ARMY OPERATIONS. 



75 



of our soil, the despoilers of our homes, the disturbers 

 of our family ties, face to face, hand to hand. We are 

 to decide whether we are to be freemen or vile slaves 

 of those who are free only in name, and who but yes- 

 terday were vanquished, although in largely superior 

 numbers, in their own encampments, on the ever-mem- 

 orable field of Shiloh. Let the impending battle de- 

 cide our fate, and add a more illustrious page to the 

 historv of our revolution one to which our children 

 will point with noble pride, saying, " Our fathers 

 were at the battle of Corinth." I congratulate you on 

 vour timely junction. With your mingled banners, 

 for the first time during this war, we shall meet our 

 foe in strength that should give us victory. Soldiers, 

 can the result be doubtful? Shall we not drive back 

 into Tennessee the presumptuous mercenaries collect- 

 ed for our subjugation ? One more manly effort, and, 

 trusting in God and the justness of our cause, we shall 

 recover more than we have lately lost. Let the sound 

 of our victorious guns be reechoed by those of the 

 army of Virginia on the historic battle field of York- 

 town. G. T. BEAUREGARD, 



General Commanding. 

 J. M. OTET, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. 



On the 3d of May, the army, commanded by 

 Gen. Halleck, numbering 108,000 men, was 

 within eight miles of Corinth. The bridges 

 burned had been rebuilt, and the roads had 

 become dry enough to render transportation 

 easy. Few can conceive the difficulty of mov- 

 ing such a mass of men with their tents, bag- 

 gage, artillery, and supplies, over an uneven, 

 marshy country, covered with woods, and with- 

 out roads. 



Corinth is a small village in the northeast 

 corner of Mississippi, ninety miles east from 

 Memphis, and about twenty miles west from the 

 Tennessee river. The Memphis and Charles- 

 ton railroad runs through it from east to west, 

 and the Mobile and Ohio from north to south. 

 The country between it and the Tennessee 

 river is very uneven, broken into ridges of 

 hills and abrupt valleys, and covered with a 

 heavy forest. The bridges over the cre*eks had 

 been destroyed ; the roads over the marshes 

 had been torn up, and timber had been felled 

 in great quantities over them. 



On the same day Gen. Paine, with his divi- 

 sion, made a reconnoissance to Farmington, five 

 miles northwest of Corinth, and found about 

 4,500 Confederate troops, who, on being at- 

 tacked, retreated with a loss of 30 killed and 

 200 taken prisoners. At the same time an ar- 

 tillery reconnoissancQ to Glendale on the 

 Charleston and Memphis railroad, destroyed 

 two trestle bridges and some of the track. 



At this time the organization of Gen. Hal- 

 leek's force had been somewhat changed. 

 Gen. Thomas was assigned to the command 

 of the right wing, composed of five divisions, 

 viz. : his own, Hurlbut's, Sherman's, that of 

 Gen. Smith, deceased, and Gen. Davies' ; the 

 centre consisted of four divisions under Gens. 

 McCook, Wood, Xelson, and Crittenden ; the 

 left under Gen. Pope, to which was added 

 one division of Gen. Curtis's army from Ar- 

 kansas. Gen. Grant was appointed second in 

 command. The reserve under Gen. McCler- 

 nand consisted of his own and Gen. "Wallace's 

 divisions. The advance upon Corinth was 



made with the extremity of each wing thrown 

 back in echelons to prevent a flank attack. 



Meantime the Confederate forces at Corinth 

 were active in strengthening their position and 

 accumulating reinforcements. Pensacola and 

 New Orleans had at this time been captured by 

 the Federal forces, and Gen. Lovell had with 

 his force arrived at Corinth from the neighbor- 

 hood of the latter city. On the 9th, a strong 

 Confederate force drove in the Federal pickets 

 beyond Farmington, and advanced upon the 

 brigade occupying the farther side of the creek 

 in front of the Federal camp. The brigade 

 maintained its position for some time, but Gen. 

 Pope, finding it would be necessary to move his 

 whole force across the creek, contrary to orders, 

 in order to sustain it, directed it to retire. 



Great as was the army of Gen. Halleck, the 

 Confederates were believed to be stronger, and 

 the people of the Southern States now looked 

 forward to a signal and brilliant victory. 



The advance of the Federal lines was slow, 

 and on the 21st their batteries were within 

 three miles of Corinth. The skirmishing of the 

 pickets now increased every day. and soon be- 

 came constant along the entire line. Almost 

 daily the artillery was engaged, and the hour 

 for battle was close at hand. 



The railroad communication to the northward 

 and eastward of Corinth had been destroyed at 

 Purdy and Glendale. "With a view to prevent 

 still further, so far as it was in his power, either 

 the reenforcement or the retreat of the Confed- 

 erate armies at Corinth, Gen. Halleck directed 

 that the railroad to the southward of Corinth 

 and in the direction of Mobile should be also 

 cut. To effect this, Col. Elliott, with two regi- 

 ments of cavalry, started on the night of the 

 27th, and early on the 30th reached Booneville, 

 24 miles south of Corinth. A large amount of 

 stores was found and destroyed, consisting of 

 five railroad cars loaded with small arms, five 

 loaded with loose ammunition, six with officers' 

 baggage, and five with subsistence stores, har- 

 ness, saddles. &c. Some hundreds of sick Con- 

 federate soldiers were paroled. The trains, en- 

 gines, and depot were burned. 



On the 28th, Gen. Halleck sent the following 

 despatch to Washington : 



HEADQUARTERS DZPAP.TMEST MISSISSIPPI, ) 

 CAMP ON CoKisTn ROAD, May 23. ) 



Hon. . M. Stanton, Secretary of War : 



Three strong reconnoitring columns advanced this 

 morning on the right, centre, and left, to feel the ene- 

 my and unmask his batteries. The enemy hotly con- 

 tested his ground at each point, but was driven back 

 with considerable loss. The column on the left en- 

 countered the strongest opposition. Our loss was 

 twenty-five killed and wounded. The enemy left 

 thirty" dead on the field. The losses at other points 

 are not yet ascertained. Some five or six officers and 

 a number of privates were captured. The fighting 

 will probably be renewed to-morrow morning at day- 

 break. The'whole country is so thickly wooded that 

 we are compelled to feel our way. 



H. W. HALLECK, Major-General. 



The following despatches were sent on the 

 30th: 



