There were two
corps of the
Union Army called IV Corps during the
American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the
Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–1863, the other with the
Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater, 1863–1865.
IV Corps (Eastern Theater)
The IV Corps, Army of the Potomac, was created on March 13, 1862, and placed under the command of
Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus Darwin Keyes (May 29, 1810 – October 14, 1895) was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War.
Early life and career
Keyes ...
, who had commanded a brigade at
First Bull Run. It consisted initially of three divisions, under
Darius N. Couch
Darius Nash Couch (July 23, 1822 – February 12, 1897) was an American soldier, businessman, and naturalist. He served as a career U.S. Army officer during the Mexican–American War, the Second Seminole War, and as a general officer in the Uni ...
,
Silas Casey, and
William F. "Baldy" Smith. Couch's division was transferred to join
VI Corps during the
Antietam Campaign and remained with them for the duration of the war. The corps' peak strength (in early 1862) was 37,000 men.
The corps took part in
George B. McClellan's
Peninsula Campaign of 1862, playing a major role in repulsing Confederate attacks at
Seven Pines Seven Pines may refer to the following places in the United States:
* Seven Pines, Virginia, in Henrico County, location of a Civil War battle and cemetery
** Battle of Seven Pines
** Seven Pines National Cemetery
* Seven Pines, Mississippi, in ...
and
Malvern Hill. After the campaign, IV Corps remained on the
Peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...
, with Couch's division later detached. The corps was attached to the
Department of Virginia under
John A. Dix, and took part (along with
VII Corps) in minor diversionary actions against Richmond during the
Gettysburg Campaign. The corps was officially discontinued on August 1, 1863.
Official Records, Series 1, Volume 27, Part 3, p. 827
/ref> Elements of IV Corps were later absorbed into XVIII Corps.
Command History
IV Corps (Western Theater)
This corps was created on October 10, 1863, from the remnants of XX and XXI Corps, both of which had suffered heavy casualties at Chickamauga. It was initially commanded by Gordon Granger and its division commanders were Philip Sheridan, Charles Cruft, and Thomas J. Wood. It served with distinction in the famous unordered attack on Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
, and served in the Knoxville and Atlanta Campaigns. During John B. Hood
John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...
's Franklin-Nashville Campaign, General William T. Sherman left the IV (and XXIII Corps), under the overall command of General George H. Thomas, to defend Tennessee, and the corps was heavily engaged in the battles at Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
. When the force Thomas commanded at Nashville was divided, he was left in command only of the IV Corps and cavalry under James H. Wilson and George Stoneman. The IV Corps was ordered to block the mountain passes and prevent a potential retreat by Lee's army into the mountains.
Records differ regarding the further history of the corps. Two sources report that it was deactivated on August 1, 1865. A third reports that after the war it was sent to Texas as part of the U.S. Army detachment dispatched to persuade French Emperor Napoleon III to withdraw his troops from Mexico, and was not disbanded until December 1865.
Command History
Notes
# Eicher and Phisterer.
# Fox. Stanley's personnel records indicate he commanded the Central District of Texas in June and July 1865, so a corps commander for the entire disputed period cannot be identified.
References
* Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, .
* Fox, William F.
''Regimental Losses in the American Civil War''
reprinted by Morningside Bookshop, Dayton, Ohio, 1993, .
* Phisterer, Frederick, ''Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States'', Castle Books, 1883, .
Citations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iv Corps (Union Army)
04
Military units and formations established in 1862
1862 establishments in the United States
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865