Civil War Armies

1. Civil War Armies How the Armies of the Civil War Were Organized and Fought

2. Organization • 100 men were formed into a Company • Company was numbered A-K skipping the letter J • Companies were formed into Regiments • Each Regiment had 10 companies (1000 men) • Three Regiments formed a Brigade • Three Brigades formed a Division • Two or more Divisions formed a Corps • Two or more Corps formed an Army

3. Ranks • Companies were commanded by either a Captain or Lieutenant • Often a Sergeant or Corporal commanded small groups of men • Regiments were commanded by a Colonel, with a Lt. Colonel or Major as second in command • Brigades and higher are commanded by Generals

4. Fighting Techniques • The typical combat in the Civil War featured lines of men standing shoulder to shoulder armed with a .58 caliber rifled musket • Soldiers would usually close to with in 200 yards and open fire • Typically this resulted in the defender winning unless greatly outnumbered • Usually 1 in every 4 men became a casualty (killed, wounded, or captured)

5. Combat • Artillery was a key part of the Civil War and could prove deadly to exposed infantry • Cavalry usually did not attack infantry, and was used for scouting and protecting the army’s flanks. They often fought dismounted. • Later in the war, open field tactics were largely abandoned in favor of trenches and other field fortifications. • Fighting in woods was also very common during the war, especially in the Western Theater