November 20, 1863

November 20, 1863

---Gen. Grant displays visible signs of frustration at his headquarters at the delays in the attacks we wants to launch on Bragg’s positions surrounding Chattanooga.  Grant, with combined forces of over 63,000 troops, had projected the attacks to begin today.  However, Sherman’s recently-arrived Army of the Tennessee is still marching around behind Chattanooga to take up position on the Federal left.  Sherman relates a story as his troops pass by the camps of the XII Corps troops from the Army of the Potomac:

It was on this occasion that the Fifteenth Corps gained its peculiar badge: as the men were trudging along the deeply-cut, muddy road, of a cold, drizzly day, one of our Western Soldiers left his ranks and joined a party of the Twelfth Corps at their camp-fire. They got into a conversation, the Twelfth Corps men asking what troops we were, etc., etc. In turn, our fellow (who had never seen a corps-badge, and noticed that every thing was marked with a star) asked if they were all brigadier-generals. Of course they were not, but the star was their corps badge, and every wagon, tent, hat, etc., had its star. Then the Twelfth Corps men inquired what corps he belonged to, and he answered, ‘The Fifteenth Corps.’ ‘What is your badge?’ ‘Why,’ said he (and he was an Irishman), suiting the action to the word, ‘forty rounds in the cartridge box and twenty in the pocket!’