Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-10-17
Letter flom Mississippi.
BATTLE OF CORINTH-BRAVERY
Oh IAlnr LIZ . NJ, II


CoRINTH, MISS, October sth, 1862.
Mr. Editor.
Permit me, though a stranger, to tres
pass upon your columns, hoping in doing
so, may be able to give your readers
little account of the battle ui Corinth
Miss, fought On the 18th of October, 1862,
and also to give the credit of bravery tn
whom it il due. The ever victorious and
brave army Of the Mississippi, has again
covered its columns with new honors.
wish to speak Of the LIST ll s. Infantry,
which corps is ever ready to meet the enc
my, and has never been known to turn its
back to the foe or shrink from the path Of
duty, one Of whose officers is son of Del
aware and his residence Wilmington
His State has every reason to be proud of
her noble son. The bloody, and decisive
battle was commenced on the evening Of
the I'd, by the advance of the two armies,
and was continued during the 3D. Our
forces falling back under cover of our siege
batteries, night coming on, the belligerent
forces lay on their arms until 81 o'clock ON
the morning of the 4th, when the enemy
opened with artillery, giving us Il perfect
shower Of grape, shell, canister and shot,
which was promptly responded to by U.S.
This artillery duel lasted for about three
hours, the LIST Infantry with Totten's batte-
ry and one other, being the only partici-
pants in the opening chorus. The LIST u.
s. foot were in command of three siege
batteries, two of which were mounted with
thirty-pound Parrott and eight inch siege
hOwitzers, and were commanded by the
efficient, brave and accomplished officers,
Capts. George A. Williams. OF Newbur,r
N. ", and Edwin d. Phillips, of Michi.
gan. More gallant men never lived. There
was yet another battery mounted with
twenty pound Parrott guns manned by the
list Infantry, commanded by Lieut. ii. &.
RoLinett, of Wilmington Del, aided by
Lieut.. Edgar NJ. Allen, of Brooklyn, N.
y, and most nobly and efficiently did they
perform their duty, under the gallant
charges and calling fires of the enemy
The rebels made four charges ON this bat
terry aud each time We're successfully re-
pulsed BY the handful of brave men under
Lieut. Robnctt, who were, in these darino
charges, compelled to quit their guns and
resort 10 small arms, and in this | feel con
iidcnt they convinced the rebels Of the
ability of both officers and men to use the
: rifle, revolver and bayonet, if called unon
} by necessity to do so. The Colonel wbo
led the second rebel charge was killed by
: a shot from the hands of Lieut.. Robinett.
while several others fell by the same hands,
Although in their bold and darine charees
the rebels succeeded in reaching the ton Of
= the parapct, none entered alive, so nobly
dld officers and men perform their duty.
Lieut. kohineit ctlnc cut of the battery
g and used every cil1rt to induce the Reri
mcnis supporting the battery to come mn to
his aid, yet onl y one, the Eleventh Nilsson.
n, commanded by the heroic Col. ,Io3rpl
A. Mower (who is Il Captain in the ls in.
ianirS) responded, and thus one Repi.
ment was all the twenty-six brave men Of
, the battery had to support them in defence
OF their work. During the heat of tbe
battle, the rebels planted a battery within
, five hundred yards Of Lieutenant Rohinelt',
works. lie, however, soon TAUGHT Them
the old truth, that in many cases. dis.
lance lends enchantmcnt TO the view" fan
he sllcnccd them so soon that they left ON,
gun without firing it, aud under the dircr
ton OF Lieutenant Robnett this nun wo.
brought INTO his work, and this ton attc,
the 6jd Ohio had attempted, but failed +,
secure 1t, and yet it was accomplished Ii,
four men, Corporas Mead and plusby ond
Prlvates Ryan and Murry, OF Co. q, Isl
Infantry; the most daring act of the war
AT one time during the bloody contest
the left of the Rebel lines were in the to,yr
of Corinth, and it looked much as if tbr
day was lost to us. Now all ewes wcr,
turned to the LIST Infantry, who held The
key, aud Lieut.. Robinett's command wa,
the point which if taken would rive all l.,
the rebels, but nobly did they hold out
In the three charges Robinett was strnrl
by musket ball q suppose) on the head
Knocking him off his feet and for the time
!, being uniting him for duty, but he soon
recovered, and was again on his leos nre.
pared to give the enemy warm reccntinn
IL they should give him another c,ll
Though covered with blood, he remainr
with his command until led away by sonr
OF the men in the work. There wore G,nr
Killed and seven wounded on the field --
After riding over the field, think cou
safely say, | saw five of their killed IN o,n
OF ours, and most probably the proportion
; is still greater. In one spot of abnut m
acre, and this on the outside of Lieutenant
lioblnetts battery, were seventy dead No.
pels, and twenty-seven were lyino ON tba
outside OF and at the base Of the paronrt
We have large number Of prisoners bn.
tween two and three thousand. | thinl,
from actual observation, their loss eonnot
iall short OF six or seven thousand. if ma
indeed much greater Lieutenants kur2ic
Bates and q. II. Ilosmer, of the lsl In
iantry, deserve great praise for their cool
courage They were in the battery com
manded by Captain George A. Williams
who commanded the battalion. and onn ~
thG tnest officers in the army
It happened to he my good fortune to he
so situated during the action. az to w.tch
It's progress in detail Gen. u. S. Stanlev
was cool, and during the whole Of tho on.
gagement was directing and ENCOURAGING
ms division, and was ever in the tbi .Eost
anu most dangerous part Of the field.
Aud thus, has another great death strur.
ele passed over, and the victorious stars
ana stripes still wave over the city or a.
fnih, under whose folds many brave sons
Of the Union, lay in deep sleep, zone we
nope TO i world unknown to civil strife
Ana We must not speak lightly of the re-
bels, for they too met their fate brayely.
though shedding their blood in a sinful and
uhealled for rebellion. May we hope yoon
70 see the cause Of strife removed. and tbo
Union restored to peace and prosneritr