XIV Corps was a

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. It was one of the earliest corps formations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.

Corps history

Creation

On October 24, 1862, the War Department issued General Orders No. 168, creating both the XIII Corps and the XIV Corps. The XIV Corps was to be organized from troops of the

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

, and to be commanded by General

William Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was ...

."General Orders No. 168," Ohio Civil War Central, 2014, Ohio Civil War Central. 8 Jun 2014

The

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed Maj. Gen. ...

, under the command of

Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818November 19, 1898) was a United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles— Shiloh and Per ...

was previously divided into three unofficial corps designated I, II and III Corps. When Rosecrans took command the army was reorganized into twelve divisions to be made from 155 regiments of infantry, a regiment of engineers, 35 batteries of artillery, and six regiments of cavalry.

Stones River

The Army of the Cumberland and XIV Corps were virtually synonymous and therefore command of the corps was divided into three "wings" with the same basic formation as in the former Army of the Ohio. The old I Corps became the Right Wing under

Alexander M. McCook Alexander McDowell McCook (April 22, 1831June 12, 1903) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life McCook was born in Columbiana County, Ohio. A Scottish family, the McCooks were prominent i ...

. The II Corps became the Left Wing under

Thomas L. Crittenden Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (May 15, 1819 – October 23, 1893) was a lawyer, politician, and Union general during the American Civil War. Early life Crittenden was born in Russellville, Kentucky, the son of U.S. Senator John J. Crittenden, who ...

. The III Corps became the Center Wing under George H. Thomas, replacing

Charles C. Gilbert Charles Champion Gilbert (March 1, 1822 – January 17, 1903) was a United States Army officer during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Early life Gilbert was born in Zanesville, Ohio. He graduated from West Point in the fa ...

. In this formation the corps fought at the

Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Am ...

losing over 25% in killed, wounded or missing.

Battle of Chickamauga

On January 9, 1863, in the immediate aftermath of Stones River, the XIV Corps wings were given their own official corps designations. McCook's Right Wing became the XX Corps. Crittenden's Left Wing became the XXI Corps. Thomas' Center Wing remained as the XIV Corps. Thomas led the corps to distinction for his defense at Horseshoe Ridge (in particular his actions at Snodgrass Hill) protecting the Federal Army from a complete rout following the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. ...

Battle of Chattanooga

Following Chickamauga, Thomas was given command of the Army of the Cumberland and John M. Palmer led the corps at the

Battle of Missionary Ridge The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces in the Military Division o ...

and during the most of the Atlanta Campaign.

March towards Atlanta

Battle of Utoy Creek the XIV Army Corps was placed under the command of the Army of the Ohio MG Schofield 1 August 1864 and the two corps were assigned by Sherman to break the Railroad lines at East Point. The ensuing

Battle of Utoy Creek The Battle of Utoy Creek was fought August 4–7, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. Major general (United States), Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's Union Army, Union armies had partially encircled the city of Atlant ...

initial assault by Johnson's 1st Division on 5 August and supporting attack on 6 August 1864 came close to success. Due to a disagreement of the date of rank between MG Palmer and MG Schofield after the battle which Schofield unsuccessfully commanded. Richard W. Johnson briefly commanded the corps after Palmer's resignation during the siege of Atlanta 1864. Jefferson C. Davis took command of the corps and led it during the Battle of Jonesboro.

Savannah Campaign

Following the fall of Atlanta, the XIV Corps was detached from the Army of the Cumberland and assigned to what became the Army of Georgia. Davis remained in command of the corps and fought at the

Battle of Bentonville The Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865) was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last battle between the armies of Union Maj ...

in 1865.

March through the Carolinas

Corps badge origin

This corps's distinctive badge was in the shape of that of an acorn. The acorn was chosen to remind the men of their tough times in late 1863 when they were left in the wilderness without supplies and forced to survive on acorns.

References

External links

XIV Corps history
{{Union Army Formations 14 1862 establishments in the United States Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865