The National tribune., 1883-08-23
THE FOURTH CORPS,
And Brief Outline of It's History From Lcokcut
to Atlanta.

to Atlanta.
To>the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
With your permission, and for the informa-
ton of A. Doering, who asks: "Was there
really Fourth Corps in the Army of the Cum
berland, and where did it figure?n / offer the
following: The Army of the Cumberland was
organized into three different corps in the
autumn of 1862, in Kentucky, l presume
perhaps at Louisville-when g Old Bragg" was
trying to reach the Ohio River Previous to
that time, | think, all the armies of the North
We're composed of separate divisions, of which
ours was the old Second, commanded by a.
Med. McCook e. Old Fatty" God bless him!)
The three corps were the Fourteenth, Tween
tieth, and the Twentyfrst, commanded by
Generals George Ell. Thomas, A. Med. McCook,
and Z. L.. Crittenden, respectively. That or
ganization was maintained about one year. In
the meantime the following battles were
fought: Stone River, Liberty Gap, and num-
Der of lesser engagements of the Tullahoma
campaign, and the battle of Chickamauga In
the latter battle there were five divisions in
the Fourteenth Corps and three in each of the
other two, but in that fight the army was so
greatly reduced in numbers that it was scarcely
worth while TO continue the three separate
corps organizations. Accordingly, after the
army was securely posted in front of Chatta-
nooga, the Twentieth and Twenty-first Corps
were consolidated and called the Fourth The
corps badge was triangle. Our division the
Third was commanded by General L. j. Wood
and stationed on the hill at Fort Wood, directly
east of Chattanooga Further south of us, on
the fiat ont towards Lookout Mountain. was
Fort Negiey, and the troops of Negley's divis-
ion defended that part of the line, General
Gordon Granger commanded the corps at the
time; General Thomas, the Army of the Cum
berland; General Sherman, the Army of the
Tennessee on the left of us; Gen. Hooker the
Twentieth Corps-the old Eleventh and Twelfth
Corps, that had been transferred from Virginia,
consolidated, and called the Twentieth. Gen
eral Grant was chief in command.
ONE OF ITS FAMOUS "REvIEws.n
At o'clock, ON November %, 1868, the Third
division formed in line of battle in front of the
works, in sight and hearing of the rebel picket
line, and III plain sight of the rebel army on
Missionary Ridge. From prisoners taken that
afternoon we learned that they thought we
Were simply out for grand review until they
heard the command Load at WILL load -
after which we gave them such review as
the Army of the Cumberland usually gave the
Johnnies. During that afternoon we advanced
as far as Orchard and Balls Knobs, where the
rebel picket line had been posted. Having
accomplished so much of our part of the plan
of battle we remained in position ali of the
next day (the 24th), while General Hooker
captured Lookout Mountain. That Tas the
famous battle above the Clouds" which some
writer in the Philadelphia Times called zone
of the romances of the war" Had that writer
been there he would have found reality
enough for a lifetime. In the afternoon of the
third day of the battle, while General Sherman
was hard pressed ON the left, we OF the center
stormed Missionary Ridge, broke the rebel
center, came very near capturing old Bragg,
and completed the victory in a short time.
Will some comrades of the First and Second
divisions tell US of their part in the line and
the battle? General Howard commanded the
Fourth Corps during part of the Atlanta cam
paign, and was succeeded by General Stanley.
Now, if A. Doering is still in doubt as to a
Fourth Corps in the Army of the Cumberland,
let him ask the hills and valleys of East Ten
| nessee what troops marched over them to the
relief of General Burnside at Knoxville; LET
him ask the cold, frozen Holster River at
Strawberry Plains what troops during the
| month of January. 1864, shivered and hun
gered while building a bridge across that
stream let him follow the footsteps of the
center of Sherman's grand army all the way
! from Rocky Faced Ridge to Jonesboro' and
Loyejoy Station, south of Atlanta, and ask the
hundreds of graves he will there find what
troops fought and whipped the rebels over that
| ground. JACOB KgIssINGER,
Co. A, 18th Ohio Vet. Vol. Inf.
|