Formation Date
- November 1864 (formed)
- March 28, 1865 (officially named)
Dissolution Date
- June 1, 1865
Commanders
- Major General Henry Warner Slocum
Significance
- The history of the Army of Georgia dates to Major General William T. Sherman’s preparations for the Savannah Campaign (November 15, 1864–December 21, 1864).
- On November 9, 1864, Major General William T. Sherman issued Special Field Orders No. 120, establishing the chain-of-command, objectives, and directives for the Savannah Campaign.
- During the Savannah Campaign, the left wing of Major General William T. Sherman’s army group consisted of the 14th and 20th Corps, along with part of the Army of the Cumberland’s cavalry. Informally this wing was designated as the Army of Georgia.
- The first — and only — commander of the Army of Georgia was Major General Henry W. Slocum.
- According to Major General William T. Sherman when Mayor R. D. Arnold surrendered Savannah on December 21, 1864, “the left flank (Slocum), especially Geary’s division of the Twentieth Corps, claimed to have been the first to reach the heart of the city.”
- The Army of Georgia served as the left wing of Major General William T. Sherman’s army group during the Carolinas Campaign.
- On March 16, 1865, soldiers from the Army of Georgia participated in the Battle of Averasboro, in North Carolina.
- The Army of Georgia participated in the Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865), in North Carolina.
- A few days after the Battle of Bentonville, Sherman contacted General Grant requesting that Slocum’s wing (the 14th and 20th Army Corps) be separated from the Army of the Cumberland and designated formally as the Army of Georgia.
- On March 28, 1865, the War Department issued General Orders No. 51 officially designating the 14th and 20th Army Corps as the Army of Georgia.
- The Army of Georgia was present on April 16, 1865, when General Joseph Johnston surrendered the troops under his command to Major General William T. Sherman near Durham, North Carolina.
- On May 24, 1865, Major General Henry W. Slocum led the Army of Georgia through the streets of Washington, DC as part of the Grand Review of the Armies.
- On June 1, 1865, the War Department discontinued 20th Corps.
- On August 1, 1865, the War Department discontinued the 14th Corps.