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The Confederate States Army (CSA) was formed in February 1861 to defend the Confederate States Of America , which had itself been formed that same year when seven southern states Seceded from the United States (with four more to follow). ORGANIZATION The Confederate War Department was established by the Confederate Congress in an Act of February 21 , 1861 . The Confederate States Army was actually three organizations:
Due to poor record-keeping, there is no accurate number that represents the strength of the Confederate States Army. Estimates range from 500,000 to 1,500,000 men who were involved at any time during the war. Reports from the War Department began at the end of 1861 (326,768 men), 1862 (449,439), 1863 (464,646), 1864 (400,787), and "last reports" (358,692). Estimates of enlistments throughout the war were 1,227,890 to 1,406,180. The following calls for men were issued:
The CSA was initially a (strategically) defensive army, and many soldiers resented it when Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia in an invasion of the North in the Antietam Campaign . As many as 50,000 men deserted during the start of the campaign, claiming that their enlistments were for defense of their homeland, not invasion. After the losses at Vicksburg and Gettysburg , the number rose to 100,000. Command The army did not have a formal overall military commander, or general-in-chief, until late in the War. Confederate President Jefferson Davis , himself a former U.S. Army officer and U.S. Secretary Of War , provided the strategic direction for Confederate land and naval forces. The following men had varying degrees of control:
The lack of centralized control was a strategic weakness for the Confederacy and there are few instances of multiple armies acting in concert across multiple theaters to achieve a common objective. (An exception to this was in late 's invasion of Kentucky and Earl Van Dorn 's advance against Corinth, Mississippi . All three initiatives were unsuccessful, however.)
The CSA differed from many contemporaneous armies in that all officers under the rank of Brigadier General were elected by the soldiers under their command. Congress authorized the awarding of medals for courage and good conduct on October 13 , 1862 , but war time difficulties prevented the procurement of the needed medals. To avoid postponing recognition for their valor, those nominated for the awards had their names placed on a Roll of Honor, which would be read at the first dress parade after its receipt and be published in at least one newspaper in each state. Armies and prominent leaders The CSA was composed of independent armies and military departments that were constituted, renamed, and disbanded as needs arose, particularly in reaction to offensives launched by the Union . These major units were generally named after states or geographic regions (in comparison to the Union's custom of naming armies after rivers). Armies were usually commanded by full General s (there were eight in the CSA) or Lieutenant General s. Some of the more important armies and their commanders were:
Some other prominent Confederate generals who led significant units operating sometimes independently in the CSA included Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson , James Longstreet , J.E.B. Stuart , Gideon Pillow , and A.P. Hill . DEFEAT The Army of Northern Virginia was disbanded on April 9 , 1865 , when General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House , Virginia . On April 26 , General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his Army Of Tennessee and all Confederate forces in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. On May 15th , 1865 the last major battle of the Confederate Army was fought near Brownsville, Texas , referred to as the Battle Of Palmito Ranch . The remainder of Confederate armies, mostly in the Trans-Mississippi region, surrendered by June 1865. Under the terms of the surrender agreements, Confederate officers and men returned to their homes, "not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside." REFERENCES
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