Campaign against Zhang Xianzhong

After defeating peasant rebels at She County, Hebei, Huixian and Wu'an and eliminating their presence in Shanxi and Henan provinces, Zuo went the forces of Zhang Xianzhong who were threatening Xiangyang in Hubei province (then part of Huguang). After setting up camp at Yunyang District and Fang County, Zuo's army fell into an ambush at Gucheng County, Hubei. 10,000 Ming soldiers were killed and only a few thousand escaped alive. During this campaign, soldiers consumed peach and jujube due to a shortage of grain. Zhang eventually led his followers to Sichuan province.

Campaign against Li Zicheng

Zuo, meanwhile, was forced to head back to Henan to confront the followers of the rebel leader Li Zicheng. Unsuccessful in his request for reinforcements to the Prince of Chu in Wuchang, Zuo and general Sun Chuanting engaged Li's forces at Zhuxian. Their defeat enabled Li to capture the city of Kaifeng.

Service under Southern Ming

After the fall of Beijing to Li Zicheng and the death of the Chongzhen Emperor, Zuo declared his loyalty to the Hongguang Emperor of Southern Ming. On May 13, 1645, his forces surrendered to the Manchu general Ajige at Taiping Prefecture, Anhui Province. Zuo refused to serve the Manchus and was later executed.

早年經歷

幼年喪父，由叔父撫育成人，雖不識字但多有智謀，「長身赧面，驍勇，善左右射，目不知書，多智謀，撫士卒得其歡心，以故戰輒有功」。初官遼東車石營都司，後隸昌平部督侍郎侯恂麾下。大凌河被民變隊伍包圍，擢副將率兵往援，戰於松山與杏山有功。

征戰四方

崇禎六年（1632年）即升至總兵官。到山西後，勝戰涉縣、輝縣，繼而在武安被殲，隻身脫離。後左良玉得到昌平兵，于河南屢戰屢勝。九月，與曹文詔等將領在武安合圍民軍。至十一月，叛軍向王樸詐降，脫離包圍圈，作亂河南。十二月，左良玉開始追擊，二十天內肅清河南境內叛軍，期間叛軍主力高迎祥等人已去湖廣鄖陽，被稱遇強則逃，遇弱則戰。

史載左良玉軍紀敗壞，形同盜匪，崇禎九年（1636年）七月，左部尾隨張獻忠佔據襄陽城，城內百姓家家駐有左軍，「淫污之狀不可言」，以至於百姓「不恨賊而恨兵」。

崇禎十一年（1638年），追擊張獻忠，揮刀擊之，獻忠面流血。叛軍因此陷入低潮。

崇禎十二年（1639年）五月，張獻忠復叛，一路勢如破竹，佔領谷城縣城與房縣。熊文燦令左良玉、羅岱率兵進剿，從襄陽起程，途中缺糧，士兵沿途採摘山中野桃、棗子為食，七月二十五日至房縣。張獻忠、羅汝才在播箕寨兩山之間設下埋伏，誘敵深入，良玉中計，官軍大敗，羅岱被殺，左良玉拚命突圍，士卒死者一萬多人，脫困士兵不到千人。

崇禎十二年（1639年）楊嗣昌薦良玉有大將才，拜平賊將軍。

崇禎十二年，瑪瑙山之戰後，賀人龍以楊嗣昌背信，私下告知良玉，嗣昌欲奪其位，左良玉亦恨之，兩人皆與楊嗣昌不合，長期擁兵自重，傳檄不至。左良玉停兵不追，張獻忠得以進入四川。賀人龍後為孫傳庭所殺。

崇禎十五年（1642年）督師侯恂發帑五十萬犒賞左良玉部，良玉與李自成戰于朱仙鎮，良玉大敗，退至襄陽。四月，李自成兵圍開封，良玉見李自成軍容甚壯，連夜拔營而逃，李自成率叛軍追擊，良玉「兵大亂，下馬渡溝，殭僕溪谷中」，「棄馬騾萬匹，器械無算」。不敢同闖軍主力作戰，故技重演，率部順江東竄，撤兵至武昌。左良玉向楚王要兵糧，未得補給，遂掠奪武昌而去。

南明時期

崇禎十七年（1644年），三月封寧南伯，北京城破，崇禎帝自縊，左良玉盡出己擄掠所藏金銀財物，價值二三萬金，散給諸將，才穩住軍心。弘光帝立，晉升為寧南侯。弘光元年（1645年）李自成的大順軍被清軍在西北擊敗後南下。左良玉為了避戰，藉機南京崇禎太子案爆發，以「奉太子傳國密詔」、「清君側」為名，傳檄討馬士英、阮大鋮，領兵順江東下。臨行之時，下令在武昌屠城。四月初一日，良玉至九江，已是久病之軀。左良玉軍在九江被江督袁繼咸拒絕進城。左軍勾結一些袁軍在九江城內放火。袁被迫出城，左邀袁到舟中相見。三日後初四日左病死。後東林黨人談遷杜撰「袁責以大義，良玉疾甚，望城中火光，大哭曰：『予負袁公！』嘔血數升而死」。其子左夢庚拘禁袁繼咸，引兵東下，直通太平府。馬士英急命史可法盡撤江防之兵以防左良玉，行至草鞋峽時，黃得功等部已擊敗左夢庚。同年五月十三日夢庚率部投降清軍阿濟格部。袁繼咸為清兵所執，不屈，被斬殺。