Civil War Army Organization: The Civil War in Four Minutes

Garry Adelman of the American Battlefield Trust explains how the Union and Confederate Armies of the Civil War organized and led their infantry, cavalry and artillery units.

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

Hey everyone! With our audience continuing to grow, we will be re-uploading some of our older In4's with updated American Battlefield Trust openings and logos. Whether you are viewing for the first time or have been a subscriber since day 1, we hope you enjoy! As always, thank you for your continued support of battlefield preservation and education.

[@oshaqsha9826]

I was wondering where this video went, thank you for reuploadeing

[@arnobytv]

Why just 4 minutes? You're the only ones making quality content! I think your audience would love 20min +

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

@@arnobytv We have a lot of longer content available. Check out our Battlefield Lives and War Departments!

[@SouthernGentleman]

Good work!

[@SouthernGentleman]

History is what defines a nation! Please don’t ever let it die

[@dgbxny66]

No one explains the Civil War better than Garry Adelman. All of these videos are excellent.

[@DAVISNAVY-777]

Thank you, for this video. Many may have known the breakdown/organization but I never knew the exact numbers.

[@craigconn7424]

Another awesome video thank you

[@user-jq8wr8ru2s]

Fantastic & loved it! Thank you

[@bassmangotdbluz3547]

Another great informative video. Many thanks to Garry and The Trust.

[@zoanth4]

Great video! As always very informative for newer or even veteran civil war enthusiasts.

[@ArdeltaTrading]

Finally I understand military organization. Thank you!

[@pineywoods4450]

Thank you for this one. Very helpful.

[@tyronebailey52]

Great Explanation!!! Loved the info!!!

[@traviswebb3532]

Love these 4min vids

[@twostep1953]

These tiny regiments he speaks over were customary in the Union Army. For political purposes, they kept creating new units rather than using individual replacements to fill out veteran units. This made lots and lots of new colonels (Shaw went from captain, to colonel of the 54th) but weak, no-experience, new units. A northern brigade started with four regiments of 500 men, but to keep that 2,000 men per brigade they had to keep adding remnant regiments. . If you read "One of Jackson's Foot Cavalry" by John H. Worsham, he had the same experience in battle after battle; the Union regiments could not stand in a fire-fire against his unit. His regiment was finally destroyed late in the war on a very wet day and their powder wouldn't fire; they were out-numbered and over-run.

[@rhazeus9078]

Thanks for the information, really appreciate your efforts!

[@ThatvideoGuy81]

Well said Gary...❤️💯❤️💯❤️

[@bevskaggs6217]

Thank you

[@pamelah2152]

I love these videos!!!! Can you please do one on organization of Union Medical Officers out in the field? Thank you!!

[@SouthernGentleman]

Well done!

[@davegreenlaw5654]

@2:56 - Do you have a link to this graphic? I've found similar ones online, but for WW II or modern day organization. Would like to know where to find it to add it to my collection.

[@mikes9781]

These very short videos provide a lot of basic information that is not included in other sources.

[@abidingdude13]

Can anyone offer information as to how a company would be broken down, into platoons or squads and what not?

[@sarge-cp8yq]

Sometimes 7-8 men would gather and that would be called mess, and divide the equipment between the men.

[@DTOStudios]

There really wasn't much officially mandated subdivision below company, platoons and squads became more important after the end of linear warfare, into the Russo Japanese War and WW1

[@DD393]

A company would have two platoons, each platoon would have two sections.

[@gretashapiro4118]

I wonder how long that monument will stay there?

[@coolarcherfilms5374]

Hey American Battlefield Trust! I have a question. As we all know, the “Confederate flag” we often see today is really a battle flag. So, at what point did that flag start to be flown and used instead of the national flag? Why do we not see the national flag as much as the battle flag?

[@huntclanhunt9697]

I think it was shortly after the first Bull Run (Manassas). As for why it's flown more often now... It looks cool?

[@huntclanhunt9697]

Where do infantry battalions fit into this? Or platoons?

[@daveyboyd784]

I noticed you've got the word "preserve" on your title screen, does this apply exclusively to battlefield sites or do you take any action to preserve statues and other memorials that are being removed and/or destroyed? ( all of our historical monuments are under threat of being removed and/or destroyed, actually ) Your videos are certainly interesting, but preservation is something that's sorely needed at this point in the history of our country. With so many people who hate our country and it's historical monuments running wild on our streets seemingly having the government's blessing we need as many people as possible standing up to defend both.

[@jayshaw63]

Union cavalry regiments were made up of 12 companies, divided into 3 battalions of 4 companies each. Or in the case of the 4th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, five (5) Rowley Brothers. ;-)

[@thegreatgambino5079]

Never really explained what exactly defines a "battalion" and a "unit" and where they fall into the hierarchy.

[@noahs9866]

A Battalion, at least from the Union, was sort of a “almost Brigade, with a bit fewer regiments. All these groups of organization were units. A company, a regiment, brigade (and battalion), division, corps, and even an army are all examples of units

[@7bootzy]

Any man in the artillery will tell you how incredibly important it is to be able to handle your piece. Always gotta make sure it's all hands on deck when working on your piece. Yup, every man needs to get a good hold and wrangle your piece into action when battle commences. Grab on, boys.

[@cipher88101]

Man they need to reopen schools.

[@billlawrence1899]

A battalion bigger than a brigade? Really? That blows to hell everything I ever heard about the size of a battalion.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

Regiments were only 300 men? I was under the impression they were closer to 1,000...

[@ltrain4479]

Very early in the war they were closer to 1,000 but that quickly dwindled down. The biggest regiment at Gettysburg for example was something like 500 men I think and the average was about 300.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

@@ltrain4479 Ok. And where would infantry battalions fit in?

[@yoursleepparalysisdemon1828]

im usually good with this stuff but this got complicated very quickly

[@manuelkong10]

I'd rather have a video OVER 4 minutes and have the cavalry included

[@ilikedota5]

When are you guys going to address the Lost Cause elephant.

[@therabbitify]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/onalia2FarV5oqs

[@RIPDixie1865]

When are they going to address the Noble Cause elephant?

[@Yette]

Interesting - The Union or United States of America is referred to as Yankees. The traitors or separatists are referred to as The Confederacy. This is the modern day Lost Cause perspective

[@RIPDixie1865]

Lol. "Lost Cause". REEEEEEEEEEEE

[@ltrain4479]

What? They were always called that, even back then. Not sure what you mean here.

[@castaway3129]

I finding it telling that our narrator uses "Confederate" to talk about the Southern troops but refers to the Northern troops as "Yankees". Why not use the correct name for the Northern troops as "Union" after all at minimum they fought to preserve the Union. So then what can you call the treasonous Southerners who fought to preserve slavery for Afro-Americans? I tend to think the whole Civil War "remember this, honor that etc etc" thing is really just another way of minimizing the endemic racism of the USA and denying the legitimacy of "all men are created equal".

[@cipher88101]

Because the south was the confederates/rebels/south/the grey if you prefer (sometimes called secessionists) and the north was the union/federals/north/the blue. It's the standard way to refer to both sides during the conflict and all are correct and interchangeable. First civil war video?

[@montecarlo2141]

This is a history channel take your PC somewhere else

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

I'm from the north & I'm proud of the term Yankee. Although traditionally a Yankee was just from New England.

[@davidrandy2895]

@@ib12541 They left the Union and bombarded Fort Sumter that makes them traitors.

[@MrElliejimmy]

Mr. Pete Channel is 75٪ away 2 the big time! Yeah my ex wife was from Albany NY and they used to get a kick out of me referring to them as Yankees. I think they were proud of it as they should be.