The National tribune., 1892-12-08

On April 4, 1861. Mai Gen. Grant directed
Gen. Gilmore to move with ali possible dis
patch so much of his force IS could be safely
spared from the Department of the South to Fort
Monroe. to report to Gen. Butler. The troops
that you bring with you, and those which will
join you at Fort Monroe. will constitute the
Tenth Corps" Instructions were Immediately
given for the transfer, and the troops were
rapidly transported to Gloucester Point, Va,
where the reorganization of the corps took
place.
On May l. 1864, Gen Gilmore relinquished
command Of the Department of the South to
Brig Gen. J. p Hatch, and on the 4th resumed
command of the corps.
The following was the composition of the
corps as reorganized
Maj Gen. Quincy A. Gilmore commanding.
First Dvison-Brg Gen. Alfred III. Terry.
First Brigade-Col. Joshua B. Howell-39th
H., 62d 9th Ohio S5th Pa.
Second Brigade-Col. Joseph z. Hawley-
9th, 7th Conn. Sd, 18th n. II.
Third Brigade-Col. Harris NJ. Plaisted-
10th Conn, 18th Me- oath Mass, Tooth n. Y.
Artilery-Connecticu Light. 1st battery;
New Jersey Light. 9Th battery; LIST United
States Battery NJ.
Second Division-Brig. Gen. John w. Tur-
ner.
First Brigade-Col. Samuel NJ. Alford-4Oth
Mass, 3d. 69th, 117th, 1i2d n. Y.
Second Brigade-Col William B. Barton
18th, 18th, 115th N. Y, 18th Pa.
Artillery-New Jersey Light, 4th battery;
Batteries and d. 1st y. S.
Third Division-Brig. Gen. Adebert Ames.
First Brigade-CoI. Richard White-Sth Me-,
18th n. H., 55th, 9th Pa
Second Brigade-Col. Jeremiah c. Drake
18th Ind, 9th Me-. 1l2th 10th n. Y.
Artillery-New York Light. 33d battery; Sd
r. l., Battery G; Sd U. s., Battery E.
Unattached troops-1st n. Y. Eng. eight
companies), 4th Mass. Cav. (1st battalon)
On May the corps proceeded to Bermuda
Hundred, Va, and completing Decentralization
on the 9th at once commenced the erection of
intrenchments Ware Bottom Church. At
this time the corps numbered present for duty
654 officers and 16 1913 enlisted men of infantry,
and So officers and 1913 enlisted men of artl-
lery, with Al guns and two siege howitzers, and
formed with the Eighteenth Corps and Kautz's
Cavalry Division the Army of the James, com.
manded by Maj.-Gen. b. +. Butler.
In the campaign against Richmond about to
commence, Gen. Butler was charged with
operations ON the south side of the James, and
was to move at the same time as the Army of
the Potomac He had been instructed that
Richmond was to be his objective point, and
was first to seize City Point and that vicinity.
The details of his operations were left to his
discretion. He was, however, to regulate his
movements so that in certain contingencies no
obstacles would exist to prevent the junction
of his army with that of the Potomac
On the morning of the 5th Gen. Kautz whose
command had been concentrated at Suffolk
set out to cut the railroads to the south of
Petersburg, and successfully destroyed the
Norfolk IL Petersburg road at Wakefield, the
Weldon Railroad bridge over Stony Creek and
a bridge over the Nottaway River. The bridge
over Rowanty Creek, being well defended was
not injured. He reached City Point on the
10th.
Gen. Buffers first efforts with the force un-
der his immediate command were against the
Richmond q Petersburg Railroad, lying on an
average about three miles from his line of in
trenchments. On the 18th he moved out force
to the railroad, where they encountered the
enemy at Port Walthal Junction and Chester
Station, without any important result. On the
9th he succeeded in destroying about six miles
of the road between Swift Creek and Chester,
returning to his intrenchments on the 10th.
He now advanced against Drewrys Bluff, car
rying portion of the enemy's first line of de-
Tense with slight loss but was in turn attacked
Oh the 10th by Gen. Beauregard, then in COM
mand of the Confederates opposing him, and
he was forced back into his intrenchuents be-
tween the forks of the James and Appomattox
Rivers, the enemy intrenching himself strongly
in his front. Gen. Grant now reached the con-
clusion that q large portion of the troops under
Gen. Butler could be more ad yantage0usly en-
ployed in other fields, and on the 22d of May
ordered all available force to be sent forward,
under Maj. Gen. w. f. Smith to join the Army
of the Potomac. The Second and Third Di-
visions of the Tenth Corps accompanied Gen.
Smith, and were temporarily attached to the
Eighteenth Corps, and participated in the en-
gagement at Cold Harbor.
The loss of the Tenth Corps in the operations
on the south side of the James River from May
5-31, 1864, was 1856, distributed az follows