The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-06-17
Correspondence of the Guardian
In CAMP NEAR CoRINTu luna 9Th $50

IN CAMP NEAR CoRINTH, June 5th, 90.
FRIEND RIcH What will be thought
hereafter of great battles that loom up in
dim perspective, frightening half the ma.
ton out of their wits, and causing the
poor fortune -forsaken fellows that COM
pose the rank and file, to dig, and trench,
and burrow like gophers, for twenty NOR
tai miles, over the worst country and
roads that ever the sun shone upon ?
Talk about your muskets, columbiads
and Parrot guns So far, the grand ar
my Of the west have done their fighting,
, whether acting on the offensive or defen
sive, with the spade, the pick axe and
: the grubbing hoe. Not a regiment or
division moved half mile toward the
great bug bear, Corinth, but what it was
deemed prudent to stop and entreneh.
Numbers of scouting parties were sent
out to ascertain the softest ground for
digging, with strict orders not to fire up
on any secesh that they might see, but
to turn and run the moment that they
appeared In force. A mortal fear pos
sessed the minds Of our Generals, or APP
peared to, at least-an apprehension that
the rebels were endowed with superhu
man power, and were ready 10 spring
mine upon us at any moment. Walk
over the ground between Purdy, Farm
lington, Hamburg, and behold the vast
amount of labor that has been expended.
Breastworks, rifle pits, and intrench-
nlents in concentric circles and parallel
lines, are stretched from hill side to
hillside. Fallen timber is lodged in the
ravines, and nature herself made to bow
TO the resislless invaders. 1t is pity
that there could not have been more &C.
lerity in the movement Of our troops, so
/, as to have ciIcumvented the rebels by
the Danville road, and cut of all hopes
of retreat, This was neglected, and
we are now alive to the fact that the reb
ell army has evacuated Corinth, leaving
! vast amount of commissary stores be-
b hind, while guns, ammunition, and ordi
t nance, they wholly or in par; destroyed
The rebels could not have evacuated the
town prior to the 28th, for on that morn
ing forward movement of Pope's di
vision was made on the left, which me
S with sharp resistance. Heavy earth
works were erected on either side Of The
Pennington road, and siege guns of larg,
calibre placed in position, that could
1 have battered the enemy's works in Cor
$ NTH if a range could only have been had
: free from underbrush From one poin
near the center of Sherman's division,
think, the rebel flag could be plainly
; seen waving over the bastions of one o.
: the forts. Early in the forenoon Of this
: day bloody engagement took place, re
sulting in the killing of forty five of =
Missouri regiment, while two hundred
: of them were teken prisoners. A Chi
cage battery was planted in the road q
: short distance TO the right Of our fegi-
: ment, and supported by The Asa Illinois,
which did great execution, pling up the
rebel cavalry in the woods beyond at 4
fearful rate. Sung TO madness, they
made tremendous charge, coming or
e with a clatler of horses hoofs that made
, the earth tremble, while the artillery
played upon them as fast as the frenzied
gunners could prime. 1t was one con
tnual roar, and still The gallant cavalry
came on, Nearer and uealer came the
S foremost waves of horsemen, more rapid
$ and deadly grew the fire. Now was the
time for the 43d TO come out to the sup
port Of the battery, but instead of this,
two companies ing loriously took to their
5 heels, nor paused till they were safe be-
S yond the trenches, leaving the arlller-
lists to the tender mercies OF the rebel
cavalry, who, finding their position like
ly to become warm one, hitched Oh TO
two of the pieces and drew them off
t This was an insult not to be borne for an
/ instant, and in the twinkling Of an eye
almost, two regiments emerged from the
trenches, and made counter charge ia
recover The guns. In this they were in
the highest degree successful, getting
back their own guns, and two fine Dahl,
greens belonging to the enemy, that had
inflicted much mischief that morn
ing upon our skrmishers The
works and battle lines on both sides ex-
r tend in direction n. w. by S. E., and
heavy firing was heard at intervals all
along the line during the 28th, 29,h and
oothb iuSt. VA tiie iuoIHi1S VI tue olSl
a great explosion was heard in the d.
rection Of Corinth, followed BY clouds OF
dense black smoke. Almost a, the same
instant the enemy opened heavy fire
upon our left wing. The balls and shells
> flew over the heads of our regiment,
!. which were supporting the llth Ohio
Battery, like hail, but injuring no one.
This continued ill a. M, when the fir
: ing ceased, and the troops not on guard
duty commenced getting breakfast AT
. first rumor came that Corinth was evac-
uated, but il was denounced as false by
: the officers. All was quiet along the
lines. Again the report came that Cor
NTH was evacuated, and that Gen. Pope,
with his body guard, had rode into the
town. We had to believe it this time,
and ! assure you, there were but few
cheers on the part of the troops. They
felt as though they had been deceived,
and could see nothing before them but
f some more long fatigueing marches. 1t
is reported that when Gen. Pope was
first informed Of the evacuation of Cor.
NTH, he raved and swore like a mad man,
tbraw his sword do,,p On tba 0oar nG \.