Union IV Corps at Blue Springs

Union IV Corps at Blue Springs. The Calm Before the Storm. After Union victories at Chattanooga in November 1863, the Union Army IV Corps's First Division, led by Gen. David S. Stanley, camped in this valley and made preparations for the Atlanta Campaign. By April 1864, more than 9,000 men were present, confronting Confederate lines at nearby Dalton, Georgia. Col. William Grose wrote that the site was "a good camping ground, [with] good water and plenty of wood." Stanley reported, "Our position was one of risk, but I made our fortified hill so strong that is was a veritable place d'armes [military parade ground]. Many officers sent for their wives and we had a very domestic time. ... The evening meetings were rich in fun, joke and song, helping to while away the dreary winter of 1863-1864." Religious services also were held here., Chaplain Father Peter Cooney wrote of a harsh winter and a 10-inch snowfall late in March. On February 10, 1864, Col. Grose and Col. Louis Waters, both based at Blue Springs, delivered patriotic speeches in Cleveland to more than 2,000 people who gathered to cheer the raising of the Stars and Stripes., The Federals here also guarded against Confederate raids into Tennessee and tested enemy defenses. On February 22-27, a demonstration against the Confederates near Dalton resulted in heavy fighting that left hundreds dead, wounded, and captured on both sides. The Atlanta Campaign began when the camps emptied in early May 1864., (Captions) , Bottom left: IV Corps wagons near Blue Springs, 1864 - Courtesy U.S. Army Military History Institute , Top right: Easter Sunday 1864 services, Blue Springs, conducted by Father Peter Cooney, chaplain, 35th Indiana (First Irish) Infantry - Courtesy Library of Congress , Bottom right: 36th Indiana Infantry posing in battle formation, Blue Springs - Courtesy U.S. Army Military History Institute