History XVI Corps (Union Army)

1 history

1.1 creation , vicksburg

1.1.1 left wing
1.1.2 right wing


1.2 dissolution
1.3 re-activation

history
creation , vicksburg

the xvi corps organized on december 18, 1862 maj. gen. stephen a. hurlbut in command. had 4 divisions commanded respectively william sooy smith (1st division), grenville dodge (2nd division), nathan kimball (3rd division) , jacob g. lauman (4th division). these divisions assigned garrison duty in vicinity of memphis, lagrange , corinth. army of tennessee besieging vicksburg, maj. gen. ulysses s. grant gathered reinforcements surrounding areas. divisions of smith, kimball , lauman ordered vicksburg on june 12. detachment led maj. gen. cadwallader c. washburn. hurlbut , dodge remained on garrison duty in tennessee during time. after fall of vicksburg, smith s division attached ix corps , lauman s division attached xiii corps during maj. gen. william t. sherman s expedition jackson, mississippi.

in 1864, corps divided 2 wings of 2 divisions each.

left wing

the left wing led maj. gen. grenville dodge , participated in maj. gen. william t. sherman s atlanta campaign. left wing composed of divisions of brig. gen. thomas w. sweeny (2nd division) , brig. gen. james c. veatch (4th division). these divisions fought notably @ battle of atlanta on july 22, 1864 holding off confederate general john bell hood s flank attack. @ battle veatch s division led brig. gen. john w. fuller.

right wing

the remaining division did not join sherman s atlanta campaign left guard mississippi river valley. kimball s, lauman s , william sooy smith s divisions permanently removed other corps while james tuttle s division of xv corps , andrew jackson smith s division of xiii corps both transferred xvi corps. maj. gen. hurlbut assumed direct command on these divisions known right wing , participated in meridian expedition in february 1864. during red river campaign right wing attached maj. gen. nathaniel p. banks army of gulf andrew j. smith in command. tuttle s 1st division commanded joseph a. mower , a.j. smith s division attached mower s command. 1 division xvii corps attached right wing. division dubbed red river division , commanded thomas kilby smith.

the red river division remained in louisiana while a.j. smith took rest of right wing mississippi protect sherman s supply lines during atlanta campaign, defeating confederates @ battle of tupelo. here 2 divisions commanded mower (1st division) , colonel david moore (2nd division) division of cavalry temporarily attached under brig. gen. benjamin grierson.

this unit called general a.j. smith s guerrillas .

dissolution

the corps in entirety discontinued on november 7, 1864. andrew j. smith remained in command of 2 divisions , sent missouri defeat sterling prices s missouri raid. during time smith s command, once known right wing-xvi corps, officially titled detachment-army of tennessee . smith sent tennessee join maj. gen. george h. thomas battle of nashville. @ nashville smith had 3 divisions being commanded respectively john mcarthur, kenner garrard , col. jonathan b. moore. mcarthur s division took prominent part in both days of battle.

re-activation

on february 18, 1865 smith s detachment-army of tennessee became official xvi corps. composed of 3 divisions: first (mcarthur), second (garrard) , third (carr). composition remained virtually same had @ nashville except brig. gen. eugene a. carr replaced col. moore in command of 3rd division. served in operations of maj. gen. edward canby against mobile, alabama , fought in battles of spanish fort , fort blakely. latter ended on april 9, 1865, day lee surrendered @ appomattox. corps disbanded on july 20, 1865.