army of west tennessee

The Army of West Tennessee was a Union army commanded by Major General Ulysses S. Grant which was to become the famous Army of the Tennessee.

History

After the Battle of Fort Donelson Ulysses S. Grant was given command of the District of West Tennessee on February 21, 1862. His army was also reinforced by three more divisions which Grant officially renamed the Army of West Tennessee. In April the army under its new name was in its first real engagement at the Battle of Shiloh. On the first day of the battle the army fought a desparate battle and suffered many casualties. The heroic sacrifice of Benjamin Prentiss' 6th Division in the Hornet's Nest allowed the rest of the army to form a strong defensive line and repulse the last of the Confederate assualts. The next day the Army of the Ohio and Gen. Lew Wallace's 5th Division, Army of West Tennessee arrived to reinforce Grant who counterattack and drove the Confederates from the field. Major General Henry Halleck, the commander of the Dept of the West consolidated all the Union armies in the west to form an Army Group from the Army of West Tennessee, Army of the Mississippi and the Army of Ohio, whith Halleck in overall command. Halleck who disliked Grant removed him from command of the army and replaced him with Gen. George H. Thomas. Grant was appointed second-in-command to the Dept of the West, a possition Halleck created just to keep Grant out of field command. Thomas led the army during the Siege of Corinth. After Corinth Grant returned to command of the army and saw little action before the army was transferred to the Department of the Tennessee becoming the Army of the Tennessee.

Commanders

Major General Ulysses S. Grant (February 21-April 30, 1862) also commader of the Dist of West Tennessee
Major General George H. Thomas (April 30-June 10, 1862)
Major General Ulysses S. Grant (June 10-October 16, 1862)

Major Battles

Battle of Shiloh (Grant)
Siege of Corinth (Thomas)

Source

http://www.civilwarchronicles.com/commanders.htm