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The Confederate States Army (CSA) was formed in February 1861 to defend the Confederate States of America, which had itself been formed that same year when seven southern states seceded from the United States (with four more to follow).

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The Army of the Confederate States of America (ACSA) was the regular army, organized by Act of Congress on March 6, 1861. It was authorized to include 15,015 men, including 744 officers, but this level was never achieved. The men serving as (full) generals, such as Samuel Cooper and Robert E. Lee, were enrolled in the ACSA to ensure that they outranked all militia officers.

The Provisional Army of the Confederate States (PACS) was authorized by Act of Congress on February 28, 1861, and began organizing on April 27. Virtually all regular, volunteer, and conscripted men preferred to enter this organization because, due to the pressure of organizing many new units in war time, officers could achieve a higher rank in the Provisional Army than they could in the Regular Army. If the war had ended successfully for them, the Confederates intended that the PACS would be disbanded, leaving only the ACSA.

State Militias were organized and commanded by the state governments, similar to those authorized by the United States Militia Act of 1792.

March 6, 1861: 100,000 volunteers and militia

January 23, 1862: 400,000 volunteers and militia

April 16, 1862, the First Conscription Act: conscripted white men ages 18 to 35 for the duration of hostilities

September 27, 1862, the Second Conscription Act: expanded the age range from 18 to 45, with implementation beginning on July 15, 1863

February 17, 1864, the Third Conscription Act: ages 17 to 50

March 13, 1865, authorized African American combat troops, but was never implemented

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Robert E. Lee was "charged with the conduct of military operations in the armies of the Confederacy" from March 13 to May 31, 1862. He was referred to as Davis's military adviser, but exercised broad control over the strategic and logistical aspects of the Army, a role similar in nature to the current Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. On June 1 he assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia, which was considered the most important of all the Confederate field armies.

Braxton Bragg was similarly "charged with the conduct of military operations in the armies of the Confederacy" from February 24, 1864 (after he was relieved of command following the Battle of Chattanooga) to January 31, 1865. This role was, once again, a military advisory position under Davis.

Robert E. Lee was formally designated general-in-chief by an Act of Congress (January 23, 1865) and served in this capacity from January 31 to April 9, 1865.

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There were four grades of general officer (general, lieutenant general, major general, and brigadier general), but all wore the same insignia regardless of grade. This was due to a decision made early in the conflict. The Confederate Congress initially made the rank of brigadier general the highest rank. As the war progressed, the other general-officer ranks were quickly added, but no insignia for them was created. (Robert E. Lee was a notable exception to this. He chose to wear the rank insignia of a colonel.) Only eight men achieved the rank of (full) general; the highest ranking (earliest date of rank) was Samuel Cooper, Adjutant General and Inspector General of the CSA.

Officers' uniforms bore a braid design on the sleeves and kepi, the number of adjacent strips (and therefore the width of the lines of the design) denoting rank. The color of the piping and kepi denoted the military branch. The braid was sometimes left off by some officers as it made them conspicuous targets. The kepi was rarely used, the common slouch hat being preferred due to its practicality in the Southern climate.

Branch colors were used for color of chevrons. Blue for infantry, yellow for cavalry, and red for artillery. This could differ with some units, however, depending on available resources or the unit commander's desire. Cavalry regiments from Texas, for example, often used red insignia and at least one Texas infantry regiment used black.

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Army of Northern Virginia — Joseph E. Johnston, Gustavus W. Smith, Robert E. Lee commanding

Army of Mississippi — P.G.T. Beauregard, Albert Sidney Johnston, Braxton Bragg, William J. Hardee, Leonidas Polk, (also known as the Army of Vicksburg from December 1862) John C. Pemberton, Earl Van Dorn, (1863) William W. Loring

Forrest's Cavalry Corps — Nathan Bedford Forrest

Army of the Kanawha — Henry A. Wise, John B. Floyd, Robert E. Lee

Army of Kentucky — Edmund Kirby Smith (Eventually commander of all forces West of the Mississippi)

Army of Middle Tennessee — John C. Breckinridge

Army of New Mexico — Henry H. Sibley

Army of the Northwest — Robert S. Garnett, Henry R. Jackson, William W. Loring, Edward Johnson

Army of the Peninsula — John B. Magruder, Daniel H. Hill

Army of the Potomac (Confederate) — P.G.T. Beauregard, Joseph E. Johnston

Army of Tennessee — Braxton Bragg, William J. Hardee, Joseph E. Johnston, John Bell Hood, Richard Taylor, Daniel H. Hill

Trans-Mississippi Army — Thomas C. Hindman, Edmund Kirby Smith,

Army of the Valley (aka Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia) — Jubal Early

Army of the West — Earl Van Dorn, John P. McCown, Dabney H. Maury, Sterling Price

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