The National tribune., 1908-03-04

nents siriga deS and divisions, and an
effort made to give it the same esprit
de corps as the infantry Before this
our cavalry had made very poor show
ing against the great body of Stuart's
troopers who were as fine horsemen as
the world ever saw. Under HookerS
orders the cavalry was maSSed lntot
proper commands. and. taking on dis |
cipline, it speedily began to feel con- |
fidence in itself and an aggressiveness
which rapidly diminished the prestige |
of Stuart's men. In a very short time
our cavalry was quite willing to meet
the Confederate horsemen upon any |
thing like equal terms.
Hooker in his general reorganization
of the army showed, as he usually did.
strict regard for the soldiers feelingSl
by keeping the organizations as nearly
intact as possible, so as to cultivate a
martial pride in the history of the com
mands.
The organization by Grand Divisions
was broken up, and the corps system re-
established. Gen. John l.. Reynolds
was put in command of the First Corps.
with Gen. James +. Wadsworth of the
First Division Gen. John c. Robinson
the Second Division and Gen. Abner
Doubleday the Third Division. Gen.
Darius N Couch returned to the com
mand of the Second Corps, with Gen.
Winfield s. Hancock commanding the
First Division. John Gibbon the Sec
ond and Gen. William II. French
the Third Division. Maj.-Gen. Daniel
f, Sickles was put in command of the
Third Corps, with the First Division
commanded by Brighten. David B.
Birney, the Second by Gen. Hiram G.
Berry and the Third Division by Gen.
Amiel w. Whipple. Gen. George G..
Meade assumed command of the Fifth
Corps. with Gen. Charles Griffin COM
manding the First Division, Gen. George
Sykes the Second Division and Gen
Andrew A. Humphreys the Third Divi-
sion Gen. John Sedgwick took COM
mand of the Sixth Corps, with which he
was afterwards to be so closely identi
fed, and had under him as division
commanders Gen. William T. H.
Brooks commanding the First Division.
Gen. Albion P. Howe commanding the
Second Division and Gen. John Newton
the Third Division. Gen. Sigel was re-
lieved and sent to the rear. and the
command of the Eleventh Corps de-
volved upon Gen. o. o. Howard. with
Gen. Charles Devens commanding his
First Division, Gen. Ado'ph Won Stein
wehr the Second Division and Gen. Carl
SchurZ the Third Division. The Twelfth
Corps was commanded by Gen. Eenry
W. Slocum. with Gen. Alpheus S. Will
liams commanding the First Division
and Gen. John w. Geary the Second Di-
vision. The Cavalry Corps was COM
manded by Gen. George StOneman, with
the First Division under Gen. Alfred
Pleasonton. the Second Division under
Gen. William F. Averell and the Third
Division commanded by Gen. d. Mem.
Gregg.
Gen. Burnside's fall was softened as
much as possible by his being assigned
to the command of the Department of
the Ohio, to carry out the scheme which
was dear to President Lincolns heart
of advancing into East Tennessee to the
succor and support of the prosecuted
loyalists there. At his request he was
allowed to take his corps with him. and
so the Ninth Corps disappeared for a
year from the Army of the Potomac.
The Corps Badges.
One of the most signal improvements
by Gen. Hooker was the adoption of a
badge to designate by sight the men of
the different corps and divisions. Such
design had been first introduced by
Gen. Kearny on the Peninsula, who had
his scarlet saddle blankets cut up into
diamond-shaped pieces, which he or
dered his men to wear cOnspicuously on
their persons. Gen. Hooker issued the
following circular:
Headquarters Army of the Potomac,
March 81, 1868.
ton of corps and divisions in this army.
and to prevent injustice by reports of
struggling and misconduct thru mistake
as to it's organization, the Chief Quar-
termaster will furnish without delay
| the following badges. to be worn by the
officers and enlisted men of all the regi
ments of the various corps mentioned.
| They will be securely fastened upon the
center of the top of the cap.
"InSDectinr officers Wi at all inSDec-
tons see that these badges are worn as
designated:
Fifth Corps, sphere-First Divi-
sion. red; Second. white; Third, blue.
Second Corps, trefoil-F'irst Divi-
| sion, red; Second, white; Third, blue.
Third Corps, lozenge-First Division,
red; Second, white: Third, blue.
Fifth Corps, Maltese cross-First
Division, red; Second, white; Third
blue.
Sixth Corps, cross-First Division
red: Second. white; Third, blue. Uight
| Division, green.)
Eleventh Corps, crescent-F'irst Di-
vision, red; Second, white; Third, blue
Twelfth Corps, star-First Division
red; Second, white; Third. blue.
1.-The sizes and colors will be accord
| ing to pattern
| Giving the Cavalry Something to Do.
|
| Winter to rehabilitating his army and
in getting it in entire fitness for cam
paign when fine weather should return.
His cavalry he put into employment at
once. to give them a sense of their
strength and ability to meet the enemy
in the open field. This was done in the
handsomest manner. and speedily dem
onstrated the wisdom of consolidating
the force and giving it an aggressive
| frame of mind.
| On March Is Gen. William W. Aver
ell left camp with about 5000 cavalry
and six pieces of artillery with orders
| to go in search of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.
who had ventured across the Kappa
hammock, and to attack, rout or destroy
him. Averell found only some small
parties of Confederate cavalry north
of the river, but pushed down to Kelly's
| Ford, determined to cross there and try
conclusions with Fitzhugh Lee. whom
he now learned was on the other side
of the river. This was an enterprising
spirit which had not been shown before
by our cavalry leaders.
The head of Averelrs column arrived
at Kelly's Ford at O'Clock in the morn
ing of March II. The crossing was OBJ
4 structed by falling trees, with an abatis
along both banks, defended by about
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