The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-06-05

be-actiye offensive moyements-to the slower but not
effective advances OF regular SIEGE is apparent to
those who look upon the they transpe, if not
plain TO those who in the distance Judge from hearsay
His later movements have been made upon evidence,
strong and convincing of the strength of the enemy in
has position at Corinth. These reports have besn OBJ
tanned from deserters one OF whom, topo-
graphical engineer, has furnished map Of the works
and full statement OF the rebel force. This latter
statement has received hundreds Of combinations De-
ssrtons enough to satisfy any Of the
demoralized condition Of Beauregards forces But at
the same time such is his strength, such his force
strong his position, that General Haeck has determined
TO bring general engagement.
THE RERxL FORCE coRINTH
had hoped to get you full statement Of the different
divisions OF the five grand corps daee OF the rebel
general In chief Such statement is in camp, and is
mine by promise but the party promising it has not
been enabled up to this time, to give to me- and am
compelled, consequently, to defer sending it. 1t will
state that the five corps nearly equal in strength
each being subdvded into three grand divisions
each Of which contains three bgades aver aging about
two thousand men, and making the whole effective force
OF Beauregsrd about $1,000 His army consists OF not
less than seven formerly distinct armies, at different
times operating in districts far remote from each other
but concentrated for the purpose they assert of
beyond the Ohio and this delusive hope they have
followers who indulge but nobody suspects Beauregard
Of INDUCING in it. The armies which
have stated thus concentrated are those OF
Bishop Polk, Crittenden, Bragg, LOWELL Van Dorm
Price, and that formerly commanded by A. Sid.
ney Johnston. The great army, OF Bowling Green
which for such length Of time kept central Kentucky in
terror, is now commanded least division OF it,
by Major General John C. Breckenridge who nomi
mated to that position for his gallant conduct at Shiloh
In the corps of General Bragg there is the Pensacola
army with Anderson in command OF one division and
Brooks commanding another composed OF Tennessee re-
crus and impressed men, Brooks is Tennessee State
Major General and raised hstroops under Harris last
call. He is Of small calibre Polk, Price. Van Dorm,
Lowell and Crittenden about organizations
as formerly. The organization of this force into five
corps is rather weakness than strength added to it,
The corps dar7aee will not number than IS, 900
mon EACH if many and it is pretty nearly positively
ascertansd that their whole force will not aggregate
95 900 100 600 The brigades Of four and
five regiments do not aggregate 900 electives twas
said that the impressed forced into incomplete
regiments, and being formed but this,
II true, will not bring them up TO the maximum. The
regiments may average 500 men. but it is doubtful
We have two rumors in regard to rebel commanders.
One is that Beauregard has gone East leaving Bragg as
the senior Major General in command but this doubt
full In going the East Beauregard could obtain
pericr command both Lee and Johnston his supe
riors. He ID now, since Johnsons death, the fourth
General in rank in the neutrality-suspicious., Lee and
Johnston ranking him The other is that Price is dead
killed at the battle Of Pennington but there telling
this for the truth. Price may be dead may not b.
We only know that his corps is on the right Of the enc
my forming their right wing for the defence Of tho ap
VI Earr md Corin AT
he is antagonisic to Popes corps and will have fight
Sgel and JEFF Davis whose divisions have just taken po
sition the left OF Pope and at Farimngton. you
have Stanton censor in your compositors room who
TO the last portion Of the preceding please
remind him that the Cairo special correspondents TO the
Western papers have stated, and again, that
endorsements being sent here, naming the reg
ments will do no harm TO tell that these rein
forcements Davis and Sges divisions Will it
rather create dismay in the rebel ranks OF Price
70 find that they again to fight the who turned
the scale at Pea Ridge and drove them from Missouri
and not neat bit Of poetical justice that these old
enemies should meet again
THE REBEL FoRrIrcArroSs BEFORE ooRyTH.
am told this forest in which we now are and in
which have been since Pittsburg Landing was left in
present to the eye, almost nterminabo and
1t concerns General Hallecks movements, might well
be absolutely extends, dense dark and boundless
|. to the outer works OF the rebels (which
and half mile from Cornth) and felcd for dis
lance in their 'front.' forms terrible abattis and for
mdable barrier to approach The rebels intend TO
light behind their works. There is doubt OF this
General Bragg has said so-and approach would
have doubtless tempted them from their works
had they intended to make an attack They have
sequenty strengthened their works to render them
~ formidable possible In default Of ground plan
and dispensing with the aid Of the woodcutter let me
try and give you idea Of these defsnces
Imagine road country road such as are usually
designated as dirt roads-running from Pennington
Corinth, Hvo miles in length and running nearly due
sast and west Pennington is east from Corinth and
the map this road runs in the direction have stated
varying its course. however 70 glide around ridges to
swamps and to avoid the necessity Of bridge build
ing Then imagine road running from Purdy 70
road Of the Its
due south from Purdy II runs OF course, at right
angles with the Pennington and Cornth road the latter
point being that OF the convsrgencs OF the two roads,
third road must be fixed in the mind. II runs from
Cornh northeast through Monterey 70 Pttsburg Land
ing, and is known the "Main Cornth road - the
Ridge road Corinth" As the former is the in
common ssc In the army, shall call 1t by that name.
AT a point the Pennington road two miles
and half, or thereabouts, the road Is crossed by
small stream, called "Seven Mile Creek, and which ex
tends to beyond the Purdy road at distances from Co
rinth varied at from and half TO three miles Its
head waters in the ridges west Of Cornth and II
makes almost a complete semi-ercle about this little
city OF rebedom. This stream perhaps than
i've feet in width at its widest point and not over two
feet in depth-not . very formidable stream behind
which to build works you win say But either side
of this stream there stretches swamp wide as
Broadway and as mlry were the roads TO Manassas
during the winter solstice memorable the
in which call quiet on the Potomac" This swamp
is represented be similar those which have left
in our rear and which venture TO say, have
terpart In creation II Is Impossible TO cross them with
out bridging thsm horse sinks 10 his knees founders
himself and last his efforts to find him
self up 70 his hips IN the mire. After one has been
brdged or corduroyed for the second or third time
cass2u, or ammunition wagon, even piece Of art
lery, may succeed in crossing them. Such the natu
raj moat or ditch in front Of the rebel works at Cornth