Army of the Ohio
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The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863
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History
General Orders No. 97 commanded Major General Don Carlos Buell to assume command of the Dept 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 Dept. of the Ohio by Horatio G. Wright in August and Henry W. Halleck ordered George H. 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 where the army repulsed the Confederate Heartland Offensive at the Battle of Perryville. Buel came under criticism for not following up his victory and was relieved of command of the army being replaced by William S. Rosecrans. Rosecrans was appointed to command of the Dept 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 Dept of the Ohio. Burside 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, becoming one of the only 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 Bursnide 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 Dept 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 Dept of the Ohio and the Army and the XXIII Corps in April. Schofield led the army during the Atlanta campaign and pursued John B. Hood into Tennessee after the fall of Atlanta. At the Battle of Franklin the army inflicted a severe defeat on Hood's army before joining with George H. Thomas and the Army of the Cumberland. At the Battle of Nashville the army served as part of the Army of the Cumberland. On February 9, 1865 the Army/XXIII Corps was transferred to the Dept of North Carolina with Schofield still in command. In this capacity Schofield captured Wilmington and joined William T. Sherman becoming the Center of Sherman's army group and participated in the final stages of the Carolinas campaign
Commanders
- Major General Don Carlos Buell (Nov 15, 1861-Oct 24, 1862) also department commander until March 11
- Major General William S. Rosecrans (Oct 24-Oct 30, 1862) became the Army of the Cumberland
- Major General Ambrose Burnside (March 25-Dec 9, 1863) also department commander
- Major General John G. Foster (Dec 9, 1863-Feb 9, 1864) also department commander
- Major General John M. Schofield (Feb 9-Sept 14, 1864) also department commander
- Major General Jacob D. Cox (Sept 14-Oct 22, 1864)
- Major General John M. Schofield (Oct 22, 1864-Feb 2, 1865)
- Major General Jacob D. Cox (Feb 2-9, 1865)
- Major General John M. Schofield (Feb 9-March 31) also commander of the Dept of North Carolina
Major Battles and Campaigns
- Battle of Shiloh (Buell)
- Battle of Perryville (Buell)
- Morgan's Ohio Raid (Burnside)
- Longstreet's Knoxville Campaign (Burnside)
- Atlanta campaign (Schofield)
- Battle of Franklin (Schofield)
- Battle of Nashville (Schofield)
- Carolinas campaign (Schofield)
