Confederate Divisions - Numbered?

[latigerrebjim]

Question, were divisions in the Confederate Army, numbered like those on the Federal Side?

Am looking at ANV (63-65) or Army of the Valley (Early, '64). I know Corps were numbered (i.e., II Corps - Jackson/Ewell/Early) and Brigades were numbered (8th Brigade, 1st Louisiana Brigade - Taylor/Hays). Just can't find out about divisional numbers.

Primarily looking for the Divisional 'number' for Early's Division in the ANV (63-64) then Gordon's Division in the Army of the Valley (Spring/Summer 64) and Gordon's Division in the ANV (64-65).

Thanks for any direction

JIM Tebbetts

[Bmanz1085]

Re: Confederate Divisions - Numbered?

I just checked OOB for Cold Harbor, no reference of numbered divisions..2nd Corps (Early) Gordon's Division etc... I will defer to more learned but in all my years, I never recall seeing CS Divisions referred to by number. And IIRC, Brigades were also designated by name.

[AndrewGrim]

Re: Confederate Divisions - Numbered?

I have never seen a reference to numbered divisions in the Confederate Army. Some times the corps or brigade may have had a number, but they preferred to to use the commanders name or nickname (example Texas Brigade or the Stonewall Brigade).

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Confederate Divisions - Numbered?

I've never seen it either, even in the OR to any great extent. There are times when "so and so's" brigade or division is mentioned as the "first" brigade or the "second" division, but it seems much more informal and seems to indicate more of a timeline of assignment than a formal unit identification.

The Confederates almost always used the commander's naming system, which causes a great deal of confusion after the casualties and/or promotions began to take their toll (i.e., Pender's/Scales' Brigade, Scale's/Lowrance's Brigade, Archer's/Fry's Brigade, Hoke's/Avery's Brigade, etc.) They seem to have done this as a routine matter for both brigade and division identification, even in the OR and unit biographies.

A kind of exception are the Confederate Corps. They were formally created in the fall of 1862, and were formally numbered in both the east and the west in the same way, but basically they became known by their commander's name. Hence "Longstreet's" and "Jackson's Corps" is still the best known way to identify the I & II Corps, ANV, and "Polk's", "Hardee's" or "Cheatham's" Corps is still the best known way to identify the I Corps, AoT, depending on the time period. Though occasionally these corps identifiers will crop up in official correspondence or records.

Keep your powder dry.
R