As one of the few higher-ranking officers in the Army of Tennessee to avoid controversy, General Alexander P. Stewart (1821–1908) was an outstanding, but not outrageous, leader. In this masterful biography, Sam Davis Elliott traces the life of this undeservedly obscure general, from his early years at West Point through his involvement in nearly all of the battles fought by the Army of Tennessee to his postwar career as an educator and Civil War park commissioner. More than the story of one man, Soldier of Tennessee poignantly conveys the triumphs and failures of the Confederate effort in the West and a divided nation’s efforts at reconciliation.

Composed almost entirely of Midwesterners and molded into a lean, skilled fighting machine by Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, the Army of the Tennessee marched directly into the heart of the Confederacy and won major victories at Shiloh and at the rebel strongholds of Vicksburg and Atlanta.Acclaimed historian Steven Woodworth has produced the first full consideration of this remarkable unit that has received less prestige than the famed Army of the Potomac but was responsible for the decisive victories that turned the tide of war toward the Union. The Army of the Tennessee also shaped the fortunes and futures of both Grant and Sherman, liberating them from civilian life and catapulting them onto the national stage as their triumphs grew. A thrilling account of how a cohesive fighting force is forged by the heat of battle and how a confidence born of repeated success could lead soldiers to expect “nothing but victory.”

In Soldiering in the Army of Tennessee Larry Daniel offers a view from the trenches of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. his book is not the story of the commanders, but rather shows in intimate detail what the war in the western theater was like for the enlisted men. Daniel argues that the unity of the Army of Tennessee--unlike that of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia--can be understood only by viewing the army from the bottom up rather than the top down. The western army had neither strong leadership nor battlefield victories to sustain it, yet it maintained its cohesiveness. The "glue" that kept the men in the ranks included fear of punishment, a well-timed religious revival that stressed commitment and sacrifice, and a sense of comradeship developed through the common experience of serving under losing generals. The soldiers here tell the story in their own rich words, for Daniel quotes from an impressive variety of sources, drawing upon his reading of the letters and diaries of more than 350 soldiers as well as scores of postwar memoirs. They write about rations, ordnance, medical care, punishments, the hardships of extensive campaigning, morale, and battle. While eastern and western soldiers were more alike than different, Daniel says, there were certain subtle variances. Western troops were less disciplined, a bit rougher, and less troubled by class divisions than their eastern counterparts. Daniel concludes that shared suffering and a belief in the ability to overcome adversity bonded the soldiers of the Army of Tennessee into a resilient fighting force.

Operating in the vast and varied trans-Appalachian west, the Army of Tennessee was crucially important to the military fate of the Confederacy. But under the principal leadership of generals such as Braxton Bragg, Joseph E. Johnston, and John Bell Hood, it won few major battles, and many regard its inability to halt steady Union advances into the Confederate heartland as a matter of failed leadership. Here, esteemed military historian Larry J. Daniel offers a far richer interpretation. Surpassing previous work that has focused on questions of command structure and the force's fate on the fields of battle, Daniel provides the clearest view to date of the army's inner workings, from top-level command and unit cohesion to the varied experiences of common soldiers and their connections to the home front. Drawing from his mastery of the relevant sources, Daniel's book is a thought-provoking reassessment of an army's fate, with important implications for Civil War history and military history writ large.

The only state designated by Congress as a Civil War National Heritage Area, Tennessee witnessed more than its share of Civil War strife. This collection taken from primary documents--including newspaper accounts, official reports, journal and diary entries, gunboat deck logs and letters--offers rare glimpses of the Civil War as it unfolded in the Volunteer State. Arranged chronologically from April 1861 to April 1865, the accounts chronicle some of the numerous smaller skirmishes of the war and address a variety of topics critical to the civilian population, including health issues, politics, anti-Semitism, inflation, welfare, commodities speculation, refugees, African Americans, Native Americans, and the war's effect on women. These informative accounts go beyond the customary emphasis on famous generals and big battles to illustrate how the Civil War impacted the lives of those everyday soldiers and Tennessee citizens whose history has become marginalized.

Between 1915 and 1922, surviving Tennessee Civil War veterans were asked to respond to a questionaire asking about their Civil War experiences, family life, pre-war lifestyle etc. Their responses have been transcribed exactly as received into these five volumes.

The Civil War was trying, bloody and hard-fought combat for both sides. What was it, then, that sustained soldiers low on supplies and morale? For the Army of Tennessee, it was religion. Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War explores the significant impact of religion on every rank, from generals to chaplains to common soldiers. It took faith to endure overwhelming adversity. Religion united troops, informing both why and how they fought and providing the rationale for enduring great hardship for the Confederate cause. Using primary source material such as diaries, letters, journals and sermons of the Army of Tennessee, Traci Nichols-Belt, along with Gordon T. Belt, presents the history of the vital role of the army's religious practices.

A common soldier's story, of the men fighting to defend Confederate interests at Vicksburg in late 1862 through July 1863. Using a number of letters home, reminiscences, records and diaries kept during the long hours in the hot and filthy 'ditches', it presents a story of sacrifice and adaptability, of boredom and submission to inevitability.

The actions of the Tennessee Brigade were that of a brave fighting force and the contributions they made to the Confederate Army are emphasized in this extensively researched history book. Letters, personal photos of the Confederates, and diary entries present a closer look at individual members and their experiences. Maps with text offer details on specific conflicts, while current photographs of battlefields and monuments put the brigade's story into a contemporary context. Background of the tumultuous political climate brewing in the state of Tennessee is included for reference.