The National tribune., 1910-03-24
THE FIFTH CORPS.
II Had Quite as Much Reason for Pride
as the First Corps.

Editor National Tribune; The first
chapter of Comrade McElroy's history
of the Wilderness Campaign contains
the following in regard to the consoli-
dation of the First Corps into two divi-
sions and making them a part of the
Fifth Corps:
The First Corps. which had made
such magnificent fight at Gettysburg
to its sad diminution of numbers. was
consolidated into two divisions and
made part of the Fifth Corps. The
wounded pride of the wearers of the
round patch was only imperfectly con-
soled by permission To continue TO wear
1t while serving in the same corps with
those whose caps and breasts bore the
Maltese cross The First Corps men
felt they had much more reason TO be
proud of their history and OF Reynolds
than the Fifth Corps had in any his
tory they had made up to that time.
Hooker. Reynolds. the Second Manas-
sas, Antietan. Fredericksburg and Sem
mary Ridge were thrilling memories.
which they considered were imperfeCtly
matched by Fitz John Porter. Sykes
and Groveton. the reserve at Antietam
and the left flank at Gettysburg"
And also the following:
What corps can boast of list Of
names like Meade. Reynolds. Mcdowell.
King, Harts;lff. ord. Seymour, Gibbon.
Ricketts, and Newton? Every one
nero Our comrades sleep upon the
hillsides of Fredericksburg. in the Will
derness, at Characteristic. upon the
plains of Manassas. the ragged slopes
of Slaughter and South Mountains by
the sluggish Antietam. and the blood Of
5000 of our brave boys colored the
ground of historic Gettysburg"
While | freely concede all that IS
said in favor of the First Corps, I must
say there was no dishonor in serving
as part of the Fifth Corps under Gen.
Warren. The Fifth Corps fought thru
the campaign on the Peninsula under
Mcclellan. in addition to fighting in all
the battles in which the First Corps was
engaged. One division of the Fifth
Corps. the Third. or Pennsylvania Re
serves. was originally part of the First
Corps, and served therein until the
Spring of 1868. with the exception of
about three months. when it was de-
tached and sent to the Peninsula 1t
fought in the battles of Bull Run.
GrovetOn. South Mountain. Antietam
and Fredericksburg as part of the First
Corps. After that it was attac to
the Fifth Corps. Comrades of this di-
vision also sleep upon all the battle
fields named by Comrade McElroy, and
many others.
In addition to what is said above, the
Inlrd DIVISION or the Fifth Corps also
had the honor of serving under Rey-
nolds, Meade, Ord, Seymour, Mcdowell
and Hooker, the first four of whom
came from this division.
AS to Gen. Sykes, who commanded
the Fifth Corps at Gettysburg, ] have
always understood that it was due to
him and his Fifth Corps that the left
flank of the Army Of the Potomac was
not turned by LonEstreet when he rout-
ed the Third Corps in front of Little
Round Top. only to find that the Fifth
Corps. under Sykes. was rushed up and
drove Longstreet back.
The Third Division of the Fifth Corps
never felt that they were dishonored
by serving with the other two divisions.
Sykes's Regulars and Griffin's Division
all commanded by the brave and ac-
complished Warren. The survivors of
this division felt honored by the pres
ence of the remnant of their old First
Corps, but they will allow no man to
say that any body of troops had more
reason to be proud Of their history and
of Reynolds than the Fifth Corps had
in any history they had made up to that
time. Geo. NJ. Pardoe. Private Co. C,
18th Pa. Reserves. Sioux City. Iowa.