The Probert Encyclopaedia of Warfare

BATTLE OF CORINTH

The Battle of Corinth in Mississippi occurred during the American Civil War. The town was fortified and occupied by General Gustave Beauregard, commanding 53,000 effective Confederate troops, and was captured on May the 30th 1862, by Generals Halleck and Pope, leading an army of over 100,000 Federals, after some twelve days spent in skirmish, siege and bombardment. Gustave Beauregard's lieutenants were Van Dorn and Price. Corinth was but weakly fortified, but this fact was unknown to the Federal generals, strong outposts of Confederate troops being constantly opposed to their advancing columns. Pope sent Elliot, Hatch and Philip Sheridan with strong detachments to make a circuit of forty miles around the town and strike the railroad.
Stanley division pushed forward, and, after a sharp skirmish with the Confederate outposts, secured and fortified a position directly opposite the Confederate works. Paine, Crittenden and Nelson joined him there. William Sherman had meantime captured a loop-holed log house, manned by Confederates and situated south of Corinth. Sharp-shooters annoyed him from this place. The house was destroyed and William Sherman advanced close to Gustave Beauregard's earthworks. Gustave Beauregard, seeing himself nearly hemmed in, began to evacuate on the night of the 29th, destroying as much as he could, but leaving many valuable stores, nevertheless. His evacuation was concealed by the shouting of his men and the blowing of whistles, which the Federals mistook for reinforcements. Later, the place, when in Federal possession, was assaulted, but without success, by a large Confederate force commanded by Price and Van Dorn, on October the 3rd and 4th 1862. Rosecrans held Corinth with 20,000 Federal troops posted behind three rows of earthworks. Hamilton held the right, Davies the centre and McKean the left. Price advanced from the left and Van Dorn from the right. The assault was begun, by an impetuous charge by Van Dorn. Little was done, however, the first day. Early on October the 4th, Price's column advanced, drawn up like a wedge. The charge was a daring one, but the Confederates were driven back with heavy casualties. The Texan and Mississippi troops under Rogers fared as badly, their charge ending the assault. They fled in great disorder and were pursued for some distance by an Ohio regiment.
Research Battle of Corinth