under Gen. Weitzel. Its three divisions were commanded by
Gens. Wild, Birney and Paine, respectively. The First
Brigade of Birney's division was made up of the Seventh, One
Hundred and Ninth, One Hundred and Sixteenth and One hundred
and Seventeenth, under Col. Shaw. The Forty-first
Forty-fifth and One Hundred and Twenty-seventh had at
different times been attached to the brigade--_to learn our
ways_, as they said at headquarters. Eventually, however,
the One Hundred and Fifteenth was substituted for the One
Hundred and Seventeenth in the brigade.

"On the 4th, a general re-assignment of positions was made.
The Seventh moved from the New Market road to Fort Burnham
(Harrison), which was garrisoned by the First Brigade. The
Second Brigade, under Doubleday, was on our right, and the
Third on our left. The Second Brigade joined the
Twenty-fourth Corps, near the New Market road, and Paine's
division was on our left and extended to the river. The
other division was in reserve to the rear. The Seventh was
under command of Lieut.-Col. Pratt, and so remained during
the remainder of our stay in Virginia."

The prolonged but decisive struggle began to draw near. General Grant
had pushed the troops nearer and closer, at every opportunity, to the
beleaguered cities, until they were well-nigh completely invested.
General Sherman's splendid victories influenced the veteran corps lying
before these places, and filled them with the spirit of sure success.
The intrepid commander, having reached North Carolina, visited Grant at
the latter's headquarters at City Point, where he also found President
Lincoln, and received their congratulations for his successful march to
the sea, which achievement had not been surpassed by any of the
undertakings of either Hannibal or Bonaparte in point of daring and
strategy. An important conference then took place, and on the 28th of
March Sherman returned to his command.

[Illustration: GOVRNT. BLACKSMITHS' SHOP]

Grant throughout the winter had been preparing for the spring campaign.
The Phalanx regiments heretofore in the 9th, 10th and 18th Corps had
been consolidated, and formed the 25th Corps, under the command of
Major-General Godfrey Weitzel, who at New Orleans refused to command
negro troops. The Corps was divided into three divisions, with
Brigadier-Generals Wilde, Birney and Paine as commanders.