★ Corse, John M.

John Murray Corse​

Born: April 27, 1835

Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Father: John Lockwood Corse 1813 – 1868

(Buried: Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Iowa)​

Mother: Sarah M. Murray 1815 – 1866

(Buried: Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Iowa)​

1st​ Wife: Ellen Edwards Prince 1834 – 1881

(Buried: Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Iowa)​

2nd​ Wife: Frances McNeil 1859 – 1940

(Buried: Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Iowa)​

Children:

Edwards Corse 1859 – 1893​

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Murray Pinchot Corse 1884 – 1966​

(Buried: Pine Hill Cemetery, Hillsboro, New Hampshire)​

Education:

Attended West Point Military Academy for 2 years​

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Attended Law School in Albany, New York​

Occupation before War:

Attorney in Burlington, Iowa​

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1860: Unsuccessful Candidate for Lt. Governor of Iowa​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: Major of 6th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment​

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1862: Served as Staff officer at Battle of Island No. 10​

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1862: Served in the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi​

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1862 – 1863: Lt. Colonel of 6th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment​

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1863: Suffered from hepatitis, bilious fever and Kidney Irritation​

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1863: Served in the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi​

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1863 – 1866: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​

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1863: Served in the Chattanooga, Tennessee Campaign​

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1863: Receive leg contusion at the Battle of Missionary Ridge​

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1863 – 1864: Inspector General on General Sherman's Staff​

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1864: Union Army Commander at Battle of Allatoona, Georgia​

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1864: Wounded in the cheek at the Battle of Allatoona, Georgia​

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1864: Participated in Sherman's March to the Sea​

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1864: Served in the Siege of Savannah, Georgia​

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1865: Division Commander during the Carolinas Campaign​

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1865: Brevetted Major General for Gallantry at Battle of Allatoona​

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Refused offer to be Lt. Colonel in the United States Army

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1866: Mustered out of Volunteer Service in April​

Occupation after War:

Railroad and Bridge Builder in Burlington, Iowa​

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Regional Collector for the Internal Revenue Service​

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Chairman of Massachusetts State Democratic Party​

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United States Postmaster in Boston, Massachusetts​

Died: April 27, 1893

Place of Death: Winchester, Massachusetts

Cause of Death: Cerebral hemorrhage

Age at time of Death: 58 years old

Burial Place: Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Iowa

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General John M. Corse! Remembering General Corse on his birthday sadly he died on his birthday.

 

[Pollaco]

I'm going to copy a few lines from Sifakis' book about Corse. At Allatoona while Sherman was watching and signaling Corse to hold on.The hymn "Hold the Fort, For We Are Coming" was supposedy inspired by this event. Corse was wounded while putting on a brilliant defense. Corse signaled that "I am short of a cheeckbone, and one ear, but am able to whip all hell yet". For this Corse was brevetted a major general.

 

[DanSBHawk]

I'm going to copy a few lines from Sifakis' book about Corse. At Allatoona while Sherman was watching and signaling Corse to hold on.The band played "Hold the Fort, For We Are Coming" Corse was wounded while putting on a brilliant defense. Corse signaled that "I am short of a cheeckbone, and one ear, but am able to whip all hell yet". For this Corse was brevetted a major general.

The battle of Allatoona Pass is such an interesting little battle. Fierce fighting, dramatic terrain, a rope bridge over the pass that was used to resupply ammo. And the battlefield is still preserved so well, other than covered with trees. The earthworks and the outline of Corse's little fort are still there.

 

[Pollaco]

Someone stated that Corse "lost to one third of his men and 1/3 of his ear" at Allatoona. One source states the incident inspired the tune "Hold the Fort, For We Are Coming" but what Sherman actually signaled was "Hold on, I am coming".Newspapers later amended the story to read "Hold the Fort, for I am coming.This newspaper article inspired a popular ballad.

 

[Pollaco]

I could say "Happy Birthday"for today is his birthday but it is also the anniversary of his death.

 

[Pollaco]

That staff that he served on during the Battle of Island #10 and through Shiloh was the staff of Gen. John Pope.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday (Wednesday) Brig. General John M. Corse! Salutes remembering General Corse on his birthday week.

 

[XVfortyrounds]

Someone stated that Corse "lost to one third of his men and 1/3 of his ear" at Allatoona. One source states the incident inspired the tune "Hold the Fort, For We Are Coming" but what Sherman actually signaled was "Hold on, I am coming".Newspapers later amended the story to read "Hold the Fort, for I am coming.This newspaper article inspired a popular ballad.

Almost certainly the original inspiration for Sam & Dave.

 

[Pollaco]

Had he remained at West Point Corse probably would have been in the graduating class of 1859 (Joseph Wheeler's class) He resigned as a sophmore in 1857.

 

[Pollaco]

The battle of Allatoona Pass is such an interesting little battle. Fierce fighting, dramatic terrain, a rope bridge over the pass that was used to resupply ammo. And the battlefield is still preserved so well, other than covered with trees. The earthworks and the outline of Corse's little fort are still there.

Corse's brigade was attached to Samuel French's Division at the time.

 

[James N.]

My visit to Allatoona Pass:

A Visit to Allatoona Pass Battlefield, October 2018 | South & Western Theaters

The Battle of Allatoona Pass, fought October 5, 1864 in a Louis Prang Chromolithograph based on a postwar painting by Swedish artist Thure de Thulstrup. There have been several previous threads on the Battle of Allatoona so I will confine this to the brief description from the brochure on the...

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