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I've been getting back into Wert's From Winchester to Cedar Creek (best book I got discussing Fisher's Hill & Cedar Creek in detail), and am on Chapter 10 (on Tom's Brook and the leadup to Cedar Creek). Page 171, he discusses Kitching's Provisional Division. And I'm pretty certain he made several errors.
He claims that the division was "an amalgam of regiments from the VI, VIII, and XIX Corps, numbering 6000 men in three brigades". There are three things wrong with this:
1.) According to the Cedar Creek OOB (trusting Wikipedia for a moment until I dig up the O.R.s), the division contained only two brigades, not three.
2.) None of the regiments had served with any of the three named corps. I believe they were from the D.C. garrison, so they may have been part of VIII Corps (which is different from Crook's Army of West Virginia, though made of from troops from similar departments). I don't know how he came to this conclusion.
3.) The claim that this division had 6000 "muskets" as he later reiterates is ridiculous. The division was small, containing five regiments: the 41st & 103rd New York Infantry Regiments; the 104th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; and the 6th & 10th New York Heavy Artillery Regiments. For them to field 6000 rifle armed men on the line would have to assume that every regiment is at full strength with a few over regulation size.
The only source used in this paragraph is from a Memorial to Colonel Kitching, killed in the battle. I haven't read it myself, but if the 6000 number is there I doubt there is a paper trail from there to wherever on earth they got the number from.
I guess I'll lay out the info I have dug up. The division was divided between two different sectors. The two heavy artillery regiments had been assigned to Grant's army during the Overland Campaign, the 6th New York to V Corps and 10th New York to XVIII Corps. The three infantry regiments were drawn from postings in South Carolina.
The German 41st New York (reduced to a 6 company battalion as of June 9th 1864) had served in XI Corps before being transferred to Folly Island, South Carolina, where it stayed until August 1864, when it was transferred to D.C; on September 27th, it was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, Provisional Division.
Another German regiment, the 103rd New York, was also serving around Charleston, particularly on James Island, until it was transferred August 1864 to D.C. It was then assigned to the 1st Brigade, Provisional Division on September 22nd.
The 104th Pennsylvania bounced around on the Atlantic coastal garrisons between Hilton Head and Florida, until it was transferred to D.C that August. In September it was assigned to 1st Brigade, Provisional Division.
The 6th New York Heavy Artillery had served as part of Kitching's Brigade, V Corps, during the Overland & Petersburg Campaign, until July, when it was transferred to D.C. It and its colonel were assigned to Provisional Division, with the regiment assigned to the 2nd Brigade, September 27th.
The 10th New York Heavy Artillery had originally been part of the D.C. Garrison, but like other Heavy Artillery units, had been called up by Grant on May 24th, and joined the XVIII Corps. It served around Petersburg until August, when it was transferred back to D.C. It then joined the 2nd Brigade, Provisional Division September 27th.
With the exception of the 103rd New York and the 104th Pennsylvania, it seems all the units were assigned to the division on September 27th. We don't have a date for the 104th Pennsylvania, but I have a guess it was the 22nd, as those two formed the 1st Brigade, while the units assigned the 27th became 2nd Brigade.
Colonel J. Howard Kitching, aged 26, commanded the division. He was the son of a British merchant who made money betting on the telegraph, the transatlantic telegraph and the inventions of John Ericsson. Colonel Wilhelm Heine, the well travelled German artist and soldier, commanded the 1st Brigade, while Lt. Colonel DePeyster Arden of the 10th New York Heavy Artillery commanded the 2nd Brigade.
It appears the second brigade, sans the 6th New York Heavy Artillery (temporarily assigned to 1st Brigade) was absent at the time of the Battle of Cedar Creek. I have not read far enough on the battle to know the combat performance of the Provisional Division elements (though from what I've gathered, wasn't great). Colonel Kitching was mortally wounded, along with Major Edward Jones of Kitching's 6th New York Heavy Artillery. Colonel Heine took command of the division.
After the battle, the division was transferred to the Petersburg front, placed under the command of Edward Ferrero, and saw service manning the Bermuda Hundred defenses, where it ended the war.
OOB Cedar Creek
He claims that the division was "an amalgam of regiments from the VI, VIII, and XIX Corps, numbering 6000 men in three brigades". There are three things wrong with this:
1.) According to the Cedar Creek OOB (trusting Wikipedia for a moment until I dig up the O.R.s), the division contained only two brigades, not three.
2.) None of the regiments had served with any of the three named corps. I believe they were from the D.C. garrison, so they may have been part of VIII Corps (which is different from Crook's Army of West Virginia, though made of from troops from similar departments). I don't know how he came to this conclusion.
3.) The claim that this division had 6000 "muskets" as he later reiterates is ridiculous. The division was small, containing five regiments: the 41st & 103rd New York Infantry Regiments; the 104th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; and the 6th & 10th New York Heavy Artillery Regiments. For them to field 6000 rifle armed men on the line would have to assume that every regiment is at full strength with a few over regulation size.
The only source used in this paragraph is from a Memorial to Colonel Kitching, killed in the battle. I haven't read it myself, but if the 6000 number is there I doubt there is a paper trail from there to wherever on earth they got the number from.
I guess I'll lay out the info I have dug up. The division was divided between two different sectors. The two heavy artillery regiments had been assigned to Grant's army during the Overland Campaign, the 6th New York to V Corps and 10th New York to XVIII Corps. The three infantry regiments were drawn from postings in South Carolina.
The German 41st New York (reduced to a 6 company battalion as of June 9th 1864) had served in XI Corps before being transferred to Folly Island, South Carolina, where it stayed until August 1864, when it was transferred to D.C; on September 27th, it was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, Provisional Division.
Another German regiment, the 103rd New York, was also serving around Charleston, particularly on James Island, until it was transferred August 1864 to D.C. It was then assigned to the 1st Brigade, Provisional Division on September 22nd.
The 104th Pennsylvania bounced around on the Atlantic coastal garrisons between Hilton Head and Florida, until it was transferred to D.C that August. In September it was assigned to 1st Brigade, Provisional Division.
The 6th New York Heavy Artillery had served as part of Kitching's Brigade, V Corps, during the Overland & Petersburg Campaign, until July, when it was transferred to D.C. It and its colonel were assigned to Provisional Division, with the regiment assigned to the 2nd Brigade, September 27th.
The 10th New York Heavy Artillery had originally been part of the D.C. Garrison, but like other Heavy Artillery units, had been called up by Grant on May 24th, and joined the XVIII Corps. It served around Petersburg until August, when it was transferred back to D.C. It then joined the 2nd Brigade, Provisional Division September 27th.
With the exception of the 103rd New York and the 104th Pennsylvania, it seems all the units were assigned to the division on September 27th. We don't have a date for the 104th Pennsylvania, but I have a guess it was the 22nd, as those two formed the 1st Brigade, while the units assigned the 27th became 2nd Brigade.
Colonel J. Howard Kitching, aged 26, commanded the division. He was the son of a British merchant who made money betting on the telegraph, the transatlantic telegraph and the inventions of John Ericsson. Colonel Wilhelm Heine, the well travelled German artist and soldier, commanded the 1st Brigade, while Lt. Colonel DePeyster Arden of the 10th New York Heavy Artillery commanded the 2nd Brigade.
It appears the second brigade, sans the 6th New York Heavy Artillery (temporarily assigned to 1st Brigade) was absent at the time of the Battle of Cedar Creek. I have not read far enough on the battle to know the combat performance of the Provisional Division elements (though from what I've gathered, wasn't great). Colonel Kitching was mortally wounded, along with Major Edward Jones of Kitching's 6th New York Heavy Artillery. Colonel Heine took command of the division.
After the battle, the division was transferred to the Petersburg front, placed under the command of Edward Ferrero, and saw service manning the Bermuda Hundred defenses, where it ended the war.
OOB Cedar Creek
- Provisional Division: Col. J. Howard Kitching (mw October 19th): Col. Wilhelm Heine
- 1st Brigade: Col. Wilhelm Heine; Lt. Col. Thompson D. Hart
- 103rd NY IR: Maj. Joseph Morrison
- 104th PA IR: Lt. Col. Thompson D. Hart; Capt. Theophiles Kephart
- 2nd Brigade: Lt. Col. G. DePeyster Arden
- 41st NY IB: Lt. Col. Detleo von Einsedel
- 6th NY HAR: Maj. Edward Jones (mw October 19th)
- 10th NY HAR: Lt. Col. G. DePeyster Arden
- 1st Brigade: Col. Wilhelm Heine; Lt. Col. Thompson D. Hart
Bringing the