[84] The Ninth Corps was prominently connected with the siege, by reason of the immense mine which was dug from within and in front of its line. This mine, which was excavated by the 48th Pennsylvania, of Potter's Division, was successfully exploded, but the assault which followed was a failure. During this assault Ferrero's colored regiments went into action and fought well, acquitting themselves creditably; their failure, like that of the white regiments in this affair, resulted from causes outside of the regiments themselves. The loss in the Ninth Corps at the mine, was 473 killed, 1,646 wounded, 1356 missing; total, 3,475. Immediately after this engagement, Generall Ledlie was relieved from command of thle First Division, and General Julius White, of the Twenty-third Corps, was assigned to Ledlie's place. On the 13th of August, 1864, General Burnside was granted a leave of absence; he never rejoined the corps, but was succeeded by General Parke. who remained in command until the close of tile war. At the battle of the Weldon Railroad, August 19-21, 1864, the three divisions of White, Potter, and Willcox were engaged with considerable loss, although the three combined numbered less than 6,000 muskets; casualties, 60 killed, 315 wounded, and 218 missing. By this time the divisions lad become so reduced in numbers that a reorganization of tile corps became necessary, and so the regiments in White's Division were transferred to the divisions of Potter and Willcox. Under this arrangement Willcox's Division was numbered as the First; Potter's, as the Second; Ferrero's colored troops were designated as the Third Division. But, in December, Ferrero's Division was permanently detached, and most of his regiments were transferred to the newly-organized Twenty-fifth Corps, which was composed entirely of colored troops. General Ferrero, himself, was assigned to a provisional command at Bermuda Hundred. The vacancy caused by detaching Ferrero's Division was filled by six new regiments of Pennsylvanians--one-year men — organized into a division of two brigades, the command of which was given to General John F. Hartranft. This division rendered gallant service at Fort Stedman, and Hartranft added to his laurels by the ability displayed at that critical juncture. The morning report for March 31, 185, showed a corps strength of 18,153, “present for duty, equipped,” and 36 pieces of light artillery. With this force the Ninth Corps entered upon the final campaign, taking a prominent part in the storming of Petersburg, April 2, 1865, which resulted in the evacuation of Richmond and the downfall of the Confederacy. The corps was not only among the foremost in this brilliant assault, but its flags were the first to wave over the public buildings of Petersburg. This was the last battle in which the corps participated, anid on July 27, 1865, the existence of the Ninth Corps was officially terminated.
Tenth Corps.
- James Island -- Pocotalitgo -- Morris Island Fort Wagner -- Olustee -- Walthall Junction -- Chester Station -- Proctor's Creek -- Drewry's Bluff -- Cold Harbor -- Bermuda Hundred -- Ware Bottom Church -- Petersburg -- Strawberry Plains -- Deep Bottom -- Chaffin's Farm -- New Market Road -- Darbytown Road -- Charles City Road -- Fair Oaks (1864); Fort Fisher -- Sugar Loaf Battery -- Fort Anderson -- Wilmington.
Organized under General Orders No. 123, September 3, 1862, which designated the forces in the Department of the South as the Tenth Army Corps, and assigned Major-General O. M. Mitchel to its command. These troops were stationed principally at Hilton Head, S. C., and Beaufort, S. C., the order including also the troops at Fort Pulaski, Ga., Key West, Fla.. Fernandina, Fla., and St. Augustine, Fla.; in all, 14,602, present and absent, with 10,190
