[74] General Wood had served with honor in the armies of the Ohio, and the Cumberland, from the commencement of the war. He commanded the Fourth Corps in its last battle — its last victory, at Nashville. His division generals in that engagement were Kimball, Elliott, and Beatty; the casualties in the corps were 135 killed, 834: wounded and 22 missing; total, 991. The corps joined in the pursuit of Hood's defeated army, after which General Wood assembled it at Huntsville, Ala., arriving there January 5, 1865. On March 15th it moved into East Tennessee, in order to prevent the possible escape of Lee's and Johnston's armies, returning in April to Nashville, where it remained until June 16th, when it was ordered to New Orleans, en route for Texas. Although the war had virtually ended, the Fourth Corps remained in Texas during the rest of 1865, forming a part of Sheridan's Army of Occupation. The most of the regiments were, however, mustered out in December, 1865, in time for the men to spend Christmas in their homes.
Fifth Corps.
- Hanover Court House -- Mechanicsville -- Gaines' Mill -- Glendale -- Malvern Hill -- Manassas -- Antietam -- Shepherdstown Ford -- Fredericksburg -- Chancellorsville -- Gettysburg -- Rappahannock Station -- Mine Run -- Wilderness -- Alsop's Farm -- Laurel Hill -- Spotsylvania -- North Anna -- Totopotomoy -- Bethesda Church -- Cold Harbor -- Petersburg assault -- Siege of Petersburg -- Weldon Railroad -- Poplar Spring Church -- Hatcher's Run -- Dabney's Mills -- Gravelly Run -- White Oak Road -- five Forks -- Appomattox.
The Fifth Corps was organized May 18, 1862, while the Army of the Potomac, to which it belonged, was engaged on the Peninsular campaign. It was formed by taking Porter's Division away from the Third Corps, and uniting with it Sykes' Division of Regular troops, making a provisional corps of two divisions. This action was confirmed by the War Department, July 22, 1862, whereupon, the term “Fifth Provisional” was dropped, and it became the Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac. Banks' Corps had been officially designated as the Fifth Corps, in general orders No. 101, March 13, 1862, but the designation does not appear to have been used in connection with Banks' troops. The Fifth Corps of history is the one which wore the Maltese Cross. It was permanently organized, with General Fitz John Porter as the corps commander, and with Generals Morell and Sykes in command of the two divisions. The first battle of the corps occurred at Hanover Court House, Va., May 27, 1862, an engagement in which Morell's Division stood the brunt of the fighting, and won a creditable victory. On May 31st, the returns showed 17,546 present for duty. On June 14th its ranks were increased by the accession of McCall's Division of Pennsylvania Reserves, 9,500 strong, which served with the Fifth Corps during the Peninsular campaign, but left it upon the return to Washington, the Reserves rejoining McDowell's Corps, from which they had been detached. The battle of Gaines' Mill was fought, almost entirely, by the Fifth Corps and Slocum's Division of the Sixth, the whole under command of General Porter. His troops held their position stoutly, although the attacking forces comprised the entire Confederate Army, with the exception of Magruder's command. At Glendale, the division of Pennsylvania Reserves was hotly engaged, and at Malvern Hill some of Porter's regiments were again in the thickest of the fight. The loss of the corps in the Seven Days Battle was 995 killed, 3,805 wounded, and 2,801 captured or missing; total, 7,601, or half the entire loss of the army. Of these casualties, 6,837 occurred at Gaines' Mill; the remainder at Mechanicsville, Glendale, and Malvern Hill.
