X Corps was a
corps of the
Union Army during the
American Civil War. It served during operations in
South Carolina in the Department of the South, and later in
Benjamin Butler's
Army of the James, during the
Bermuda Hundred and
Petersburg
Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to:
Places Australia
*Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia
Canada
* Petersburg, Ontario
Russia
*Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg
United States
*Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...
Campaigns.
History
The corps was officially created on September 13, 1862, to consist of the majority of Union troops operating in South Carolina and eastern Georgia. (Other troops in Florida were officially under its command but were not effectively.) The corps was initially commanded by
Ormsby M. Mitchel
Ormsby MacKnight (or McKnight) Mitchel (August 28, 1810, or possibly 1809,October 31, 1862) was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War.
A multi-talented man, he was also an attorney, surveyor, professor, and publisher ...
, who died in October 1862. He was succeeded by
John Milton Brannan,
David Hunter,
Quincy Adams Gillmore,
David B. Birney and
Alfred H. Terry
Alfred Howe Terry (November 10, 1827 – December 16, 1890) was a Union army, Union Major general (United States), general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869, and again from 1872 to 18 ...
.
The corps took part in most of the operations against
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
from 1862–63, including attacks on
James Island and
Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...
and the
Battle of Fort Wagner. Other elements of the corps based in Florida took part in the disastrous
Battle of Olustee.
In early 1864, the corps, now commanded by Gillmore, was transferred to the
Army of the James. It took part in the Bermuda Hundred operations and played a principal role in the disastrous
Drewry's Bluff
Drewry's Bluff is located in northeastern Chesterfield County, Virginia, in the United States. It was the site of Confederate Fort Darling during the American Civil War. It was named for a local landowner, Confederate Captain Augustus H. Drewry, w ...
action. It also took part in the attack on
Cold Harbor in conjunction with units of the
Army of the Potomac, and the corps played a major role in the early stages of the
Petersburg Campaign.
In December 1864, the corps was disbanded; its white contingent went to the new
XXIV Corps, while its black units went to the
XXV Corps. A detachment of former X Corps troops took part in the successful attack on
Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in early 1865. The X Corps was "revived", under the command of
Alfred Terry, in March 1865. It was attached to the
Department of North Carolina under Schofield and was part of Sherman's Army after Bentonville. After Johnston's surrender, it served primarily on garrison duty in South Carolina and Georgia until it was discontinued in August 1865.
External links
X Corps history
{{Union Army Formations
10
Military units and formations established in 1862
1862 establishments in the United States
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865