The Army of the Northwest was a Confederate army early in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. On June 8, 1861, Confederate troops operating in northwestern

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

were designated the "Army of the Northwest" with Brig. Gen.

Robert S. Garnett Robert Selden Garnett (December 16, 1819 – July 13, 1861) was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army until the American Civil War, when he became a Confederate States Army brigadier general. He was the first general off ...

as commanding general.Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' page 601 Troops of this command were engaged by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's

Department of the Ohio The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River. 1st Department 1861–1862 Gener ...

forces in a series of battles and skirmishes early in summer 1861. Garnett's army was defeated at

Battle of Rich Mountain The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. Background Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan assumed c ...

, and pursuing Union troops killed Garnett at

Corrick's Ford The Battle of Corrick's Ford took place on July 13, 1861, on the Cheat River in western Virginia (now the state of West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. By later standards the battle ...

July 13, 1861. After Garnett's death, Brig. Gen. Henry R. Jackson briefly commanded the force, but Brig. Gen.

William W. Loring William Wing Loring (December 4, 1818 – December 30, 1886) was an American soldier who served in the armies of the United States, the Confederacy, and Egypt. Biography Early life William was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, to Reuben a ...

arrived to take charge on July 20. Loring commanded until November, when he was given three Army of the Northwest brigades as a division (still designated Army of the Northwest) paired with the

Stonewall Brigade The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was a famous combat unit in United States military history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a professor from Virginia Military ...

under Stonewall Jackson's command for the

Romney Expedition The Romney Expedition was a military expedition of the Confederate States Army during the early part of the American Civil War. It is named for Romney, West Virginia, which at the time was still in the state of Virginia. The expedition was conduct ...

. The army was disbanded February 9, 1862, but a separate small force under Brig. Gen. Edward Johnson which operated in the northern

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridg ...

became known as the "Army of the Northwest" and after involvement in the

Battle of Camp Allegheny The Battle of Camp Allegheny, also known as the Battle of Allegheny Mountain, took place on December 13, 1861, in Pocahontas County, Virginia (now West Virginia), about 3 miles from the mountainous border of Highland County, Virginia, as pa ...

was styled the "Army of the Allegheny". Johnson acquired his sobriquet "Allegheny" in command of this force.

Notes

References

* Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' New York: McKay, 1959; revised 1988. . 1861 establishments in Virginia Military units and formations established in 1861 1862 disestablishments in Virginia

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each s ...

West Virginia in the American Civil War 1865 disestablishments in Virginia Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 {{AmericanCivilWar-unit-stub

See also

Notes

References