, 1862-06-04
FROM CORINTHs
A Letter Written Before the Ske0ats
.> die was. Known.

THE following comes to us from m army
chaplain, and is interesting IS giving the cur
rent opinion Of our army before the evasua-
ton Of Corinth WIS known.]
rCor1espondence Of the Chicago Ttibune1
ARMY or THE M1BsrssRP1,
CAkP BEFORE CoRtNTH, May 30, 1862.
It was thu record of Fabius that he con
quered the enemy cunesdndo-by delny-aud
am not sure but Gen. Halleck, In the faturo
record to be made Of his operations before
Corinth, will stand in the same category Of
military maneuVering, ~ did this famous
Carthagenian general.
The surface indications Of battle to-day,
are not more imminent than they were
week or ten days ago. And yet our torces
here may be summoned to arms, In deadly
:, combat, ere to-morrow's sun shall shine upon
our camps. -
So far as can be judged, from trsnsptsing
events, it Is not the purpose Of our command-
ing general to preeipitate q general engage.
ment just at present; and yet, such is the
present disposition Of our forces, and the.
strict military reg;nas OF our army, that an
attacking force Will find us prepared to re-
cei7e the shock and onset Of battle, at any
time and at any point
The front breastworks OF our lines extend
ecme thirteen miles between the right and
| Behind these, also, Is aeeries of breastworks
| at our different encampments, erected in our
! approaches to Corinth-a humane military
| measure to save life and place our forces IN
the best fighting position in any possible
| Wien the appointed time does come to
bring on an enlargement, ali seem to have the
confidence that Gen. Halleck-unlike the chief
| Of apostles, in the second epistfe to the Cor
inthians Of o1d-wiu have no occasion to send
second army message to the people now as.
Eembled at Corinth.
Ahleast We all deyoutly desire that the first
missiye Of General Halleck to the army At
Co1inth, will give them, If not sat.
isfaction, yet q quictous to all future
movements in their rebel and reasonable ef
always nourished and cherished the South a
no oIher government could or Wo0ld
Camp-lle, here, for some days past, HI:
not been disturbed or excited by any unnsns
event. We have occasionally, some lgh
skirmishing between our pickets and those o
the enemy. To-day, in ca7alry and infantr.
| reconnaissance in force, our men were met b,
d large force of the enemy, Il, 600 strong, it i
said, but they held their position, the enem,
showing no disposition to measure thel
strength with our men, beyond an sexchang
The encm3's pickets, in some instances
have adopted new method Of doing pickle
duty, viz: by climbing up into the full-leave
trees and shooting upon our men from th
trec-tops.
But, finding our soldiers dead shots at sue
secesh squirrels among the branches Of tn
, immense forest trees of this locality, the
have wisely concluded hereafter to do sue
: duty on terra fr7na. Some days since rebe
! picket fred upon his neighbor Union picke
| hr1,ir frrp The fire vi
and kept up for some little time between th
J. two pickets, until the secesh cried out, +" Le
!. us stop this, now'' s'Stop, is the word,'' r,
piled the Union picket, g if you say stop"
Is know not the grounds OF such an opinion
d but yet It seems to be assuming some Gu
= rency in camp, that Corinth will soon t
[t evacuated, il the work is not even now goiu
5, on behind the veil Of outposts and pickets
= the enemy, thrown out 60 as to hold l
. in ignorance Of the movements nov going c
behind these military blinds. But even
l. will soon show the 1alacy or the soundness
such snrmise or opinion. One Of onr Brii
II ade commanders, Gen. -, ID so sure tn
Il Coriatf has not large force in it, that he IT
, heard to pledge himself and his reputation
n military commander, that with 10000 Mi
q be would encamp in Corinth before sun-se
. ting. The pledge may have been . rash on
l. unWarranted by the real state Of things
l. Corinth; and, possibly, it may have been o.
ia not costly redeemed. When genera1s disagr
~ On questions Of SO grave import, WHO shi
G, decide on which side the truth lies.
N Gen. Halleck undoubtedly knows, bctt
than any other man, how the matter stan6
and viii make 3 wise, timely and prompt u
h Of his knowledge, whenever the first flVorat
moment arrives. We are now encannped
IL ground where there is small muddy strea
ut Tor which the division in advance Of US (Gt
q. Shcrman's) had 3 sharp engagement with
enemy to gain Possession Of the water
Of army uses. In that engagement We lost so1
q. eighteen or twenty Of our men killed, Eesld
more wounded.
le Such is the price Of our water in camps.
tv have refrained from particularizing, in
tail, the movements Of our army here On
e- count Of the order Of Gen. Hal1eck agai.
be giving Information that might, in any n
benefit our enemy, near whose fortifcatie
our army is now eneamped-
In the event Of an engagement, or an eV
uatlon, I will send you and your readers bl
ne notes Of things done, Of facts to pass into
nj tory.
no Meanwhile we await the issue in the
ne tfence Of hope, and under comforting ass
ril- ancc in all The past movements Of our &C
to mandtng General, that the future to US he
~ -. cious the past, in the Issue now gain
lth and that under such leader, with the plt
Ids ing Of the Lord Of Hosts upon his plans,
Il upon the work Of our army on the battle fl
:, il Que is before uB-anotheT victory over
sns enemies shall, ere long, cause our nation
boEe for joy-not over an enemy fallen,
of for The triumph Of the right God speed 81
7th aday-even the day that shall PROCLAIM Z !
'sA most uuholy rebellion ended, and the Un
I'VE again Loyalty enthroned in every Amer
heart 8.
~ P, S-Sherman advanced his lines tot
half a mile near Corfnth. Heavy skirmish
'm- yesterday and this morning.