Days of glory : the Army of the Cumberland, 1861-1865

A potent fighting force that changed the course of the Civil War, the Army of the Cumberland was the North’s second-most-powerful army, surpassed in size only by the Army of the Potomac. Though the Army of the Cumberland engaged the enemy across five times more territory with one-third to one-half fewer men than the Army of the Potomac, its achievements in the western theater rivaled those of the larger eastern army. The Cumberland distinguished itself courageously and against enormous odds at the Battle of Stones River and at Chickamauga and in sterling performances at Shiloh, Perryville, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, and Peachtree Creek. The renowned Civil War historian Larry J. Daniel brings his analytical and descriptive skills to bear on the Cumberlanders in the first complete study of the army since 1870. While Days of Glory draws on the lives and words of common soldiers, it focuses primarily on the commanders. Daniel explores the dynamics of discord, political in-fighting, and feeble leadership that stymied the army in achieving its full potential. He offers a fresh interpretation of General George H. Thomas as a flawed character who did not mature until late 1863 and addresses the impact of battlefield logistics and the formation of the cavalry. The Cumberland army evolved as the war progressed, and Daniel traces its changing mission from the liberation of East Tennessee to the penetration of the Deep South. Disproportionately influenced during the first two years of the war by the Kentucky bloc, the officer corps eventually reflected the tremendous influx of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois regiments. The author shows the troops’ abolitionist sympathies emerging in the summer of 1862 and growing to the point that the army’s support for President Lincoln played a decisive role in his reelection in 1864. Making extensive use of thousands of letters and diaries, Daniel creates an epic portrayal of the developing Cumberland army, from untrained volunteers to hardened soldiers united in their hatred of the Confederates. It is a saga of what veterans would remember pridefully as the days of glory. A potent fighting force that changed the course of the Civil War, the Army of the Cumberland was the North's second-most-powerful army, surpassed in size only by the Army of the Potomac. The Cumberland army engaged the enemy across five times more territory with one-third to one-half fewer men than the Army of the Potomac, and yet its achievements in the western theater rivaled those of the larger eastern army. The Cumberland distinguished itself courageously and against enormous odds at the Battle of Stones River and at Chickamauga and in sterling performances at Shiloh, Perryville, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, and Peachtree Creek. The renowned Civil War historian Larry J. Daniel brings his analytical and descriptive skills to bear on the Cumberlanders in the first complete study of the army since 1870. While Days of Glory draws on the lives and words of common soldiers, it focuses primarily on the commanders. Daniel explores the dynamics of discord, political in-fighting, and feeble leadership that stymied the army in achieving its full potential. He offers a fresh interpretation of General George H. Thomas as a flawed character who did not mature until late 1863 and addresses the impact of battlefield logistics and the formation of the cavalry.

The Cumberland army evolved as the war progressed, and Daniel traces its changing mission from the liberation of East Tennessee to the penetration of the Deep South. Disproportionately influenced during the first two years of the war by the Kentucky bloc, the officer corps eventually reflected the tremendous influx of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois regiments. The author shows the troops' abolitionist sympathies emerging in the summer of 1862 and growing to the point that the army's support for President Lincoln played a decisive role in his reelection in 1864. Making extensive use of thousands of letters and diaries, Daniel creates an epic portrayal of the developing Cumberland army, from untrained volunteers to hardened soldiers united in their hatred of the Confederates. It is a saga of what veterans would remember with pride as their days of glory.

Cover 1 Contents 8 Preface 12 Acknowledgments 16 Abbreviations 18 PART 1: THE ANDERSON-SHERMAN LEGACY 20 1. Birth of an Army: The Anderson Legacy 22 2. Sherman Takes Command: A Baleful Sway 35 PART 2: THE BUELL INFLUENCE 50 3. Organization and Strategy: The Arrival of Buell 52 4. The Drive South: The Buell-Halleck Feud 76 5. The Mettle Tested: The Battle of Shiloh 93 PART 3: DECLINE OF THE BUELL INFLUENCE 108 6. The Chattanooga Campaign: Conservative War Aims 110 7. Retreat to Kentucky: A Season of Blunders 126 8. The Collapse of Command: The Anti-Buell Faction 145 9. Faltering Communications: The Battle of Perryville 160 10. A Failure to Perform: The Removal of Buell 186 PART 4: THE ROSECRANS ERA 198 11. Army of the Cumberland: The Rosecrans Influence 200 12. The Weight of Command: Clash at Stones River 220 13. Interlude: The Business of War 244 14. The Politics of War: Rise of the Anti-Rosecrans Faction 265 15. Tullahoma: Military Gain, Political Vexation 284 PART 5: THE DECLINE OF ROSECRANS 302 16. An Aura of Vanity: The Road to Chattanooga 304 17. Fatal Decision: The Battle of Chickamauga 333 18. The Removal: Purge and Reorganization 357 PART 6: THE EMERGENCE OF THOMAS 378 19. Chattanooga: Thomas Takes Command 380 20. The Army Remodeled: Winter at Chattanooga 398 21. The Atlanta Campaign: "A Spirit of Jealousy" 413 22. Command Fracture: The Grand Old Army Divides 435 Epilogue 451 ORDERS OF BATTLE 454 Bibliography 468 Index 496 A 496 B 496 C 498 D 499 E 499 F 499 G 500 H 500 I 501 J 502 K 502 L 502 M 503 N 504 O 505 P 505 R 505 S 506 T 507 U 508 V 508 W 508 Y 509 Z 509