The National tribune., 1906-11-01

proper to consolidate the two corps.
but one of the designations which haf
been SO long associated with the Arm,
of the Cumberland. should have been
retained. While neither McCook no
Crittenden had done well with the
Twentieth and Twenty-first Corps. their
divisions had fought superbly at Perry
vile. Stone River and Chickamauga.
and had certainly earned the right tc
retain at least one of the designations
which had been part of the history o.
the Army of the Cumberland.
On the other hand, the Fourth Corps
had been an organization in the Arm!
of the Potomac. and while made ur
of as good material as any other, II har
fallen under the displeasure of Gen
Mcclellan. who. dislking its com
mander. had made il a scapegoat IT
order to break it up and make two new
corps for his favorites. Fitz John Porter
and Franklin. There was no justitica-
ton whatever for applying that desig-
nation 10 an organization in the Army
of the Cumberland. Later an equally
indefensible thing was done in consoli-
dating the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps.
whose previous history had been with
the Army of the Potomac, and calling
them the Twentieth Corps.
Gen. Gordon Granger was formal!
designated as the commander of tbs
new Fourth Corps in recognition of his
brilliant services in going to the helT
of Thomas at the most critical time 1T
the battle. He was not destined to hole
this position long. however. because
while Granger was a fine soldier oi
undeniable abilities, he had also de-
fects, and added to these very shari
and reckless tongue, which made him
plenty of powerful enemies. He was
unfortunate enough to fall under the
displeasure of Sherman, and was re-
moved at the first convenient oppor-
tunity.
The removal of McCook and Crit
tcndcn, while q severe blow to them
was ar entirely just measure. alScad!
too long delayed. Yet it had in ii a.
clement of cruelty; that is. both mer
were up to certain point excellent
soldiers, brave men, jealous patriots
and sincerely devoted to the success oi
the cause. They simply were unequa
TO the command of a corps: both would
A., have been and were good brigade anc
division commanders, and had succeed
ed to the higher command which wa!
beyond their capacity. by seniority.
The Division Commanders.
division and brigade commanders, ac
companied with much heart-burnint
and bitterness of feeling. Gen. JOSEPH
]. Reynolds. who had acquitted him
self so handsomely on the battlefield
was made Chief of Staff to succeed
Garfield, who had been elected to Con
gress. There was a reason for this
After the retirement of McCook ant
| Crittenden the ranking MajOr-General
were Rousseau and Palmer. who TO
various reasons were regarded with dis
| trust as possible commanders of th'
army in the event of casualties. so tina
| it was felt safer to put Reynolds. in ;
| position of direction.
Gen. John NJ. Brannan, who had als'
acquitted himself admirably upon tn
| field was made Chief of Artillery il
pursuance of the new policy of mass
ing the artillery of the army under tn
direction of single mind to give
| the weight OrganiZatio and unity o
action of a corps.
Gen. Jefferson c. Davis, who had no
gotten along at all well with his Briga
dier-Generals in the Twentieth Corps
was transferred to the command of tn
Second Division of the Fourteenth
| Corps, which had none of his old Brig
adiers or regiments. The elderly Val
| Cleve. who had followed his division
from the field, was sent into honorabl
retirement in command of the post a
| Murfreesboro, while Gen. Negiey
.whose reputation had suffered mucl
| from the battle. was very insistent upoi
| 1dVlnS d COHliildHu, Jul was hShiCu vi
account of the Court of Inquiry to in
vestigate his conduct and the charge
made against him.
| Gen. John NJ. Palmer. whose corduc
| in the battle had been admirable, wa
| made commander of the First Division
of the Fourteenth Corps. while Gen
| Absalom Baird, temporarily In com
mand of Rousseaus Division. ha'
| fought so superbly on the extrem
Tv,,fa 1aff p1f he Il ~ n ri
er of the Third Division of the sam
| corps. Gen. Palmer was first assignee
| to command the First Division of TIL
Fourth Corps, but was transferred t
a similar division in the Fourteentl
Corps, and succeeded in his first com
mand by Gen. Chas. Cruft. who ha
handled his brigade with marked abil
ity during the battle. The Second Di
vision of the Fourth Corps was com
manded by Gen. Philip II. Sheridan
and the Third Division by Gen. Thos
j. Wood.
i Among the hardest men to satisfy il
i the reorganization was Mai. Gen. .Johl
| NJ. Palmer, a man of much ability, bu
still more ambition. He had been Al
active politician in Illinois and one o
the founders OF the Republican Party
to which he went over from the Demo
Gratis carrying with him a large fol
lowing, and consequently was suppose
/ to have much influence with Presiden
Lincoln. He had been in command of
4 division, acquitted himself well at Ston
/ River, and was one of the four Division
I Commanders who had held the lin
with Thomas and repelled every attac
upon them. BY virtue of seniority h
I was very near the head of the army
1 but the general opinion of his superior
and associates was that the comman
of a division was all that he was equa
to. He had been quite active in pro
noting the removal of Gen. Crittende
from the command of the Twenty-firs
Corps, and asDired to he his successor
J He resented 1t, therefore, when Ger
! Gordon Granger was appointed to tn
command of the new Fourth Corps. an
rendered his resignation, which Dan
recommended should be accepted, 70
fear of the consequences when his sen
iority might throw him into comman
of the army.
! There was a general redistribution o
the brigades and regiments which ma
terially changed the composition q
every division. Six seven, or even NOR
decimated regiments were put into bri
gades which formerly had comprise
only three The artillery Of each divi
sion was massed under Division Chiet
who reported directly to the Corp
Chief. and he in turn to the Chief c
, Artillery of the army.
4 Rigors of the Siege.
: Almost at once there began to b
; felt within the lines the hardships of
siege, and every day added to the diff
! culties of bringing up rations.
The shorter road along the north sid
of the river was soon thoroly closed b