The XXV Corps, Union Army

From Wikipedia.

The two brigades of USCT who accompanied the Fort Fisher expeditions were part of the XXV Corps.  Chaplain Henry M. Turner was a member of this corps.

The XXV (25th) Corps was made up almost entirely of black troops previously belonging to the X and XVIII Corps in the Union Army.

On December 3, 1864, the two corps of the Army of the James reorganized.  The white units went to the XXIV Corps.  Black troops became the XXV Corps under Major Genral Godfrey Weitzel.

The newly created corps did not have much of a role in the waning days of the Petersburg Campaign, but some of its units were at the two battles of Fort Fisher.  After that they were more heavily engaged in the subsequent Wilmington Campaign, resulting in the capture of that city in late February.

One of their most noteworthy accomplishments was being the first Union troops to enter Richmond, Virginia, after its evacuation.

In May of 1865, they were sent to Texas to stand as the "Army of Occupation" against Napoleon III in Mexico.  They disbanded in 1866.

--Old B-Runner

A Black Chaplain at Fort Fisher-- Part 4: Surgeon's Aide in the Battle

Chaplain Henry M. Turner, 1st USCT, Wright's Brigade [3rd], Paine's [3rd] Division, XXV Corps.

The 27th USCT also belonged to Wright's Brigade.

During the Second Battle of Fort Fisher, Chaplain Turner served as an aide to surgeon Norman S. Barnes, medical director of General Alfred H. Terry's Provisional Corps.

These quotes are taken from "Rocked In the Cradle of Secession" by Henry M. Turner, Edwin S. redkey, ed.  Appeared in American heritage 31 (Oct.-Nov. 1980) pages 70-77.

--Old B-R'er

A Black Chaplain Writes About Fort Fisher-- Part 3: Would They Shoot Captured USCT?

**  "After walking through the fort for some time, viewing it by the light of the moon, I found myself shot at from some unknown quarter.  This led me to believe there were rebels still secreted in some undiscovered spot whom we had not found."

**  "I asked several rebel officers if they killed the colored prisoners they took.  They told me they did not.  They also told me if they found they were free men from the north, or even from any slave State in our lines, they were treated as other Yankee prisoners are; but if they were slaves whose owners were in the Confederate States, and such colored men could be identified, they were treated as house-burners and robbers.  And as for you, said they, you would get the same treatment as other Yankee officers."

Interesting Observations.  --Old Secesh

A Black Chaplain Writes About Fort Fusher-- Part 2:

**  "The battle raged amid the terrific fire of deadly missiles until after dark....  I retired some distance from the scene of conflict and lay down until about 10 o'clock, when the news spread that Fort Fisher had surrendered...  At this news I jumped up and went to survey the fort and behold the results of our conquest."

I'm not sure about his going to sleep amid the battle.

**    "The fort had been ploughed by our shells until everything looked like a heap of destruction....  Several shells had been utterly buried by our shells....  The soldiers were ransacking every nook and corner in search of trophies and other memorials...."

--Old B-Runner

A Black Chaplain Writes About the Aftermath of the Second Battle of Fort Fisher

From the North Carolina Historic Sites "Black Troops at Fort Fisher."

Chaplain Henry M. Turner, 1st USCT, describes the capture of Fort Fisher and afterwards.

**  "The land forces on out [right] ... in no instance broke or exhibited any cowardice...."  He was talking about white troops.

**  "At one time I thought they could never stand it, neither do I believe they would have stood, but for the fact that they knew the black troops were in the rear, and if [the white troops] failed, the colored troops would take the fort and claim the honor.

"Indeed, the white troops told the rebels that is they did not surrender they would let the negroes loose on them...."

--Old B-Runner