American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-11-28
THE RATTLE OF coRINTu.

THE RATTLE OF CoRINTH.
Some If our newspaper Generals continue TO harp
upon the battle Of Corinth to reiterdte that it was
great failure, disastrous reverse, &c, and to
indulge in criticism the Generals in com
mand, especially Van Dorm and Lowell And yet
we venture to say that in the annals of warfare
there has scarcely ever been battle in which more
desperate saior more heroism. gallantry and
consumma;e GsneraLship were displayed. than in
the battle of Corinth. The impartial historian,
with i" nothing to extenuate aught to set down
in malice " when he takes the pen of truth TO write
up the events of this war. will thus record it. We
simply failed at Corinth because we were outnum-
bered about three to one-had to fight the enemy
behind his redoubts and forts and had reserves.
while the enemy largely reinforced by fresh
troops. Rosecrans was at one time badly whipped,
and was only saved from ignomnious rout by
timely reinforcement and the knowledge that we
ad no reserves. In the accounts of the battle pub
1ished in the Western papers this fact is aeknowl
edged and the highest compliments are paid our
commanders for their generalship aud our men for
their gaantry and courage.
Those who are clalnoring so loudly for the remov-
~ Of Generals Van Dorm and Lowell account of
the failure % drive the enemy from bis stronghold
at Corinth. with greatly inferior force doomed
to be sadly disappointed. Fortunately. President
Davis is himself military genius, and be is not to
be srayed to and fro by popular clamor nor by the
Criticisms of newspaper Generals who. perchea Sc
curely Hpon the tripod a. home. have nothing to
do but write this man up and that enc down.
When Cen Van norn came fn:o this Department
we did not devote whole columns of our paper in
bespattering him with fu1some adulation. as some
others did who criticise ard eenSure him most.
numerically nor shall we now Join in the hue and
cry against him because he has been unsuccessful
in one or two battles. Let those who assai him
remember that it is ia the power of mortals
to command success. but they do more-they
can deserve it, Van Dorm did not entirely sue
coed in dslodging the enemy fro their stronghold
ut Cornth. but he made most daring and desper
ate effort to do gained biil.ant victory the
first day and being defeated a, last by reason of
the heavy renforcemeHts of the euemy. brought off
his army in good order, protecting his rear, and
furnishing the enemy severely in the retreat. He
did not succeed bat he did more, he deserved sue
cess. In all wars. the greatest Generals have met
with failures and reverses. Washington failed often
yet he fought and finally achieved our ndepend-
ence. Napoleon, after izzling the world with his
many brilliant victories ailed at last Waterloo
and lost his crown aud his Empire. Failure is the
Tate of war and though in this contest there is no
such word in vocabulary fail ultimate
faure--yet we must expect occasional and some
times very sad reyerseS. Nor Is it patriotic wise.
ON every such failure, to condemn and censure the
&c .,eras in command. II has tendency to pro-
mote discomfort among the Generals themselves !;
to iscour &c the troops and dislearten the people.
We have heretofore published several accounts
going to @how that the Battle of Cnrinth was both
to officers and men. most brilliant and credit
allie contest. We now give an extract from another
account communicated to the Nfississippian:
/ On the whole. Mr. Editor, it is now evident
that the Expedition TO Corinih' was not so
disastrous reverse as we all thought ii to be
at first Internationally the Federals lost
Glore men IN silled and wounded in the three
days lighting han we did. The b;lanoe
was not much against us even after we had
fought them two days behind their redoubts
and forts but when the went down on
Sunday. after Moore and Phifer and Cabell
and the artillery had done their work of
death at the bridge over Hatchie and after
Bowen, in the rear. had led Rosecranz's ad :
vance into that fatal ambuscade at Tuscum-
bia creek. the balance was largely in our
favor. No doubt they took twice or per-
haps thrice as many prisoners we did, but
this was unavoidable from the nature of the
case-the jaded condition of our men, the
scarcity of water in that desert country and
the consequent .sstraggling" of even many of
those who justly rank as the best soldiers in
the army.
The truth is, We whipped the enemy IN
hand fighting, both at Corinth and at the
bridge but we did not have fresh men to
bring up at the critical moment and complete
the victory. View the expedition in what
ever light We may. for splendid daring i,
. stands almost without parallel in HISTORY
Twenty odd thousand men march sixty mile.
to assault forty odd thousand behind circl,
within circle of the strongest entrenchments
: and Notifications known to engineering skill
Worn with toilsome marches and half ration.
the Spartan band flung themselves upon tn,
bristsing forts and redoubts of the far out
, numbering foe, with gallantry and sub
: lime spirit of self immolatien never surpassed
: in the annals of freedoms battles since tn
world began. The attempt tailed of com
plete success OILY BY hairs breadth. W
Q lost great many noble spirits in that glori
o Gus assault. Honored be their memories a
long as sun and moon and stars endure
!, Their blood was not spilled in vain Thei
= all but triumphant effort to win back 9Th
e Key OF the Valley" shows ~hat Southef
i. soldiers can do against the greatest and a
e sorts Of odds. whether of men, cannon. or fol
:. tiications, or of all combined From thi
y time on. the same little ARMY. led by the sam
}. men. would take Coriush against the sam
). odds ninety nine and three quarter times OF
! of every hundred attempts
81 SWORD AND PEN.