The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-04-24
The Battle-Ground at Pittsburs

Pttsburg, Tennessee, the scene Of the
bloody and decisive battles of Sunday and
Monday last, is situated on the west bank Of
the Tennessee river, in Hardin county, 219
miles from the mouth ofthe Tennessee river
The tawn contains but half dozen houses,
and prior to the war, owed its little import
ance to the face of its being the landing on
tho Tennessee used by the people of Corinih.
purdy and the adjacent country 1t is con-
nected with both Of these towns by good
roads.
The rebels, Immediately after the fall Of
Forts Henry and Donelson, appear to have
had some idea of tue importance Of Pitts
burg Landing, for they erected batteries on
the bluffs adjacent to the town, and opened
upon one of our gInboats passing up the
river The enemy were shcled out Of their
batteries, and the place was soon afterward
occupied by portion Of Gen. Grants army.
From Piftsburg to c ,rinth, the headquar,
tiers of the rebel army, the distance is twen-
ty miles, the road running in a southwest
direction over a heavily timbered and rolling
country. The road to Purdy from Pittsburg
runs almost due west distance of twenty
miles. A detachment was sent out to this
latter place, soon after our army was con-
centrated on the Upper Tennessee, to de-
stroy the railroad connection between Pur-
dy and Corinth. The expedition was sue
cessfnl, but the rebels repaired the injuries
to the road, and reopened communication -
A large portion of Beanregard's army, pri6y
to the battle, was stationed at Decatur, Pur
dy, Grand Junction and Humboldt, but
these troops could be concentrated at Co
rinth in few hours. Gen. A. Sidney John
son was reported to be in the neighborhood
ofDecatur, and Bragg and Polk at Humboldt,
coRISrm.
Corinth, the headquarters Of the late rebel
army intended to operate against Gen. Grant,
is = village Of about 1 900 inhabitants, situa.
ted near the Tennessee line, in Tishomingo
county, Mississippi, the northeastern county
Of that State. This county has an area Of
about fourteen hundred square miles. The
Tombigbce river rises in the, county !; the
Tennessee flows along the northeast hopn,
dary, andis drained by Tuscumbia river,
The surface is diversified by small hills
the soil is fertile, especially in the valleys,
and generally has a substratum of sand. A
large part Of the country is covered with for
ests ofhickory, oak, walnut and pine. The
head streams of the Tombigbee furnish val.
ualle motive power. The county was or
ganized 10 1886. The population in 1850
amounted to 1890. Of which 1929 were
free, and 1,96I slaves. n1s6o, its popula.
ton had run up to o24,l49,
Corinth, It is well known, is at the juno.
tion Of the Memphis and Charleston and the
Mobile and Ohio Railroads. From this point
. road stretches northward through the
whole Of w ssterp Tennesseeto Cumberland,
Kentucky; southward the road runs through
Eastern Mississippi aud corner of Alabama,
to Mobile on the Gulf; westward 4 road runs
direct to Memphis, and eastward through
Florence, Ala, Chattanooga, Tenn, and At,
ianta, Ga, to Charleston, South Carolina.
Corinth, therefore, commands the commu.
nication 70 Memphis. the Gulf and the sea.
board seeded States. Is q. asl s. "a -, ,
Not only so, but the Memphis 4 Charles.
ton road is the only railroad connection lcf,
between Louisiana, Mississippi and all Ala
bama west of Pensacola and the Southern
scaboard States. Troops can only be sent
east from New Orleans, Natchez, yicksburg
Jackson, Memphis, Baton Rouge or Mobile,
or to those points from yirgi il, North o.
South Carolina or Georgia, over the Mem,
phis 4 Charleston road, the only railroad
line now connecting the east and west Of tbs
rebellion Let that road hs once broken
and the Southern Confederacy is cut, 10 txo
asseiectually a. II : Chinese wsli were bull,
between the Gulfa the seaboard States