Formation Date
- October 24, 1862
Dissolution Date
- August 1, 1865
Commanders
- William S. Rosecrans,
- George H. Thomas
- David S. Stanley
Dissolution
- June–August 1865
Significance:
- The Department and Army of the Cumberland trace their roots to the Department of Kentucky, which included as much of the state of Kentucky that lay within one hundred miles of the Ohio River.
- On August 15, 1861, the War Department issued General Orders No. 57, which effectively replaced the Department of Kentucky with the Department of the Cumberland that included all of Kentucky and Tennessee.
- Brigadier General Robert Anderson, commanded the Department of the Cumberland from August 15, 1861–October 8, 1861.
- On November 9, 1861, the War Department issued General Orders No. 97, which dissolved the Department of the Cumberland and expanded the Department of the Ohio to include the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and Kentucky east of the Cumberland River.
- Brigadier General William T. Sherman, commanded the Department of the Cumberland from October 8, 1861–November 9, 1861.
- On October 24, 1862, the War Department issued General Orders No. 168, which re-created the Department of the Cumberland, encompassing all of Tennessee east of the Tennessee River, plus any parts of northern Alabama and Georgia that might be captured United States troops.
- On October 24, 1862, the War Department issued General Orders No. 168, which placed Major General William Rosecrans in charge of the Department of the Cumberland.
- Major General William S. Rosecrans, commanded the Department of the Cumberland from October 30, 1862–October 19, 1863.
- The Army of the Cumberland participated in the Battle of Stones River (December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863).
- The Army of the Cumberland participated in the Tullahoma Campaign (June 24–July 3, 1863).
- The Army of the Cumberland participated in the Battle of Chickamauga (September 19—20, 1863).
- The Army of the Cumberland participated in the Chattanooga Campaign (October–November 1863).
- On October 16, 1863, the War Department issued General Orders No. 337, naming Major General George H. Thomas to command the Army of the Cumberland.
- Major General George H. Thomas, commanded the Army of the Cumberland from October 19, 1863–June 20, 1865
- The Army of the Cumberland played a major role in the Union victory at the Battle of Missionary Ridge (November 25, 1863).
- The Army of the Cumberland participated in the Atlanta Campaign (May 7–September 2, 1864).
- At the conclusion of the Atlanta Campaign, Major General William T. Sherman split the Army of the Cumberland.
- At the conclusion of the Atlanta Campaign, Major General William T. Sherman ordered the 4th Corps and part of the Army of the Cumberland’s cavalry, to pursue General John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee.
- At the conclusion of the Atlanta Campaign, Major General William T. Sherman ordered the14th and 20th Corps, along with part of the Army of the Cumberland’s cavalry, to accompany him during the Savannah Campaign (November 15, 1864–December 21, 1864).
- Part of the Army of the Cumberland participated in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign (September 18–December 27, 1864).
- Major General David S. Stanley, temporarily commanded the Army of the Cumberland in October 5, 1864.
- Part of the Army of the Cumberland participated in the Carolinas Campaign (February–April 1865).
- On March 28, 1865, the War Department issued General Orders No. 51, separating the 14th and 20th Army Corps from the Army of the Cumberland and creating the Army of Georgia.
- Part of the Army of the Cumberland participated in Wilson’s Raid (March 22–April 20, 1865).
- On May 10, 1865, an Army of the Cumberland cavalry force commanded by Brevet Major General James H. Wilson captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis at Irwinville, Georgia.
- On 26 May 1865, Major General George H. Thomas led the Army of the Cumberland past President Andrew Johnson during the final grand review in Washington.
- In June 1865, the 4th Corps was briefly sent to Texas, to deal with the last remnants of Confederate resistance.
- Between June 1 and August 1, 1865, all of the corps that had constituted the Army of the Cumberland were mustered out of service and the army was discontinued.
