Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-12-16

! some six hundred miles from the western BOZ
ders Of Arkansas TO Cumberland Gap, and OGeu
/ lpying a strip Of country more than one hunGTe
and fifty miles in width, from which the enemy
! forces had recently been expelled, were rspidl
decreasing in strength from the large numbers G
soldiers ssnt home on account of real or pretend
/ ed disability. On the other hand, the enemy
armies were greatly increas d by an aTbitrar,
and rigidly infsrced conscription. With thei
superiority in numbers and discipline, they bold
{ iy determined to reoceupy Arkansas, Missouri
Tennessee snd Kentucky, and, if possible, t
invade tho States of Ohio Indiana and Illinois
while our attention was distracted by the tnva
sion of Maryland and Pennsylvanis, and an ex
tended Indian insurrectien on the western from
tier.
This plan had very many chances of success
but the timely order of the President Of An, Usi
4th, ealing for additional forces, aud the pairi-
otic response Of tho people of the Northwest
thwarted the enemys well-formed calculations.
General Bragg suddenly transferred large
part of his army from Tupelo, Mississippi,
through the States Of Alabama and Georgia,
reached Chattanooga in advance of Gen Buell.,
turned his left, and rapidly crossing the State of
Tennessee entered Kentucky by Munfordsvilie
and Lebanon. General Buell. fell back upon
Nashville without giving the enemy battle then
| followed, or rather moved parallel with Bragg,
who, after capturing our garrison st MunfoTds-
| vile, turned of from the main road to Louis
vile, along which Gen. Buell. passed, the latter
reaching Louisville without any engagement.
Another column Of the enemy had moved from
East Tennessee, after blocksding Cumberland
Gap, upon Lexington and thresteaed Cincinnati
A small force of our raw troops. which had
been pushed forward to Richmond, Kentucky,
under Major General Nelson were met BY the
enemy and completely routed
In tha Tunsutirsla avarv effort had hoar r,e1o
to collect new troops at Cincinnati and Louis
vile, and to fortify these places against a coup
de man. To give confidence TO the new leyies
a portion of Gen Grants army was Withdrawn
from Mississippi and sent to Kentucky snd Gin
cinnatl. No attack was attempted By the enemy.
Msjor-General Buell. left Louisville on the lst of
| October, with an army of about one hundred
! thousand men, in pursuit of Gen. Bragg. Tha
latter engaged q part of Gen BuelPs arny at
Peryville, about ten o'clock on the Sth Of OetO-
Der. A general battle ensued, and was contin-
ned till dark. Il was mainly fought By Major
] General McCook's corps. The enemy retreated
during the night. The losses were heavy on
both sides, but no official reports of the numbers
engaged on either side, have been received.
After this battle the main army Of the rebels
retreated to Esst Tennessee Gen. Buell. pur-
sued it as far as Mount Vernon or London, and
then fell back to she line from LouisTil0 to
| Nashville Here Major General Roseeranz su-
/ perseded him in the command, by order 0: the
President.
As the Secretary of War has ordered = Mill
tary commission to investigate the operations of
Gen Buell. in this campaign, it would Do Obvi-
ously improper for me 30 express any opinion,
unless specially directed to do so.
The command of Brigadier- General Morgan
at Cumberland gap abandoned that place, snd
retreated to the Ohio river. The alleged cause
of this retreat was the want Of supplies the
commanding officer, however, had iuEt before
reported that ne had several weeks provia ons
and under no circumstances would be surrender
that important post. An investigation of this
matter has been ordered
The withdrawal of a considerable part of Gen.
Grants army to reinforce Gen. Buell., and to &C
cupy Louisville and Cincinnati, induced the en-
emy to renew operations in Northern Mississippi
and Western Tennessee.
u A force of some five or six thousand men was
sent to attack Bolivar aud Jackson, Tennessee.
and, by destroying the railroad, to cut off all
connection between Memphis and C0Tinth. The
head Of tie enemy's column was met about four
miles south Of Bolivar on the 30th Of August
and brisk skirmish ensued On the 3ist, a
portion Of the enemy's force was engaged and
repulsed near Medon station. On the Ist of Sep
tembsr the fight WAS renewed a! BrittoH's lane,
On hIb l6LAuldlE lOts4s dtlu toubllueu VII
when the enemy retrestsd south, across the
Hatchie, leaving one hundred and seventy-nine
dead and wounded on the field. Our loss was
FIVE killed, seventy-eight wounded and ninety
two prisoners aud missing.
In the early part Of October General PrIes advanced
with large f'rcs aud took possession Of luka saa
town On tie Memphi. and Charleston railroad tyysntv
one miles southeast Of Cornth The gsrrigon too weak
to attempt resistance, fell back Corinth As the
oeCupaiono Of this plsee by the my cut off al
h-fu tha Of
Bell, the former determined 10 attack and drive him
from that position. Grants forces moved in two
columns 6ne ths north of the town. under Esor
General O~d ana the other on the south, under M-OT
General RosScrsnz- The enemy, finding himself likely
be 4ed left the and attacked the coHml
Of General Rosecrsnz RoOut P. n. the 70 OF Oct0
Der. The engagement lasted until dark-Hamitoni
division sustaining the bruut Of the battle Our me-
fought with great bravery and completely routed h
enemy who fed in conf ton leaving bis dead and mos
Of his wounded the 1eld We buris 255 Of bis dead
took between 100 and e00 wounded, and captured SO
prisoners. over coo stand Of arms ard considerable
quantity OF stores IT loss was log killed. OIL wounded
snd Il missing The retresting foe pursued only
few miles.
On the 5Oth Of October. General Grant sscertainet
that Genera Price and Van Dorm were concentrating
their forces at Ripley with the probable intention Of 81
tacknR Corinh The enemy crossed the Hatchie rive
and took possession of the railroad porth Of Cornth
thus cutting off ali direct communicates with Jackson
and Bolivar. he then advanced toward COrnth- anC
some skirnishing took place the 81 Of November.
, Msi0r-GeneTal ROsecranz commanded forces a
Corinh which consisted Of the divisions Of BrgaJer
,
hrs three we placed IA Inc OF battle near toe od rabe
chmens and The last held in In the town
The skr ishing was renewed the morning Of the Sd
and by 10 or II clock the engagement bscams prett
general and confined till dark. 1t was hereey re
neved the morning Of the 4th, and iought viii
varied suecsss tin near noon when the rebels were ds
fsaed and driven from the field eavg their dead an
: many Of their wounded
The ensmys forces were commanded BY Generals VA
number estimated at about 3s COO or nearly doubl
those of General Rossoranz. Their loss in killed wa
l423, which would give by the usual proportion 569
wounded. We took 2,255 prisoners, among whom weT
l2 officers We sso captured fourteen stand cf color
two pieces Of artillery, 3 800 stand Of arms and ammI
milton -aecoutremeutsr etc Our loss was 3l5 kilet
J | 1872 wounded and 232 prisoners and missing Th
great disparity Of numbers in ki led and wounded r
suited in part from the fact that portion Of ne
e fought behind the intrenched batteries
: Major-General Grant had ordered brigade Of for
u regiments, under Gen. Mcpherson from Jackson
VI COrinth Finding the railroad interrupted Bethe
the latter turned to the left aud reached Corinth on m
: around the enemy and forming timely junction wit
. Gen ROseeranz. Other forces from Jackson an
e Bolivar under Brigs Hurbut were dreete
e on Corinth by way of Middleton and Pocahontss
% off the eneTys retreat in that direction. They e
countered the enemy on the Hatehe river the mo-
70 ing OF the othi and az BrlgsdierG HuTlbu VI
J. making dispositions for an stack Major General Or
n arrived upon the field and assumed command but beir
,r wounded about II n, he again relinquished Il
= Gen Hurlbut- The battle continued until about hal
"a past when the enemy rerea ted south erossi1
O. the Hatche at Crum mills, about six miles further
the river Our loss was fifty killed, four hundred al
Il ninety three wounded, and seventeen missing. Gel
VI Hurlt did not attempt any pursuit. and Gen Ros
7e did not leave CoiEth till the morning of the 81
Of The enemy, therefore, effected his escape, but
le lowed for distance OF about sixty miles, without ben
- / Overtak
81 General Grant afterwards moved his forces south
r. far Holly Springs, snd drove the enemy across Il
in Talshsehe.. The operation attended with sever
y brisk srmishes in all OF which troops viet
rious These operations have restored peace in We
at | Tennessee.
to The official reports Of the operations Of Gen Gram
m army are submitted herewith, marked exhibit Nc.
y The unfortunate withdrawal 70 Missouri by Gener
80 Curtis Of large part of the army in Arkansas pr
g. vented the execution Of the military operations Wh
81 had been ordered in the latter State In 4ssoun
forces under Brgadier-General Sch'sb-d lot on
broke no and destroyed numerous gu.:-Ia bands, b
u defeated the rebel army in several engagements