A third corps was formed from troops from the Department of East Tennessee and commanded by Edmund Kirby Smith; it was disbanded in early December after one of its two divisions was sent to Mississippi.

The remaining division was assigned to Hardee's corps while Kirby Smith returned to East Tennessee.

When he learned of the dispute, Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent Joseph Johnston to inspect the army and take command if he thought it necessary to relieve Bragg.

[3] In the summer of 1863, Rosecrans began an offensive, generally known as the Tullahoma Campaign, a name taken from the location of the Confederate headquarters at the time.

Due to the low level of the river, Bragg felt compelled to retreat back to his supply center of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he established his headquarters.

The Confederate government agreed to transfer James Longstreet's First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia to the army during this time, but due to the loss of Knoxville, Longstreet had to travel by rail through the Carolinas and Atlanta to northern Georgia; the movement started on September 9.

[5] Rosecrans launched the Chickamauga Campaign in late August, staging demonstrations near Chattanooga and upstream of the city along the Tennessee River.

This forced Bragg to fall back into northern Georgia, abandoning the important railroad hub of Chattanooga on September 8.

Johnston, who felt the continued existence of his army was more important than protecting territory, tended to avoid battle with Sherman.

Polk was killed at Pine Mountain on June 14; he was temporarily replaced by W. W. Loring until July, when A. P. Stewart took command of the corps.

Hood started north at the end of September, capturing several Union railroad garrisons and destroying several miles of tracks.

Hood caught up with Schofield at Franklin and ordered an immediate frontal assault, despite only having two of his three infantry corps present; he also ignored the advice of his subordinates to outflank the Union fortifications and avoid a head-on attack.

He deployed the Confederate army along a range of hills and ridges south of the city in a line for a total of four miles and started digging entrenchments and redoubts.

Lee's corps was driven from its defensive works, forcing Hood to retreat to another line of hills to the south.

[19] According to Robert Bevier of the 5th Missouri Infantry, "the Army of Tennessee ceased to exist" after completing the retreat from Nashville.

General Joseph E. Johnston was given command of the Confederate forces in the region, which he dubbed the Army of the South.

At this time, the Army of Tennessee was reduced to only 4,500 men and lacked many supplies, including weapons, artillery, and wagons, and suffered from desertion along the way east from Mississippi.

Parts of the Army of Tennessee fought in several small engagements during the Carolinas Campaign, including Wise's Forks.

In accordance with Johnston's plan, Stewart positioned his forces on the Confederate right wing facing south, with Loring on the left, Hill in the center, and Bate on the right.

When Sherman started after Johnston on April 10, Johnston retreated through Raleigh, North Carolina, abandoning the city on April 12 before continuing westward along the North Carolina Railroad to Hillsborough; he planned to surrender but thought that the Confederacy could get better terms if he negotiated from a position of strength.

Johnston and Sherman met and negotiated terms of surrender on April 17 and 18 at the Bennett Place near Durham Station, North Carolina.

Sherman not only accepted the surrender of the Army of Tennessee but promised to recognize the Confederate state governments.

These terms were immediately rejected by the Union government, forcing Sherman and Johnston to negotiate a new agreement.