siana, the 75th New York, the 8th New Hampshire, and the
31st Massachusetts; the last three only for a time.

Returning from sick-leave, Emory relieved Weitzel in command of
the First division on the 13th of December. Weitzel presently went
North on special service and did not resume his command but was
transferred in the spring to the Army of the James.

In February, 1864, while the Nineteenth Corps lay in camp at
Franklin, it was once more re-organized by breaking up the First,
Third, and Fourth divisions, and forming two new divisions, the
First, commanded by Emory, comprising the brigades of Dwight,
McMillan and Benedict; the Second division, commanded by Grover,
composed of the brigades of Nickerson, Birge, and Sharpe. Emory's
division was already concentrated on the Teche, but Grover's brigades
were separated, Nickerson's being in the defences of New Orleans,
Birge's in La Fourche, and Sharpe's at Baton Rouge. The first
intention was to concentrate the division at Madisonville, and move
it by rail to join Franklin; but events interposed.

The Corps staff serving at this time at headquarters in the field
included Colonel Charles C. Dwight, acting assistant inspector-general;
Surgeon Eugene F. Sanger, medical director; Captain J. G. Oltman,
topographical engineer; Captain Thomas H. Annable, commissary
of musters; Captain A. W. Chapman, judge-advocate; Lieutenant
John J. Williamson, ordnance officer; Captain Henry C. Inwood,
provost-marshal; Captain John P. Baker, Captain George M. Franklin,
and Lieutenant David Lyon, aides-de-camp.

CHAPTER XXIII.
THE RED RIVER.

Seven months had thus been spent in desultory adventures and in
multitudinous preparations without a serious military object, and
still the capture of Mobile was to be put off, and still the dream
of a foothold in Texas was to be pursued. As for Texas, if the
government had, especially at this time, any settled plan, it is
by no means easy to make out what it was. In the previous July
the occupation of some point in Texas had been put forward by
Halleck as an object of paramount importance. At first the particular
place and manner were of no consequence; yet, when the mouth of
the Rio Grande had been seized, with the effect of cutting off the
contraband trade of Matamoras, Seward, who may be supposed to have
known the diplomatic purposes of the government, was frankly
delighted, while Halleck, who must be regarded as expressing its
military