Army of the Cumberland Headquarters Flag

Thomas, George Henry · 1861-1865

This headquarters flag was used by the Army of the Cumberland. This army was a main Union force in the Western Theater of the Civil War. William Rosecrans commanded the Army of the Cumberland upon its organization in October 1862; its predecessor, the Army of Ohio, was formed in 1861. However after Rosecrans’s defeat at Chickamauga, George Thomas was appointed commander of the Army of the Cumberland because of his gallant actions and leadership in the battle, which earned him the name the “Rock of Chickamauga.” The Army of the Cumberland saw action in battles at Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and throughout the Atlanta Campaign.