The Battle Timeline - An interactive map that shows you when and where the biggest battles happened. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/civilwar/2civilwarbattles.htm Decisive Battles of the Civil War 1863 - three encounters -Vicksburg, Champion Hill, and Port Hudson Forces: Army of the Tennessee (Union); Army of Vicksburg (Confederate) .... Hello Listers: Forces: Army of the Tennessee (Union); Army of Vicksburg (Confederate) Army of the Tennessee (Union) - does this mean everyone fighting is from Tennessee? Army of Vicksburg (Confederate) - does this mean everyone fighting is from Mississippi? The word Confederate is for the South side - right? Now this is fairly new for me, the word Federal. Meaning the North? Union side? I have only heard Union but never Federal. Thanks! --Manaia

Manaia, The Army of Tennessee was the portion of the Confederate Army that fought in the western areas during the war (between the Appalachians and Mississippi). The portion of the Confederate Army that fought in the eastern states was known as the Army of Northern Virginia. The name Confederate is indeed Southern. The country formed by the states that seceded from the Union was The Confederate States of America, hence the abbreviation C.S.A. The Federals was a name that was also used for Union troops. In you studies of the war, you'll also find differences in the names of many battles. With the Union Army invading Southern territory, it was usually the Confederates who chose the field of battle since they were familiar with the terrain. Because of this, the Union/Federals usually named battles for nearby rivers or streams while the Confederates used the names of the towns. A few examples are: Union Confederate Bull Run Manassas Antietam Sharpsburg Stone's River Murfreesboro Fair Oaks Seven Pines Elkhorn Tavern Pea Ridge Although most people call this the Civil War, actually, the official name for it as written in the Original Records is The War of the Rebellion. How it became known as the Civil War is anyone's guess as a true civil war has one group trying to invade and taking over the existing government of another group. The Southern states seceded from the Union and just wanted to be left alone, so therefore, "civil war" really isn't a proper name for it. Many people call the South "traitors" because of their secession, but very few know or realize that secession was actually taught at West Point before the war. There are many names for this war including: The War Between the States, The War for Southern Independence, Mr. Lincoln's War, and numerous others. On a humerous side, I like Daisy Moses' (Granny Clampett) name for it: The War Twixt the Yankees and the Americans. Once you study the war more, you'll get the hang of all these names. I know it can be confusing at first, but before you know it, you'll be able to identify names of places either from Union/Federal names or from Confederate names. I'm hoping this small bit of information will be of some help to you. Edward Harding Life Member: Sons of Confederate Veterans Life Member: Military Order of Stars & Bars SCV National Genealogy Committee Member http://ehardingwbtsancestors.homestead.com/Index.html

Hello Edward: <<<<<<<< grin >>>>>>>>> It is so wonderful when I can understand every word regarding matters of the Civil War. But I've got to be a few steps in front of you all to do that! <<<<<<<< grin >>>>>>>>> You've explained matters in concise and in few words that most encyclopedias I've been reading of late had me confused even more. <<<<<<<< grin >>>>>>>>> I'd been reading bio of Robert E. Lee and can understand now why it was called Army of Northern Virginia - he truly loved that State. He was ready to serve Lincoln if Virginia didn't secede - where's my tissue. <<<<<<<< grin >>>>>>>>> Apropos! Your example of the two names for certain battlefields, I'd thought they hated each other so much they just had to agree to disagree on everything! And so the Confederates left Vicksburg alone because Mississippi named for the river and state would have changed tradition of naming things and that would have been bad luck - right? Maybe if they'd changed it they would have won the battle - grin. <<<<<<<< grin >>>>>>>>> Granny Clampett Rocks! > I'm hoping this small bit of information > will be of some help to > you. "Thank goodness for 'small bits'!" --Manaia ++++ --- Edward Harding <eharding2@suddenlink.net> wrote: > Manaia, > > The Army of Tennessee was the portion of the > Confederate Army that fought in > the western areas during the war (between the > Appalachians and Mississippi). > The portion of the Confederate Army that fought in > the eastern states was > known as the Army of Northern Virginia. > > The name Confederate is indeed Southern. The > country formed by the states > that seceded from the Union was The Confederate > States of America, hence the > abbreviation C.S.A. The Federals was a name that > was also used for Union > troops. > > In you studies of the war, you'll also find > differences in the names of many > battles. With the Union Army invading Southern > territory, it was usually > the Confederates who chose the field of battle since > they were familiar with > the terrain. Because of this, the Union/Federals > usually named battles for > nearby rivers or streams while the Confederates used > the names of the towns. > A few examples are: > > Union Confederate > Bull Run Manassas > Antietam Sharpsburg > Stone's River Murfreesboro > Fair Oaks Seven Pines > Elkhorn Tavern Pea Ridge > > Although most people call this the Civil War, > actually, the official name > for it as written in the Original Records is The War > of the Rebellion. How > it became known as the Civil War is anyone's guess > as a true civil war has > one group trying to invade and taking over the > existing government of > another group. The Southern states seceded from the > Union and just wanted > to be left alone, so therefore, "civil war" really > isn't a proper name for > it. Many people call the South "traitors" because of > their secession, but > very few know or realize that secession was actually > taught at West Point > before the war. There are many names for this war > including: The War Between > the States, The War for Southern Independence, Mr. > Lincoln's War, and > numerous others. On a humerous side, I like Daisy > Moses' (Granny Clampett) > name for it: The War Twixt the Yankees and the > Americans. > > Once you study the war more, you'll get the hang of > all these names. I know > it can be confusing at first, but before you know > it, you'll be able to > identify names of places either from Union/Federal > names or from Confederate > names. I'm hoping this small bit of information > will be of some help to > you. > > Edward Harding > Life Member: Sons of Confederate Veterans > Life Member: Military Order of Stars & Bars > SCV National Genealogy Committee Member > http://ehardingwbtsancestors.homestead.com/Index.html

To build on Edward's fine examples of the differences between the Confederate and Union naming conventions for battles, the same was true for the most part in naming their armies. The Confederates named their armies for the location where an army was raised, while Union/Federals named their armies for rivers; hence the Union army was made up of the Army of the Potomac, the Army of the Tennessee, etc. Alice Gayley ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward Harding" <eharding2@suddenlink.net> To: <civil-war@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 10:18 AM Subject: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Army of Tennessee / Army of Vicksburg / Federal? > Manaia, > > The Army of Tennessee was the portion of the Confederate Army that fought > in > the western areas during the war (between the Appalachians and > Mississippi). > The portion of the Confederate Army that fought in the eastern states was > known as the Army of Northern Virginia. > > The name Confederate is indeed Southern. The country formed by the states > that seceded from the Union was The Confederate States of America, hence > the > abbreviation C.S.A. The Federals was a name that was also used for > Union > troops. > > In you studies of the war, you'll also find differences in the names of > many > battles. With the Union Army invading Southern territory, it was usually > the Confederates who chose the field of battle since they were familiar > with > the terrain. Because of this, the Union/Federals usually named battles > for > nearby rivers or streams while the Confederates used the names of the > towns. > A few examples are: > > Union Confederate > Bull Run Manassas > Antietam Sharpsburg > Stone's River Murfreesboro > Fair Oaks Seven Pines > Elkhorn Tavern Pea Ridge > > Although most people call this the Civil War, actually, the official name > for it as written in the Original Records is The War of the Rebellion. > How > it became known as the Civil War is anyone's guess as a true civil war has > one group trying to invade and taking over the existing government of > another group. The Southern states seceded from the Union and just wanted > to be left alone, so therefore, "civil war" really isn't a proper name for > it. Many people call the South "traitors" because of their secession, but > very few know or realize that secession was actually taught at West Point > before the war. There are many names for this war including: The War > Between > the States, The War for Southern Independence, Mr. Lincoln's War, and > numerous others. On a humerous side, I like Daisy Moses' (Granny > Clampett) > name for it: The War Twixt the Yankees and the Americans. > > Once you study the war more, you'll get the hang of all these names. I > know > it can be confusing at first, but before you know it, you'll be able to > identify names of places either from Union/Federal names or from > Confederate > names. I'm hoping this small bit of information will be of some help to > you. > > Edward Harding > Life Member: Sons of Confederate Veterans > Life Member: Military Order of Stars & Bars > SCV National Genealogy Committee Member > http://ehardingwbtsancestors.homestead.com/Index.html > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CIVIL-WAR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >