War's most efficient mess service for his soldiers which later included full time cooks.
In one way or another he always recognized the outstanding work of his individual soldiers.
He constantly prepared his men for battle through "real life" sorties in small units rather than with parade ground drill.
He said: "We are all cowards in the presence of immediate death. We can overcome that fear in war through familiarity."
Dealt with the problem of "absenteeism" by setting a good example rather than with executions. He didn't take a day of leave during the entire Civil War.
On the move he and his staff, whenever possible, rode at the side of the road and left the road to the troops.
He also devoted himself to the training of colored troops and was the only commander under whom colored troops played a key role in a decisive Union vistory. The battle of Nashville was won, in part, because of the efforts of colored troops who held the Confederate right while Wilson and his dismounting cavalry went around the Confederate left.
B.G. Emory Upton, division commander under Thomas and Wilson at Nashville, learned the principles which he would codify in his book "The Military Policy of the United States", basis for the future development of the U.S. military.
At the end of the war, as military commander of most of the South, and after the war, as military governor of 5 Southern states with his headquarters in Nashville, he tried to make contending parties see reason and to keep local citizens from doing violence to his colored troops. It was a difficult job, but he won the respect of most of the people in Tennessee at least. He was granted honorary citizenship there, having lost it in Virginia.
Around 1868 Thomas's health began to fail. Grant assigned the eastern commands to Sheridan and Meade, leaving Thomas to take the Pacific command or leave it. He took it, and in the last year of his life Thomas logged 11,000 miles of official travel. He died of a stroke on 28 March 1870 in his office in San Francisco.
Thomas, along with 14 other generals, was accorded Thanks of the Nation, in his case for the battles of Franklin and Nashville, not for Chickamauga or Chattanooga.
Thomas is not mentioned with one word in the college level textbook on American history "The Enduring Vision" (Heath, 1996), nor in the middle school textbook on American history "The American Journey" (McGraw-Hill, 2000).

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