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Unit crest of the United States Army I Corps, America's Corps.
Shoulder sleeve patch of the I Corps.
The I Corps (First Corps) —nicknamed America's Corps— is a corps of the United States Army with headquarters in Fort Lewis, Washington. The I Corps serves under the U.S. Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) and has a distinguished history dating back to the American Civil War.
In the Civil War, this corps was probably the most distinguished and veteran corps in the entire Union Army. It was commanded by very distinguished officers. It was created in March 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln ordered the creation of a four-corps army, then under the command of Major General George B. McClellan. The first commander of this corps was Major General Irvin McDowell, containing three divisions. It was held in defense of Washington, while the rest of the Army of the Potomac advanced to the Peninsular Campaign.
It was then consolidated in the Army of Virginia under Major General John PopeThere have been at least two notable historical figures named John Pope John Pope (politician) John Pope (military officer)., and fought in the Battle of 2nd Manassas , as the Third Corps, Army of Virginia. Afterwards, its name was restored. Then, it rejoined the Army of the Potomac, and crossed the Potomac RiverThe Potomac River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). The river is approximately 413 statute miles (665 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km²). In terms into MarylandAlternate uses: Maryland (disambiguation Maryland ( In Detail) State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Governor: Robert L. Ehrlich Other U. States Capital Annapolis Largest City Baltimore Area Total Land Water % water Ranked 42nd 32,160 km² 25,338 km² to fight in the Battle of AntietamBattle of Antietam/Sharpsburg Conflict American Civil War Date September 17, 1862 PlaceNear Sharpsburg, Maryland Result Union slight victory Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Major General George B. McClellan Gen, under Major General Joseph HookerThis article is about Joseph Hooker, the U. Civil War Major General. For the English botanist, see: Joseph Dalton Hooker. Joseph Hooker ( 1814- 1879) was a Major General in the United States Army during the American Civil War. Hooker was popularly known a. There, the division of Pennsylvania Reserves , under Brigadier General George G. Meade took heavy casualties through its hard fighting, and was withdrawn to replenish.
The command of the army then changed to Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, and they moved southward to fight General Lee's army at the Battle of Fredericksburg, where it was commanded by Major General John F. Reynolds, arguably the best eastern Union corps commander. He superbly led the corps through this battle, then through the Battle of Chancellorsville, with the army being led by General Hooker, who left this superb corps in reserve.
At the Battle of Gettysburg, the last major battle of this corps, General Reynolds was killed near the beginning of the battle, and command was inherited by Brigadier General Abner Doubleday. The next day (July 2, 1863), the command was given to Major General John Newton, who led it through this battle, and through the Mine Run battles. Afterwards, the corps was disbanded and absorbed into the rest of the army, in a reorganization, partly under the leadership of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Here, the career of this corps was ended.