Scourge of War Boards

For the record, I am a fan of the 2nd Corp and do like and respect Hancock, but I will say that Hancock has been very heavily overrated. Many people are Hancock fans and I don't want to insult anyone, but that is my conclusion of his abilities. I believe it was at Reardon station where he had a falling out with Gibbons. He told Gibbons the men were performing very poorly and was very critical. Gibbons was offended and it became personal between them. The main problem was the position of the 2nd corp. That would have been Hancock's responsibility and therefore the problem with the poor showing of the corp.

Hancock was a fighter and did inspire his troops, but he lacked the ability to see through the fog of war. What he could see in front of him he was fine with on a more strategic level he was deficient.

Hancock....but he lacked the ability to see through the fog of war. What he could see in front of him he was fine with on a more strategic level he was deficient.

Not true. See his action at Williamsburg. Hancock did not know what was in front of him, but he did know a good position when saw one, and despite orders to initially withdraw, he continued pushing his brigade forward.

Sorry folks, old Winfield himself had to say something...

To get the OOBs for the second Corps in different battles, that is easily found on wikipedia, which in this case, is fairly accurate. Otherwise, you could head to the official records, where you will get a similar deal.

Here is what Fox's RL has to say:

The second corps was prominent by reason of its longer and continuous service, larger organization, hardest fighting, and greatest number of casualties. Within its ranks was the regiment which sustained the largest percentage of loss in any one action; also, the regiment which sustained the greatest numerical loss in any one action; also, the regiment which sustained the greatest numerical loss during its term of service; while, of the one hundred regiments in the Union Army which lost the most men in battle, thirty-five of them belonged to the Second Corps.

Thus, we can deduce that the Second Corps was almost like Hood's Texas brigade in the early part of the war, elite shock troops.

However, as the war dragged on, this use lead to heavy casualties, especially in places like the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor, where the old 2nd lost enormous amounts of men, sometimes holding against two enemy corps (Wilderness), charging into the teeth of the Rebel line without a lot of additional support (Spotsylvania), or just plain charging (Cold Harbor). By the time we get to Petersburg, old Hancock is fatigued, wounded, and dealing with troops that are just too tired to do the things he wanted them to do.

Again, Fox has something to say about the numberous battles and heavy marching at Petersburg:

In the assaults on the Petersburg intrenchments, June 16th-18th, the Corps is again credited with the largest casualty list. In one of these attacks, the First Maine Heavy Artillery sustained the most remarkable loss of any regimental organization, in any one action, during the war. At this time the corps contained 85 regiments; its effective strength, however, was less than at a previous date. The corps recrossed the James, and fought at Deep Bottom, July 26th, and again on August 14th; then, having returned to the lines around Petersburg, Barlow's and Birney's Divisions were engaged at Ream's Station, on August 25th, a disastrous and unfortunate affair, in which it lost a large number of men captured.

That is a lot of fighting with tired regiments and new regiments.

Well, I think that is enough to say for today.