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Civil War Soldiers - Corse
| Corse, John M., brigadier-general,
U.S. Army, was born in Pittsburg, Pa., April 27, 1835, entered West
Point military academy, but resigned before graduation, studied in the
Albany law school and was admitted to the bar, after which he located
in practice at Burlington, Ia. Soon thereafter he was nominated by the
Democrats for lieutenant-governor of Iowa, and was defeated. Entering
the Federal service in Aug., 1861, as major of the 6th Iowa regiment,
he served with Fremont in Missouri, was on Gen. Pope's staff at the
siege of New Madrid and at the battle of Farmington, and in the
Corinth campaign. He was then transferred to the division of Gen. W.
T. Sherman, promoted lieutenant-colonel, and acted as colonel in the
Memphis and Holly Springs campaign, and with Grant at Vicksburg. On
Aug. 14, 1863, he was promoted brigadier-general, and commanded a
division at Collierville, Tenn., where he rescued Sherman's division,
which was surrounded by the Confederate cavalry under Gen. Chalmers.
He made a night attack across Lookout mountain, then returned to
command Sherman's assaulting column at Missionary ridge, and was
carried from the field with a broken leg. He was appointed
inspector-general on the staff of Gen. Sherman in the spring of 1864,
served through the Atlanta campaign, and, when Logan succeeded
McPherson, Corse was made commander of the 2nd division, 16th army
corps. Gen. Corse made his greatest reputation by holding the post of
Allatoona against fearful odds. He was sent to Allatoona after the
evacuation of Atlanta, when Col. Tourtellotte, with 890 men, was
threatened by an infantry division of the enemy. He arrived at
Allatoona, with 1,054 men, before the Confederates, who, when they
reached the place shortly afterwards, in vastly superior numbers,
demanded his immediate surrender. Upon his refusal they attempted
again and again to storm the place, but were unsuccessful. Meanwhile
Sherman had heard the firing, eighteen miles away, and he sent by the
sun-telegraph the since famous message, "Hold the fort for I am
coming." And Corse held the fort. Furthermore he captured 500
prisoners. His action at Allatoona was made the subject of a special
order from Gen. Sherman, in which he showed the importance of
retaining to the last a fortified place, and Corse was given the
brevet of major-general of volunteers Oct. 5, 1864. After this, Gen.
Corse continued in command of a division on the march to the sea, and
at the close of the war conducted a successful campaign against the
Indians of the northwest. Declining an appointment as
lieutenant-colonel in the regular army, Gen. Corse engaged in railroad
building in Chicago, was appointed revenue collector there and in
1869, was removed by President Grant. He then spent several years in
Europe, located in Boston in 1877, and was appointed postmaster of the
city by President Cleveland, Oct. 9, 1886. He was removed by President
Harrison in March, 1891. Gen. Corse died in Winchester, Mass., April
27, 1893.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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