Some More on the XXV Corps (A Fort Fisher and Wilmington Connection)

This unit was black war correspondent Thomas Morris Chester's beat during the war.

I should mention that it also had a Fort Fisher connection.  It was composed of three divisions.  One was under the command of August Kautz, William Birney and Charles J. Paine.

In January 1865, Paine's Division sailed  with Terry's Expedition to attack Fort Fisher in North Carolina, where it rendered effective service although it did not take part in the initial assault.  The division did not rejoin the XXV Corps after that, but remained in North Carolina and participated in the Wilmington Campaign during February.

The post I had about the USCT statue at the Cameron Art Center in Wilmington, N.C., in my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog last month is dedicated to these men.  They showed their mettle at this final battle before the fall of Wilmington at the Battle of Forks Road.

--Old Secesh

The Union Army's XXV Corps, Thomas Morris Chester's Beat

From Wikipedia.

Thomas Morris Chester the war correspondent was embedded with troops of the XXV Corps, which was unique because it was made up  almost entirely of Blacks from the United States Colored Troops.  These soldiers had previously belonged to the  X and XVIII Corps.  They captured Richmond, Virginia and were at Appomattox when the Union forces stopped Lee's retreating Confederate Army.

On December 3, 1864, the two corps of the Union Army of the James  were reorganized.  Its white units went to the XXIV Corps under the command of General Godfrey Weitzel.  The new XXV Corps served with distinction  during the waning days of  the Petersburg Campaign and was the first army group to occupy Richmond on April 3, 1865.

In May, the Corps was sent to Texas to serve as the "Army of Occupation" against Napoleon  III's French presence in Mexico.  The XXV Corps was  disbanded in January 1866.

--Old Secesh