| Army of Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1862 (August) 1862 – 1863 (October) |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | Union Army |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | William "Bull" Nelson Gordon Granger |
TheArmy of Kentucky was the name of twoUnion Army formations. Both were small and short-lived, serving inKentucky in 1862 in 1863.
On August 25, 1862,Major GeneralWilliam "Bull" Nelson assumed command of the forces stationed aroundRichmond,Kentucky. Although the whole force was no more than two brigades, Nelson dubbed the force "Army of Kentucky". The two brigades were commanded by brigadier generalsMahlon D. Manson andCharles Cruft respectively. Merely five days after its creation, the army of mostly green soldiers went into action at theBattle of Richmond and was soundly defeated. The army lost over 800 killed and 4,000 prisoners. Because of the large number of prisoners (including Manson) and the wounding of Nelson, the Army of Kentucky virtually ceased to exist. Cruft officially remained in command of the 2nd Brigade until September but the majority of his brigade had been captured while the rest simply retreated toLouisville, Kentucky.CaptainCharles C. Gilbert was appointed acting major general and placed in command of the remnants of the Army. In September 1862 Maj. Gen.Don Carlos Buell absorbed the remnants into theIII Corps of theArmy of the Ohio.
On October 7, 1862, Maj. Gen.Gordon Granger revived the name "Army of Kentucky". It was originally composed of three divisions commanded respectively by generalsAndrew J. Smith,Quincy A. Gilmore, andAbsalom Baird.[1]
This form of the army was unusual in the fact that on January 20, 1863, it was attached to the largerArmy of the Cumberland. Baird's division fought at theBattle of Thompson's Station in March 1863 and nearly one entire brigade was captured there. In April 1863, the army was composed of two divisions of infantry under Gilbert and Baird with a brigade of cavalry underBrigadier GeneralGreen Clay Smith.[2] A division of cavalry under Maj. Gen.David S. Stanley was attached as well as the garrison ofFranklin,Tennessee. In this formation the army fought at theFirst Battle of Franklin on April 10. On June 8, 1863, the Army of Kentucky essentially became the Reserve Corps of the Army of the Cumberland still under the command of Granger.
