Army of Central Kentucky

{{short description|Military organization in the Confederate States Army 1861-1862}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2013}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox military unit | unit_name = Army of Central Kentucky | image = File:Army of kentucky banner.svg | caption = Battle flag of the army | dates = September 18, 1861–March 29, 1862<ref name="Boatner, page 455">Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' page 455</ref> | country = {{flag|Confederate States of America|1861}} | allegiance = | branch = {{army|CSA}} | type = Field army | role = | size = | command_structure = | garrison = | garrison_label = | nickname = | battles = [[Battle of Belmont]]<br/>[[Battle of Fort Henry]]<br/>[[Battle of Fort Donelson]] | disbanded = Incorporated into [[Army of Mississippi|Army of the Mississippi]] March 29, 1862 | notable_commanders = [[Simon Bolivar Buckner, Sr.|Simon B. Buckner]]<br/>[[Albert Sidney Johnston|Albert S. Johnston]]<br/>[[William J. Hardee]] }}

The '''Army of Central Kentucky''' was a military organization within Department No. 2 (the Western Department of the [[Confederate States of America]]). Originally called the Army Corps of Central Kentucky, it was created in the fall of 1861 as a subsection of Department No. 2, and continued in existence until the end of March 1862 when it was absorbed and merged into the [[Army of Mississippi]], which was then re-organized as the [[Army of Tennessee]] on November 20, 1862.

==Background== The Department No. 2 (Western Department) was created on June 25, 1861, under the command of [[Major General#United States|Maj. Gen.]] [[Leonidas Polk]], and had military jurisdiction and control over parts of [[Alabama]], [[Tennessee]], [[Arkansas]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Louisiana]]. On September 2, 1861, the department was expanded to include all of Arkansas and military operations in the state of [[Missouri]], and then on September 10 the area was expanded again to include all of Arkansas, Tennessee, more of Mississippi, and all military operations in [[Kansas]], [[Kentucky]], Missouri, and any Indian territories rallying to the Confederate cause west of Arkansas and Missouri. <gallery> Image:Simon Bolivar Buckner Sr.jpg|{{center|Brig. Gen. S. B. Buckner}} File:ASJohnston.jpg|{{center|Gen. A. S. Johnston}} Image:William J. Hardee.jpg|{{center|Lt. Gen. W. J. Hardee}} </gallery>

==Command under Brigadier General Simon B. Buckner== [[Brigadier General#United States|Brig. Gen.]] Buckner assumed command of all forces in central Kentucky during September 1861 after having first served as a [[Major General#United States|major general]] and commander of the Kentucky Militia. The forces were organized into two divisions with a reserve force. Later a third division under Brig. Gen. [[John B. Floyd]] was added. After [[General (United States)|Gen.]] [[Albert Sidney Johnston]] took command, Buckner continued to command a division of the Army of Central Kentucky at [[Bowling Green, Kentucky|Bowling Green]] and [[Battle of Fort Donelson|Fort Donelson]], where he surrendered. After being exchanged in August 1862, Buckner was promoted to major general and commanded a division with these same forces in the [[Army of Mississippi]] under the leadership of Gen. [[Braxton Bragg]].

==Command under General Albert S. Johnston== Gen. Johnston was in command of the Army of Central Kentucky from October 28, 1861, until March 29, 1862, with the exception of a two-week temporary command by Hardee in December. The area of operation for this army was designated as the part of Tennessee north of the Cumberland River and that part of Kentucky west of where the Cumberland River entered Tennessee to the east. On December 26, 1861, part of the [[Army of the Kanawha]] was added. On March 29, 1862, the army at about 23,000 men strong was merged into the [[Army of Mississippi|Army of Mississippi]] in preparation for the [[Battle of Shiloh]].

==Command under Major General William J. Hardee== Maj. Gen. Hardee took temporary command of the army from December 4 to December 18, 1861.

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== * {{Civil War Dictionary}} * Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, {{ISBN|0-8047-3641-3}}.

[[Category:1861 establishments in the Confederate States of America]] [[Category:1862 disestablishments in the Confederate States of America]] [[Category:Field armies of the Confederate States of America|Central Kentucky]] [[Category:Kentucky in the American Civil War]]