First Corps, Army of Tennessee

The First Corps, Army of Tennessee was a military unit that defended the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. It was an army corps within the Army of Tennessee, officially created in November 1862 and continued in existence until its surrender in April 1865 in North Carolina. It was also variously known as Polk's Corps, Hardee's Corps, and Cheatham's Corps.

Background

The units comprising the First Corps were drawn from the organization of Department No. 2 (or the Western Department) of the Confederate States, which held responsibility for defending the area between the Tennessee River and the Mississippi River. It contained soldiers previously from the Army of Mississippi, the predecessor of the Army of Tennessee.

Command history

Command under Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk

Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk commanded the First Corps from November 20, 1862 – September 29, 1863. He assumed command on November 26, 1863, and held it (with minor interruptions) until his relief on September 29, 1863, and subsequent arrest on October 23. The First Corps participated in the Tennessee Campaign from June–October 1863 under Gen. Braxton Bragg.

Major engagements under Lt. Gen. Polk:

• Battle of Stones River December 1862–January 1863
• Battle of Chickamauga September 1863

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Command under Maj. Gen. B. J. Cheatham

Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham...
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