Army of Mississippi
Three separate Confederate commands during the American Civil War were each called Army of Mississippi, and even historians have to work to keep them straight. A Union force operating in the same region added to the confusion by calling itself the Army of the Mississippi, a name honoring the river rather than the state. The first of the three Confederate armies would grow into one of the most important fighting forces in the entire Western Theater. The second existed for a single purpose: to hold one city on the river. The third barely lasted a year before losing its own name to a reorganization it never fully accepted. This documentary follows each army in the order it was formed, tracing how each one came to an end.
On the 5th of March 1862, this force was organized under General P.G.T. Beauregard, though he did not formally assume command until the 17th. Units from the Army of Pensacola joined on the 13th of March, and by the 29th the command had absorbed the Army of Central Kentucky and the Army of Louisiana as well.
General Albert Sidney Johnston took command that same day, the 29th of March, and led the army into the Battle of Shiloh. He was killed in action on the 6th of April, and command passed back to Beauregard within hours.
General Braxton Bragg assumed command on the 6th of May, officially taking charge a day later, and held it through the fighting at Corinth on the 5th of July. Major General William J. Hardee held the army temporarily from the 5th of July to the 15th of August, when Bragg returned for roughly six weeks. Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk took temporary charge on the 28th of September and led the army through the Battle of Perryville before Bragg reassumed command on the 7th of November.
On the 20th of November 1862, this army was renamed the Army of Tennessee, closing out its short life under the Mississippi name.
On the 7th of December 1862, a second army bearing the same name was organized from troops in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, including the short lived Army of West Tennessee. It became known informally as the Army of Vicksburg.
Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton commanded from the outset, stepping aside briefly for Major General Earl Van Dorn between the 9th and the 17th of December before resuming command himself.
This army existed for one purpose: to defend Vicksburg, Mississippi, on the Mississippi River. After a long Union offensive and siege, Pemberton surrendered the city and his army to Major General Ulysses S. Grant on the 4th of July 1863. The surrender opened what was called the "Father of Waters" to Union control and split the Confederacy in two.
Within weeks, a third army would rise under the very same name, one destined to survive far longer than this one had.
On the 30th of July 1863, Lieutenant General William J. Hardee took command of the third army to carry the name Army of Mississippi. Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk relieved him on the 23rd of October 1863 and led the army through the Atlanta campaign, holding command until the 14th of June 1864.
Around the 4th of May 1864, the army was officially retitled III Corps, Army of Tennessee, though it kept using its old name anyway. Major General William W. Loring took command on the 14th of June 1864, serving until the 4th of July.
Loring's brief tenure, ending on the 4th of July 1864, marked the last time the Confederacy recorded a command under the Army of Mississippi name.
Common questions
What was the Army of Mississippi during the American Civil War?
It was not a single army but three separate Confederate States Army formations that each carried the same name at different times. This name is distinct from the Union's Army of the Mississippi, which was named for the Mississippi River rather than the state.
When was the first Army of Mississippi organized?
The first Army of Mississippi was organized on the 5th of March 1862 under General P.G.T. Beauregard. It was renamed the Army of Tennessee on the 20th of November 1862.
Who commanded the Army of Mississippi at the Battle of Shiloh?
General Albert Sidney Johnston commanded the army at Shiloh, taking charge on the 29th of March 1862 and leading it into the battle. He was killed in action on the 6th of April 1862, and General P.G.T. Beauregard resumed command that same day.
Why did the second Army of Mississippi surrender at Vicksburg?
The second Army of Mississippi existed solely to defend Vicksburg, Mississippi, on the Mississippi River. After a long Union offensive and siege, Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton surrendered the army to Major General Ulysses S. Grant on the 4th of July 1863, opening the river to Union control and splitting the Confederacy in two.
What happened to the third Army of Mississippi?
The third Army of Mississippi was retitled III Corps, Army of Tennessee, around the 4th of May 1864, though it continued using its old name. Its last recorded commander was Major General William W. Loring, who served from the 14th of June to the 4th of July 1864.
How is the Confederate Army of Mississippi different from the Union Army of the Mississippi?
The Confederate Army of Mississippi was named for the state of Mississippi, while the Union's Army of the Mississippi was named for the Mississippi River. The two names referred to entirely different forces operating in the same war.