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Civil War Army Organization and Order of Rank

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Here is an explanation of the basic way both the Union and Confederate armies were organized. The units are listed from the largest to the smallest. The descriptions below can be considered the ideal or desired make up of the units. As the Civil War progressed, the size of the various units would change due to loss of men by disease, death, or injury. The force of men an army could bring would be added to, and subtracted from, with the ebb and flow of war.

Army – An army is the largest field force unit of military organization. The Union armies were commanded by a major general and were usually named after rivers (for example, the Army of the Potomac). The Confederate armies were commanded by a general and were usually named after the area from which they were based (for example, the Army of Northern Virginia). The way of naming the armies was not always followed by either the North or the South and exceptions can be found, sometimes or often leading to confusion.

A confusing example of the way armies were named is this example: the Union had the Army of the Tennessee, while the Confederates had the Army of Tennessee. An army was further divided into Corps.

Corps – A corps was commanded by a brigadier general or a major general for the Union, and with the Confederate States of America a corps was commanded by a lieutenant general. Major General George B. McClellan and President Abraham Lincoln organized the first corps in the Union Army in March, 1862. In 1862, the Confederates began organizing their armies using corps in September in the east, and in November in the west.

Prior to arranging corps, the Confederates had sometimes (and informally) used what were called “wings” or “grand divisions” to further group their armies. A corps would be made up of two or more divisions and each corps used a Roman numeral for its designation. The corps were also often referred to using their commander’s name.

Division – A division was the second largest unit making up an army. For the Union, a division was commanded by a brigadier general or a major general. For the Confederacy, a division was commanded by a brigadier general, and sometimes, but it was rare, by a major general. A division would be divided into usually 2 to 6 brigades. The Confederate divisions tended to be larger in manpower than the Union divisions and would be made up of more brigades. Some divisions in Confederate armies were of equal size to one corps from a Union army.

Brigade – A brigade was commanded by a brigadier general or maybe a senior colonel. A brigade was divided into regiments, usually two to six regiments to a brigade. The Confederate brigades were more apt to be made up regiments from the same state, than brigades in the Union armies.

Regiment – A regiment was commanded by a colonel. The regiment was probably the army organization unit that a soldier felt like he most belonged to. A regiment was made up of men from the same area of a state, mainly because they were raised by the various state governments. At least during the early part of the Civil War, a regiment would have men who were friends or neighbors back home, or were relatives. These regiments chose their own officers by electing them. Typically, a regiment was made up of 10 companies, with each company having 100 men. So, if mustering men for service went well, there were 1000 men in each regiment. A battalion was the name used for a regiment that had not mustered a full 10 companies with 100 men in each company.

Company – A company was commanded by a captain. With perfect army organization and strength, a company had 100 men. But because of disease and other causes (such as soldiers being killed in battle!), by 1862 a company might only have 30 to 50 soldiers. Companies were officially designated by letters or numbers, but often a company had an unofficial designation, often a nickname.

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Civil War Army Organization

Shown below is a chart to help clarify Civil War army organization somewhat. The soldiers shown in the background are members of the Petersburg, Virginia Detachment of the 3d Indiana Cavalry.

Civil War Army Organization

Order of Rank

Listed from top to bottom are the highest ranks of officers and gentlemen, all the way down to the lowly, but backbone of the army, private.

  • General
  • Lieutenant General
  • Major General
  • Brigadier General
  • Colonel
  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • Major
  • Captain
  • First Lieutenant
  • Second Lieutenant
  • Sergeant
  • Corporal
  • Private

Civil War Army Organization

By Civil War Trust Historian Garry Adelman


My book 501 Civil War Quotes and Notes features quotes made before, during, and after the Civil War. Each quote has an informative note to explain the circumstances and background of the quote. Learn Civil War history from the spoken words and writings of the military commanders, political leaders, the Billy Yanks and Johnny Rebs who fought in the battles, the abolitionists who strove for the freedom of the slaves, the descriptions of battles, and the citizens who suffered at home. Their voices tell us the who, what, where, when, and why of the Civil War. Available as a Kindle device e-book or as a paperback. Get 501 Civil War Quotes and Notes now!

The Gettysburg Address

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November 19, 1863

Abraham Lincoln gives a speech to dedicate a cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A speech that “won’t scour.”

A Few Appropriate Remarks

President Abraham Lincoln

President Abraham Lincoln

On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln was in Pennsylvania to help dedicate a new national cemetery at a small crossroads town named Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1-3, 1863. It was a Union victory.

President Lincoln received the below invitation from the organizers of the new cemetery’s dedication ceremony. The invitation asks President Lincoln if, after another speaker has given his speech, he would say “a few appropriate remarks” for the occasion.

“It is the desire that after the oration, you, as Chief Executive of the nation, formally set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks.”

Lincoln was not the main speaker at this cemetery dedication. Edward Everett was the keynote speaker, he was a famed orator and supporter of the Union cause. Everett spoke for two hours at Gettysburg.

A Page Of Ordinary Paper

Here is a description of the events at Gettysburg that November day, according to a Philadelphia journalist named John Russell Young:

“The procession from town was a ragged affair. We all seemed to get there as best we could. A crude platform looked out over the battlefield. On one side sat the journalists; the eminent people had the other side. When the President arose, he stood for an instant, waiting for the cheers to cease, slowly adjusted his glasses and took from his pocket what seemed to be a page of ordinary paper, quietly unfolded it and began to read.”

Abraham Lincoln began his “few appropriate remarks” at Gettysburg. His speech was brief.

The Gettysburg Address

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Polite Applause

Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg lasted about only two minutes and he spoke a mere 272 words. The gathered crowd applauded Lincoln politely, but without much enthusiasm.

Lincoln was displeased with his effort. After he completed his short speech of a few appropriate remarks, Lincoln in his frontier manner of speech, said to Ward Hill (Lamon in the following quote) who had introduced him during the dedication:

“Lamon, that speech won’t scour. It is a flat failure.”

Later, Lincoln would also have this self-criticism of his speech at Gettysburg saying:

“I failed, I failed, and that is about all that can be said about it.”

Flat And Dishwatery Utterances

Others too, were unhappy with Lincoln’s words at Gettysburg. The Chicago Tribune newspaper wrote:

“The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat and dishwatery utterances of the man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States.”

Eloquent Simplicity

However, not all thought so poorly of Lincoln’s words at Gettysburg as Lincoln and the Chicago Tribune did. John Hay was Abraham Lincoln’s assistant private secretary. Hay wrote in his diary entry for November 19, 1863:

“The President, in a fine, free way, with more grace than is his wont, said his half dozen words of consecration.”

Edward Everett wrote these words of praise to Lincoln:

“Permit me also to express my great admiration of the thoughts offered by you, with such eloquent simplicity & appropriateness, at the consecration of the cemetery. I should be glad, if I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”

Everett realized the worth of Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg.

Lincoln was still not convinced his speech had scoured. His reply to Everett:

“In our respective parts yesterday, you could not have been excused to make a short address, nor I a long one. I am pleased to know that, in your judgment, the little I did say was not entirely a failure.”

The Gettysburg Address is one of the greatest speeches ever made. Abraham Lincoln’s “few appropriate remarks” at Gettysburg scoured fine.

Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address from the movie ‘Saving Lincoln’