In late December 1862 Jefferson Davis recognized the weakness of the Confederacy in the West. His ideas concerning overall strategy were based on speed and concentration. In his speech in Jackson, Mississippi on December 21, 1862, his goals were to bring Missouri into the Confederacy and take control of Kentucky.
Confederate Richard Taylor was the son of former US President Zachery Taylor. He was also the brother-in-law of Jefferson Davis. Taylor was not a strong proponent of secession. He saw most of his battle action in the Western Theater.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis saw the need for better results in the western theater. On November 24, 1862, he appointed General Joseph Johnston to take command of the Western Department. At that time this area was comprised of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and eastern Louisiana.
Thomas Jefferson
The Army of Tennessee was the major fighting force in the Western Theater during the US Civil War. It covered battlefield actions from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River.
How did president jefferson play a role in the westward expansion
For all practical purposes, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was the South's general in chief who reported to himself as commander in chief. This problem became evident early on in the war. Historians mostly agree that Davis should have insisted that in the West in 1862, that generals Bragg and Smith should have combined forces and attacked Union General Don Carlos Buell. Apparently, the distance away from the West that Davis had in Richmond obscured his view. He allowed those generals to act as they saw fit, however, that was an error.
president Jefferson was interested in exploring the western territory because he wanted the direct practicable water across the North American continent to the pacific ocean.
Confederate Jefferson Davis was surprised with the Confederate defeat at the Battle of Shiloh. Jefferson had been in contact with the now late Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston as they planned their concentration of troops on Union forces in Tennessee. Davis sent one of his aids, Colonel William Johnston to investigate what had happened in the aftermath of Shiloh and ask what plans the Confederate generals in the Western Theater had planned. Davis was seeking a way to recover lost Confederate territory. He sent Colonel Johnston, who happened to be the nephew of the fallen Confederate General Albert S. Johnston.
the Mississippi River
President Jefferson Davis believed that Lieutenant General Robert E. Lee was the best general to replace Braxton Bragg as the commander of the Army of Tennessee. Lee was able to convince Davis that another choice would be better. He suggested PT Beauregard, however, Davis finally appointed General Joseph Johnston to the vacancy.
Confederate General Albert S. Johnston had the faith and confidence of Jefferson Davis. Johnston was a recognized general capable of handling the demands of high command. When he was appointed by President Davis, on;y Samuel Cooper held a higher rank in the Rebel army. Johnston was given command of the vast Western Department of the Confederate Army. This department stretched from the Appalachian Mountains to Arkansas. Later Confederate General Van Dorn would handle Arkansas.
Prior to taking the Lee offensive into Maryland, Jefferson Davis believed he needed to first make organizational changes to the Confederate armies in the Western Theater. He set out to change Western commanders and restructure the army's military departments. One problem was the lack of good communications between Richmond and the Trans-Mississippi. Davis created a new department, the Trans-Mississippi and placed General Holmes in charge of it. The result was a division of the vast Southern frontiers. Historians believe the reorganization was a solid move, however, they have criticized Davis' choice of General Holmes to head the new department.