sence, supposing that all idea of
a movement during the summer was at an end, and Canby, having
granted this, assigned Reynolds to command the corps, to which, in
truth, his rank and record entitled him, and gave the First division,
Emory's own, to Roberts, a total stranger. Upon this, and learning
of the movement about to be made, Emory at once threw up his leave
of absence, and Reynolds, noting with the eye of a soldier the deep
and widespread disappointment among the officers and men of the
corps, magnanimously persuaded Canby to leave the command of the
Nineteenth Army Corps, for the time being, to Emory, while Reynolds
himself commanded the forces at Morganza. The brigades of the First
division were commanded by Beal, McMillan, and Currie. Grover kept
the Second division with Birge, Molineux, and Sharpe as brigade
commanders, and afterward a fourth brigade was added, made up of
four regiments from the disbanded Thirteenth Corps, under Colonel
David Shunk of the 8th Indiana, and comprising, in addition to his
own regiment, the 24th and 28th Iowa, and the 18th Indiana. At
this later period also the 1st Louisiana was taken from Molineux's
brigade to remain in the Gulf, and its place was filled by the 11th
Indiana and the 22d Iowa. Lawler's new Third division had Lee,
Cameron, and Colonel F. W. Moore of the 83d Ohio for brigade
commanders. This was a splendid division, on both sides congenial;
unfortunately it was not destined to see service with the corps.

Three great reviews broke the torrid monotony of Morganza. On the
11th of June Emory reviewed the corps in a tropical torrent, which
suddenly descending drenched every man to the skin and reduced the
field music to discord, without interrupting the ceremony. On the
14th the troops again passed in review before Sickles, who had been
sent to Louisiana on a tour of inspection, and finally on the 25th
Reynolds reviewed the forces at Morganza on taking the command.

Grant's orders to Canby were the same as those he had given to
Banks, to go against Mobile.

This was indeed an integral and important, though strictly subordinate,
part of the comprehensive plan adopted by the lieutenant-general
for the spring campaign. Besides distracting the attention of the
Confederates, and either drawing off a large part of their forces
from Sherman's front or else causing them to give up Mobile without
a struggle, the control of the Alabama River would give Sherman a
secu