s perch
on Missionary Ridge and to a precipitate retreat, and the Army of
the Tennessee under Sherman subsequently relieved Burnside, besieged
at Knoxville by Longstreet, thus closing the campaigns of 1863 in
the West about the time they closed in the East. Soon thereafter
rumors were current that Grant was to be promoted to chief command
of all the Union armies. A law passed Congress February 29, 1864,
reviving the grade of Lieutenant-General, and President Lincoln,
the next day, appointed Ulysses S. Grant to the office, and the
Senate, the succeeding day, confirmed the appointment. March 10,
1864, Halleck was relieved from duty as General-in-Chief, and became
thereafter Chief of Staff of the Army. Grant was, the same day,
assigned by the President, "pursuant to the act of Congress, to
command the Armies of the United States," headquarters of the Army
to be in Washington, and "with General Grant in the field." Grant
established his field-headquarters at Culpeper Court-House, March
26, 1864, and remained with the Army of the Potomac until Appomattox
came. Just prior to his joining the Army of the Potomac, March
23, 1864, it was reorganized, the First and Third Corps being broken
up as separate organizations, and the troops composing them
distributed to the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Corps, they retaining
their former corps badges. Hancock resumed command of the Second
Corps. Warren was assigned to command the Fifth. Carr was
transferred to the Second. The Third Division, Third Corps, became
the Third Division of the Sixth (Sedgwick's) Corps, the old Third
Division of the Sixth being consolidated with its other divisions.

General H. Prince was assigned to command the Third Division of
the Sixth. The Second Brigade (Keifer's) of this division, with
the 126th Ohio (Colonel Smith) and the 67th Pennsylvania (Colonel
Staunton) added, was placed under the command of General David A.
Russell,(11) but he was soon transferred to another command, and
Colonel B. F. Smith for a time succeeded him. Major-General James
B. Ricketts, before April 30, 1864, relieved General Prince, and
thereafter the Third Division of the Sixth Corps was known as
"Ricketts' Division."

Much bad feeling existed on the part of Generals French, Sykes,
Newton, and others over the breaking up of their commands and their
being relieved from field duty. The consolidation of divisions
and brigades in the corps retained, also caused much discontent