Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-11-27
THE LArK BArrLE ar ooaISrIr.
OAe'~I sep,yI OF 'ar..erar rEoseera,:s Z.

/ ItInoFgect
Corinth, Miss, October 30 1862.
MAJOR: have the'hoDor to submit, for the
information Of the major-general commanding
I! district, the following report Of the battle Of
Corinlh
/ PRELIMINARIRS.
The rumors which followed the battles of Iuks
were, that Price had marched TO the vicinity of
! Ripley, aRd was being joined by Van Dorm with
ali the available rebel forces in North Missis
sippi for the purpose Of capturing CoTinth, or
| breaking our line of communication, and forcing
us 10 retreat toward Columbus
These rumors gained strength until the first Of
October, when strong cavalry scents, sent out
! for ths purpose, demonstrated the fact that the
rebels were moving from Ripley via Buekers-
vile, and the main body was at POcahontas
The question then was, where they would
strike the main blow
| Equally fsvorably situated to strike either
Bolivar, P6trel, jackson or Corinth, which would
| it be 2
| Unfortunately for me, there was no map of the
country northwest Of this plsce TO be found
therefore l could not tell whether 10 expect 8
strong demonstration here to hold Us in suspense,
while the blow was struck elsewhere, or rice
sersS. RumOrs that the attack was to take the
direction Of Jackson or Bolivar via Bethel, were
so rife, and the Notifications of Corinth were so
we'll known to the rebels, that l had hopes they
would undertake to mask me, and, passing north,
give me an opportunity to beat the masking
forcs and cot of their retreat.
This hope gained some strength from the sup
posed difficulties Of the country lying in the tfi-
angle formed by the Memphis and Charleston
the Mobile and Ohio railroads, and Cypress
creek
To bs prepared for eventualities, HamUton's
and Stanly's divisions were placed just beyond
Bridge creek, the infantry outpOsts were called
IN from Iuks, Burnsviile Rienzi, and DsnviHe.
and the outpost at CbewaIla retired to New
Alexander, and strengthened by another regi-
ment and bsttery, early on the morning Of
the %.
Duriug Inst day evidences increased showing
the practieabity Of tho country northwest Of us,
and disclosed the facts not before known. that
there were two good roads from Chewalla esst-
ward, one leading directly into the old rebel in
trenehmsnts, and the other crossing over into
the Pittsburg Landing read.
Accordingly the following disposition OF the |
troops for the 81, was ordered al halfpast one |
o'clock a N Of that day, viz:
There being Indications of possible attack on |
Corinth Immediately, the following disposition |
Of troops will be msde Gen MeKesn with his |
division, will occupy the line between the Mem |
phis and Columbus road Gen Hamilton, with /
his division, viii take position between the rebel
works on the Purdy and on the Hamburg roads. |
and Gen Stanly will hold his division in reserve
at or near the old headquarters Of Major-GeneTal
Grant
The respective divisions will be-formed in two /
lines, the second ne being either in line of bat
tie or close column by division, rs their cifcum-
stances msy reqaire.
The tr.Ops were ordered to move toward their
positions, i,h ore hundred rounds Of annual
ton aud three days rations per man, by three
o'clock, A. NJ.
These dispositions were made, aud the troops,
at nine O'Clock on the morning Of the Sd, Oc-
cupied the positions shown Oh the accompany
isg map-HamiltOn on tho right, Davidson the
center, McKean on the left, with an advance Of
three regiments OF infantry aud a section of ar
tilleTy under Col o liver, on the Chswalla road,
at or near AlexaDder's, beyond the rebel breast
works The cavalry were disposed follows
(sse map accompanying Col Weizner's report {
A battalion 1t BurHsville. one at R0neys Mill,
on the JScnto and Coriuth road; Col Lee,
with tic 7lh Kansas and part Of tho 9Th Ili
nnis at Kossush and B0neyard, watching The
rebels right dsnk; Col. Hatch and Capt vii
COX, on the east and north fronts, covering and
The reRsons for thess dispositions dow obvi-
ously from lhe foregoing explanations of ouT ig-
nOTsnee OF the northwestern approach, aud Of
the possibility that the rebels might thrsaten MS
Oh the Chawslla and attack III by the Smith's
Bridge road on the left, or 60 reuad and try Us
With hiS main force on ths Pardy, or even
Landing road
THE GENERAL PLAN
whsh wase1plainol to tho division commanders
verbally on the morning, was to hold the enemy
at arms length by opposing him strongly in our
assumed position, 10 take position which would
give US the rise Of our batteries and the open
ground in the vicinity of Corinh, the exact po-
.isoR to be determined by events and the move
ments Of the enemy.
OPERATIONS or THE BATTLB OK THE So OF
OCTOBER.
Early in tn, morning the Advance under Col
Oliver found strong indications thst the prss.
sure under which he had retired on the ID came
from the advancing foe, and accordingly took
strong position on the hIl near the angle Of the
rebel bresstworks, with his three regiments and
3 section OF artillery.
BY Q o'clock the enemy began to prass them
sharply and outfank them BriEadier- General
Arthur, whOmI had reques ed to 60 to the front
reported widespread but slack skrnishing, and
,aid the hill was of great advantage to the ad-
vAncing force. l ordered him TO hold il pretty
FIRMLY with that view.
About ten o'clock word came that the enemy
were pressing the point hotly, and that REIN
forcements were required, or they must yield
properly understood, and that 1t was held In
to the general views of its use
which were explained directed Gen. Davies ,
10 send up from his position two regiments But
It proved that General Macarthur had taken up
four more regiments from McKesn's division, e.,
and was conteStinQ the ground almost as for a
battle 1t was probably this which induced
General Davies to ask permission to rest his
right on the rebel intYenchments, and to which
consented, adding the verbal order to Lieut.
Colonel Duest that he might use his Judgment
about leaving his present for that position but
ia no event must he cease 10 touch the left on
right.
The advance was made to the breastworlE as
shown on the drawing, but leaving an interval
between McArtur's and Davies left The en-
emy developed his forces along that linz as Nc
Arthur retired from his position which gave the
rebels an opportunity to advance behind Da-
vies' left and forced it, after obstinate resist
snce, to fall ba k rapidly abeut thousand
yards, losing two heavy guns. II
Our troops fought with the most determined
firing very low. At P NJ Davies
having resumed the same position he had Oceu-
pied in the morning, aud McArthur's brigade
having fought heavy force, 1t became evident
that the enemy were in full strength and meant
mischief Mexican, with Crocker's brigade, had
seen only skiTmishers. There were no signs OF
any movements on our left aud only few cav
slry administers pn cur right. 1t was pretty
clear that we were to expect the weight Of the
attack on our center, where hopes had been
given of our falling back.
Orders were accordingly given to McKean to
fall back to the next ridge beyond our intrench-
msnts, to touch his right On Davies left; for
S isnley to move nOrthward aud eastward, to
stand in close echelon. but nearer town. General
Hamilton was ordered to face toward Chewa ls,
"A rnfl 10 1aff hal /
right Davies was informed Of these dlspos
tions-toId to hold bis ground obstinsteiy, aud
then, when he had drawn them in strongly. I
Hamilton would swing in on their front and