The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-23
THE REBEL ACCOUNTS FROM coRINTH
Correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch.]

Correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch.
CoRINTH, May 4. 1862.
From every appearance the eventul hour, long
tcipated is at last upon Tho enemy are advancing
by five different roads, convergng In Corinth and are
probably within five miles Of intrenchments.
Our pickes have been drawn in the entire army is un
der marching orders; portion arc already behind our
crossing The first act in the approaching drama was
performed yesterday.
The fcderals several thousand strong, supported by
heavy body Of cavalry and two batteries Of artillery,
made demonstration upon one OF brgades, under
the command OF General Marmaduke, stationed on the
front about three fourths mile beyond Pennington
The latter is small place. northeast Of Cornth distant
about four miles. Firing between the pickets CON-
menced between one and two o'clock Our skirnishers
were then dcployed and drove them back Mean
time the brigade, In pursuance OF preconcerted plan
retired short distance to better position, and here
my and maintained desperate resistance In the face Of
erwhelming Odds
Between five and six o'clock the fedcrals brought up
their batteries and then commenced between the oppos
ing artillery fierce interchange Of Shots which lasted
for nearly hour. Covered by this the enemy made
flank movements on right and left, and tie result ods
further Of forces through Fdrmnaon and to-
yards C0nh. In truth, such the dGmaJis1 effect Of
the shes-and they tAro,cn Nth great rreco-Mat
orr men could not svihsand N. sors and the greater
portion of t,po rcss scattered in direction The
remainder Of the brigade came in In good order without
any attempt By the enemy At pursuit Our artillery,
which numbered only four pieces known Is the Swst
Battery Of vicksburg, Mississippi and calamity did
maintain It's position and return the heavy thunder Of
the federal guns.
Our loss cannot be less than twenty killed and about
hundred wounded That Of the enemy doubtless
greater in addition TO which captured sixty prison
ers, including Major Of engineers, Missourian, from
st. Louis. They left for Mobile this morning.
From the federal Major l could CLEAN not
force Upon all other topics no was deaf dumb, ire
sistible and impregnable
There Is little doubt however, that the demonstration
part Of the general dcsgn 10 occupy front lines
a. basis Of operations aud 70 enable the enemy
make heavy flank movement, which from their actions,
10 evidently in contemplation Their present success has
t1.o Or
contre and Of has narrowed our circle Of opera
tions TO the focus from which expect TO deal out
death and destruction; but we are proportionatsiy
From varousNorthsrn accounss have been led 70 sup
peso that the federal army would bring against us
NOT number more than 100 0o6at the outside Sickness
il making fearful havoc In their ranks, and notwith
NorshsTn ingenuity hundrsds srs every day disabled ana
carried 70 the rear.
Some there who profess 70 believe that the fall Of
New Orleans will change Ia the federal pro-
grAmrne and that their Commandcr-inCh will retire
towards Memphis without rskng the loss Of life and the
destruction q the army which would result from gene
raj battle IL Is extremely improbable however, that
the Northern army will now dare 70 retreat in the face
OF the moral sentiment Of the people that has urged
90, even though be TO accomplish boodless victory
in taking possession OF Memphis They have smoit
blood and the cry Is /" On 70 the cotton statss."
learn from an officer just returned from reconnois
sanco that the fsderas are pressing towards left
upon tho line OF the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Mem
phs and Charleston Railroad with view tn or these
a
n our rear hem as in cut of Ae means Of ecape in
case of fcdt. Skirmishing has been going al day
with small arms aod an occasional discharge Of field
pieces decisive hour Is undoubtedly ct hand. The
line Of baae scu probably be not es than miles long.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatchl
CoRSrrI, Miss. May O, fS62.
Two days OF rain have thrown dampsr upol our ex-
pectations OF battle ana we now have to wait for
warm sunshine, firm ground and dry roads before
anticipatons can be immediately resumed. Even then
the silence OF the enemy Is more provoking than in
spring beca Of the uncertainty which their
future operations. Since the skirmish at Farmng,on
reported in my last they have been quiet death,
excepting the Usual small warfare which takes place bs
tween tho pickss. and II Is unknown whether they viii
follow up this preliminary attack or not Some aiuct to
believe that there win be battle that the intelligence
or the capture OF New Orleans will change their pro-
granine, and, notwithstanding their close proximity
that they will content themselves with cutting our
supplies between here and McmI his, and, II possible,
strike blow at the Mobile and OhiI Railroad and thus
also interrupt our communication with Columbus, Mis-
| sissippi, which to us is an important post.
Ny own impression-derved from general ofcers-is,
that will be hght and that the delay II iuci
dental entirely to the state Of the weather the
that the fedcras require time TO make themselves ac-
quaintcd with position with extended line this
cannot be done in less than week. Tho reconnaissance
which resulted in the fight OF Saturday rton Of
these operations and the daily advance OF their scouting
parties upon front further proof OF the
of this view. Another significant TACT Indicative Of ths
intention OF the enemy that for three days they have
boon massng an immense force upon our right faux, and
have By sudden dash cat or ts Memphis ana Ch1riston
Rirood egh Dies dbov. This Is comparatively
unimportat per Sc but Il may b. made the basis OF
anoher foruy upon The Mobile ana Ohio Railroad,
miles beyond, the IF cca soouh kmpordrtv
produce serious dicuky. These movements show that
the e1crny active along our right at least, aud
their demonstrations cannot be without some Interior
object am daily expecting similar movements against
left No fears, however can reasonably be eater
tanned 10 tho result We have foyce AMPLY sufficient
defend entire line, and thanks he Providence
tho nure of the country Is such thathe cannot
bring anything like orgasized orccs 10 bear apon US.
Thcy must creep through woods and underground,
naturally npassabc 70 artillery, until their troops
fara far with md 4 hal havo ham
tolls or open fields there are few none. Conse-
quenty, with all their odds against us fully their
equal.
We have to-day, at headquarters, draft for hun
dred thousand dollars tho Confederate government
captured by the federas from the mail which sold
70 negro by federal soldier, and by the former resold
10 OF our officers for few pounds Of tobacco IL
being unendorscd IL was Of course useless until now
when IL has recovered Its full value.