Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-06-05
NEAR ConIsru, Mississippi.

NEAR CoRISTH, Mississippi.
May 10, 1862.
The next day after writing my last
May ID we packed up and marched
about four miles farther south. where we
again pitched our tents. In the afternoon
Of the 81 we heard heavy cannonading in
the direction Of Corinth. We all suppos-
ed that the battle had commenced, and re-
ceived orders to have two days cooked
rstions in our haversacks. our canteens
filled with coffee, and to sleep on our arms;
so ifthere were an alarm in the night we
could fall out in marching order; but, as
it happened. It was merely the advance Of
Pope's division taking possession Of Q
battery that was planted on the Corinth
road. about four miles from Corinth. The
fling did not last quite an hour. He
drove them from their position, taking
some two hundred prisoners. 1t was at o
small place called Pennington. On Sun
day we were not called for, and in the
forenoon we all listened to q sermon from
our Chaplain, Rev. Mr.. Brown, who had
arrived only the day before. He is q
brother of Col. Brown of the Goth. and
has the appearance of being very fine
man. The next Tuesday our regiment was
detailed to work on the road through o
swamp about one mile in our advance. and
little after sunrise the 4Sth marched out
Of camp and moved on to work ont its
poll tax. building a road through Miss
issippi swamp. In the evening we fell
back quarter of a mi!s, and the next dav
another regiment worked on the road
On the 7th the division again moved for
ward; we marched four miles. where we
pitched our tents. and consider it q perma-
nent camp for the present. Itis about 4 )
miles from Pennington. On last Tuesday
morning the whole subdivision, which
consists Of about ten regiments of inian
try. three of cavalry. and four or five bat
teries Of artillery, the whole thing forming
the left wing, was put in motion and NOV
ed on in the direction of Corinth. About
noon we began to hear the occasional
booming OF cannon. We waited three
hours for the cavalry and artillery to move
to the front, then we moved forward and
formed in line of battle on the heights OF
Pennington. Pennington is merely q
section Of high ground that has been i'm
proved. and cluster of old log cabins,
in this country called town. but at pres
cnt it looks rather desolate, as it is desert
ed. and some OF the houses burned. After
we had taken our position the firing COM
menced pretty sharply four and half
miles ahead Of US. and was kept up until
almost sundown; it then ceased. and we
were ordered to retire to camp and take a
safe position. Then we found out tha,
the whole movement was merely Gen
Pope making reconnaissance in force. il
front OF the right Of the enemy's lines
making demonstration to draw their FIRE
SO as to get the position Of their heavJ
batteries. but he found their position too
strong for his force, SO he withdrew to I
safe distance for fear they would make q
sally during the nigh and catch us in
kindsof snap. The next day. yesterday
everything was quiet till about ten o'clock
when we began to hear the boom OF tn,
cannon in the direction of Pennington
1t would die away for few minutes. ant
all would bequiet; then it would open a.
gain. livelier, and seemingly nearer
Things went on this way until betwecl
twelve and one o'clock. when the drums
at division headquarters commenced tn
long roll, and in two minutes time, III,
drums through the whole division began te
beat, and the regiments to fall in. and il
q short time to march out aud file down
the Corinth road. On reaching the rosi
we began to meet squad after squad o
wounded men and stragglers reireatin,
from the field. Affairs stood pretty near
Iy in this way; the advance which had
fallen back in front Of their lines after thu
Reconnaissance. and had taken . position
on the high ground at Farmingotp, hae
been attacked bp a superior force anf