Third Corps, Army of Tennessee
| Third Corps, Army of Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1862 – 1865 |
| Country |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Allegiance |
 Tennessee
|
| Branch |
 Confederate States Army
|
| Type | Army Corps |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 2-4 divisions |
| Part of | Army of Tennessee |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee Lt. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk Lt. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart |
The Third Corps was a designation used by several military formations in the Army of Tennessee during the American Civil War. In practice, most Confederate corps were referred to by their commanders' name and not by numerical designation. In its various forms, the Third Corps served under William J. Hardee, Edmund Kirby Smith, Simon Bolivar Buckner, Leonidas Polk, and Alexander P. Stewart.
The corps was originally formed by the re-designation of Major General William Hardee's division from the Central Army of Kentucky, also known as the Army of Central Kentucky, into a corps. Having previously served in Kentucky and Tennessee, Hardee's division was marched to Corinth in the personal accompaniment of General Albert Sidney Johnston as part of a strategic Confederate concentration leading up to the Battle of Shiloh. On March 23rd, 1862, Hardee's men arrived in Corinth where they joined other Confederates under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard. When these forces were consolidated into a single army titled Army of the Mississippi, Hardee's division was designated the Third Corps. This "corps" remained a division in structure, consisting of three brigades under Brigadier Generals Thomas Hindman, Patrick Cleburne, and S.A.M. Wood. Additionally, an artillery battalion of three Arkansas batteries under Major Francis Shoup was also attached to the corps. Hardee's effective force numbered 6,789 and was the smallest of the four corps in the army.
Hardee's corps was selected to lead one of the two Confederate columns in the march from Corinth. The army would concentrate at Mickey's farmhouse and then launch an attack upon Grant's Army of the Tennessee encamped at Pittsburgh Landing on April 4th. Hardee was to move his corps up along the Ridge Road, followed by the First Corps under Major General Leonidas Polk. However, Hardee's and Polk's troops became inter-tangled in the streets of Corinth, delaying the march. Though they had departed in the morning, it was late into the afternoon by the time the last of Hardee's corps had left Corinth. Poor staff work combined with muddy roads and conditions delayed the march, and thus the attack, well past the April 4th target date. It was not until the morning of April 6th that the Confederates were into position to make the attack.
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