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Union Army

During the American Civil War, the United States Army, the land force that fought to preserve the collective Union of the states, was often referred to as the Union Army, the Grand Army of the Republic, the Federal Army, or the Northern Army. It proved essential to the restoration and preservation of the United States as a working, viable republic.

For the current active service branch, see United States Army.

Union Army

 United States

Army

2,128,948 (700,000 Peak)

U.S. Department of War

  Dark Blue

“Battle Hymn of the Republic"

See battles

American Indian Wars

American Civil War

Appomattox Court House

President Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865)
President Andrew Johnson (1865)

MG Winfield Scott (1841–1861)
MG George B. McClellan (1861–1862)
MG Henry W. Halleck (1862–1864)
GA Ulysses S. Grant (1864–1869)[1]

The Union Army was made up of the permanent regular army of the United States, but further fortified, augmented, and strengthened by the many temporary units of dedicated volunteers, as well as including those who were drafted in to service as conscripts. To this end, the Union Army fought and ultimately triumphed over the efforts of the Confederate States Army.


Over the course of the war, 2,128,948 men enlisted in the Union Army,[2] including 178,895, or about 8.4% being colored troops; 25% of the white men who served were immigrants.[3] Of these soldiers, 596,670 were killed, wounded or went missing.[4] The initial call-up was for just three months, after which many of these men chose to reenlist for an additional three years.

: July 5, 1841 – November 1, 1861

Winfield Scott

: November 1, 1861 – March 11, 1862

George B. McClellan

: July 23, 1862 – March 9, 1864

Henry W. Halleck

: March 9, 1864 – March 4, 1869

Ulysses S. Grant

: The rank of lieutenant general did not exist in the Union Army for most of the war until February 1864, when an Act of Congress allowed for its creation. A single lieutenant general was authorized to serve as the commander of all the field armies and geographic departments of the United States, under the direction and at the pleasure of the President. By law, they were allowed two secretaries and four aides-de-camp with the rank of lieutenant colonel, and a chief of staff with the rank of brigadier general.[38]

Lieutenant general

: Major generals were nominally the commanding officer of a division, although given the lack of higher grades of general officers they were also given command of army corps, field armies and geographic departments. In the event two or more officers of the same grade were present in the same army or department, command was decided by seniority. In an exception to this practice, the President was authorized by law to appoint a junior officer to command over his seniors. A major general was allowed a personal staff of three aides-de-camp. These were personally chosen by the general from among the captains and lieutenants of the Army and would accompany him whenever his command changed, being separate from the general staff of the unit he commanded.[39]

Major general

: A brigadier general was typically in command of a brigade, but like major generals it was not uncommon for them to command larger units. They were responsible for the organization and administration of their command, particularly when operating independently. As with major generals they were also allowed a personal staff of two aides-de-camp of lieutenant grade.[40]

Brigadier general

: A colonel was the commanding officer of a regiment, though they might also be assigned the commanding officer of larger units or expeditions.[41] They oversaw the recruitment, organization and training of their regiment; conducted parades, reviews and inspections; and managed the administration of the unit, ensuring that soldiers were clothed, fed, armed and paid.[42]

Colonel

: A lieutenant colonel was the senior assistant to their regiment's colonel in carrying out his duties and taking command in his absence. When the regiment was split among several posts, the lieutenant colonel would command a detachment of four companies. Of those duties specific to a lieutenant colonel were taking care of the personal property of deceased officers; act as officer of the day for a brigade; and conduct regimental courts martial.[43]

Lieutenant colonel

: A major acted as an assistant to their regiment's colonel in carrying out his duties and commanded detachments of two or more companies. The specific duties of a major were also the same as a lieutenant colonel.[44]

Major

: A captain was the commanding officer of a company and saw to its administration. This included selecting (with the colonel's approval) and training non-commissioned officers, issuing punishments and conducting courts martial, and maintaining company records and books such as inventories and the muster roll.[45] They also served as the officer of the day at a regimental camp or small post.[46]

Captain

: In the US Army there were three grades of lieutenant – first, second and brevet second. The last grade, limited to one per company, was given to West Point graduates and others worthy of the promotion but for whom there was no vacancy. Regardless of grade, lieutenants acted as assistants to the captain, and in his absence the senior-most lieutenant took command.[47] Among their various duties they might be assigned to take the daily roll-call, conduct inspections of the troops, and assist with recordkeeping;[48] oversee the posting of guards when in camp or pickets in the field, command patrols or escorts for general officers;[49] and command fatigue parties.[50] Lieutenants were also chosen to serve on their regiment's staff,[51] and may be assigned in an acting capacity to serve on the general staff of a higher unit.[52]

Lieutenant

Motivations[edit]

Anti-slavery sentiment[edit]

In his 1997 book examining the motivations of the American Civil War's soldiers, For Cause and Comrades, historian James M. McPherson states that Union soldiers fought to preserve the United States, as well as to end slavery, stating that:

McPherson states that witnessing the slave system of the Confederacy first-hand also strengthened the anti-slavery views of Union soldiers,[94] who were appalled by its brutality.[94] He stated that "Experience in the South reinforced the antislavery sentiments of many soldiers."[94] One Pennsylvanian Union soldier spoke to a slave woman whose husband was whipped, and was appalled by what she had to tell him of slavery. He stated that "I thought I had hated slavery as much as possible before I came here, but here, where I can see some of its workings, I am more than ever convinced of the cruelty and inhumanity of the system."[94]

: December 7, 1838 – April 22, 1864

Joseph Gilbert Totten

: April 22, 1864 – August 8, 1866

Richard Delafield

Military tactics[edit]

The tactics of the Union Army, as with their Confederate opponents, was derived from traditions developed in Europe around the use of smoothbore muskets: soldiers marching shoulder-to-shoulder in lines, columns and other formations in order to deliver volley fire on the enemy. The most notable development though was the widespread use of rifled muskets, which had an effective range of 500 yards versus the smoothbore's 100 yards. This led to predictions the defense would have the advantage over an attacker and render such linear tactics obsolete, which many contemporaries and early historians echoed. More recently, historians have questioned this narrative and argued based on research that most combat still took place at the range of smoothbore muskets and casualty rates were little different from during the Napoleonic Wars. Instead they assert these tactics still remained relevant during the Civil War.[131]


In the first stage of an attack, preparatory fire would be carried out by field artillery and skirmishers. When possible a flanking maneuver was preferred, but if necessary a frontal assault was conducted, with feints to draw off the enemy's attention. Successive lines of infantry would advance on the enemy at a walking pace until the first line got to within 200 yards or less, whereupon (ideally) they broke into a charge to overrun the enemy's position, stopping only once to fire a volley. If successful the first line would regroup in place as the succeeding lines pass through to attack the next position; if they became bogged down or forced to retreat, the next line would pass through to continue the attack.[132] More likely, the attackers stopped within 100 yards of the enemy and begin exchanging fire with them until using up their ammunition and either be driven off or press home with a bayonet charge.[133]


Fieldworks were used extensively on the defensive thanks to the teachings of Dennis Hart Mahan at West Point. Even when not conducting a siege, such defensive fortifications would be constructed if time allowed. Examples included rifle pits, abatises, wire obstacles, land mines, and palisades. Truly impressive trench systems could be constructed thanks to the widespread use of Black laborers.[134] If field fortifications were not available, the main defensive line would be formed around a strong terrain feature (stone wall, embankment, etc.) which ideally allowed for flanking fire. Supporting lines were placed behind the main line, on a hill overlooking it if possible but otherwise providing a ready reserve. Counter-battery fire would attempt to knock out the enemy's artillery while skirmishers harassed the attacker as they advanced. Once within range, the defending infantry attempted to drive off the enemy with superior firepower or, if timed right, a counter-charge of their own.[135]


Union cavalry were rarely used in actual battle in the first years of the war, instead being parceled out on scouting and raiding missions and often at a disadvantage against their Confederate counterparts. Under energetic commanders like Philip Sheridan however the Union cavalry grew into its own and developed tactics unique from their European counterparts. Instead of masses of heavy cavalry charging enemy infantry, a cavalry force would leave a portion of its troopers mounted while the rest dismounted to engage the enemy in a firefight. The widespread employment of repeating firearms gave Union cavalry a particular advantage, especially when utilizing marching fire. If the firefight did not achieve success, the dismounted portion could clear any obstacles to allow the mounted portion to charge with revolvers and sabers, and if not successful the force could remount and use their mobility to attack from another direction. In this way an enemy could be defeated in detail as these successive attacks forced them to spread out and allowed isolated elements to eventually be overwhelmed.[136]

Eicher, John H., and . Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.

David J. Eicher

Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. 2 vols. Charles L. Webster & Company, 1885–86. ISBN 0-914427-67-9.

Grant, Ulysses S.

Glatthaar, Joseph T. Forged in Battle: The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers. New York: Free Press, 1990.  978-0-02-911815-3.

ISBN

Hattaway, Herman, and Archer Jones. How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983.  0-252-00918-5.

ISBN

What They Fought For, 1861–1865. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994. ISBN 978-0-8071-1904-4.

McPherson, James M.

McGrath, John J. The Brigade: A History, Its Organization and Employment in the US Army. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute, US Army Command and General Staff College, 2004.  9781428910225

ISBN

Shrader, C. R., Newell, C. R. (2011). Of Duty Well and Faithfully Done: A History of the Regular Army in the Civil War. University of Nebraska, 2011.  978-0-8032-1910-6.

ISBN

Wagner, Margaret E., , and Paul Finkelman. The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, Inc., 2009 edition. ISBN 978-1-4391-4884-6. First Published 2002.

Gary W. Gallagher

Wilson, J. B. (1998). Maneuver and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 1998.

Notes


Bibliography


Further reading

Civil War Home: Ethnic groups in the Union Army

"The Common Soldier", HistoryNet

by Samuel D. Gross, MD (1861), the manual used by doctors in the Union Army.

A Manual of Military Surgery

Union Army Historical Pictures

U.S. Civil War Era Uniforms and Accoutrements

depicting over 50 Union Army camps, are available for research use at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Louis N. Rosenthal lithographs

Official Army register of the Volunteer Force 1861; 1862; 1863; 1864; 1865

Civil War National Cemeteries

Christian Commission of Union Dead

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volumes 1–8

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volumes 9–12

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volumes 13–15

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volumes 16–17

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volume 18

Roll of Honor: names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volume 19

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volumes 20–21

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volumes 22–23

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in Defense of the Union Volumes 24–27

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers who died in defense of the Union Volumes XXVII