July 13, 2026
The Civil War - military jargon
As I read various books, terms come up that I am unfamiliar with.
These terms may or may not have meant the same as what I have dug
up below, but this is a start anyway.
Field Army
50,000+ men commanded by a 4 star general.
Comprised of 3 Corps during the civil war.
Corps
This sounded generic to me, but all these terms have specific meanings.
A Corps consists of multiple divisions (maybe 2 to 7) and is commanded
by a lieutenant general (3 stars). It may have as many as 100,000 men.
Typically 26,000 men during the civil war.
Division
This has 3 to 4 brigades and is the primary deployable unit.
It may have 10,000 to 20,000 men. (8000 men during the civil war).
It is commanded by a major general (2 stars).
Brigade
A major tactical unit with 2000 to 5000 men. (2600 men during the civil war).
Sometimes called a Regiment.
It typically consists of 2-5 battalions and can operate
independently.
It is commanded by a brigadier general (1 star) or a colonel
Regiment
These days this is sort of a synonym for a Brigade.
During the Civil war it was a unit with 800 soldiers
commanded by a colonel
Battalion
A modern day unit.
100 to 1000 soldiers, commanded by a lieutenant colonel.
Company
60-200 soldiers, commanded by a captain (or major, or first lieutenant)
Platoon
A modern day unit.
18-50 soldiers (3-4 squads) commanded by a second lieutenant.
Squad
A modern day unit.
6-10 soldiers commanded by a sergeant.
Feedback? Questions?
Drop me a line!
Civil war Info / tom@mmto.org