Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-06-09

and small saplings, which had been fell
ed 90 - to make it impossible to advance
except by climbing over the fallen tim
Der and laborionsly ppAhi.g asids The
small limbo and branches. It would have
been out of the question to march up IN
line Of battle. Each man would have
been compelled to shift for himself and
no troops ever did or ever could make
charge in such disorder. We might
hove got up that bin, but many . good
man would have lain his bones there in
the attempt.
The Iowa brigade would have made the
effort, but there would have been many
a sad heart at home to keep in memory
the siege of Corinth and mourn for
heroes fallen. The breastworks on the
hill were far better built than those
have spoken Of before, but even these
we're inferior in workmanship to ours.
make no preteneions to engineering
skill, though do profess to know when
work is we'll or poorly done. They
we're of course As we'll laid ont % could
be desired, for they commanded the
surrounding country perfectly. But
one opinion was expressed OF the
strength of the portion Of the works
speak OF. They were earth.works en-
,irely, partially riveted with sod. There
were holes cut for heavy guns every
few yards, and / am told that they had
siege guns in position at intervals oftwo
hundred yards. One fact, however,
indicated a lack of heavy artillery. AT
ono point Of the Notifications some
thing was constructed which was neither
a lunette, redan: bastion, semi bastion,
or anything else known in military
engineering, but in each of the sides
which formed the angle of this indescri-
bable affair hole was cut for heavy
gun. Now, between these sides there
was not room for two guns, 80 it is evil
dent that it was their intention to
mount one gun upon swivel and use 1t
in different directions.
At one place l saw something which
seemed to foreshadow an attack on
General Halleck in the newspapers Of
the New York Tribune school. Some
one had mounted log upon the fore
wheels of an old cart and placed it at
one Of the holes in the breastworks, as
though it had been put there by Beaure-
gard as q scare crow.
Leaving the Notifications, We passed
through the deserted camps OF the
enemy. Here we found every idication
OF hasty departure. Blankets, coats,
shoes, knives, plates and articles Of al.
most every description we're scattered
about in great confusion. Hundreds OF
barrels Of mess pork and flour, sacks
of beans, peas and rye and hogsheads
of sugar, whose contents had been
emptied on the ground, were lying in
every camp. Reaching the town, we
found the smoking ruins of many a
building and the remains of more com.
missary stores. The destruction Of
cooking utensils seems fairly wicked to
US, who have often wanted and now
need proper cooking apparatus. Crock
cry and queensware must have been
very abundant with them, for they
burned it in large quantities. Cots
camp bedsteads, bowie knives, pistols,
metallic burial cases, curb bits and old
clothes we're piled in smouldering heaps
together. Everything indicated that
they we're very tar from famine-and
this believe, deserters to the contrary
Notwithstanding. then rode over the
town and conversed with some Of the
few remaining inhabitants. Corinth is
pretty village containing many neat
and several elegant houses, evidently
the abode of elegance and luxury. The
townspeople say that the place has been
destroyed by the soldiery and it is al.
most deserted. The inhabitants of this
region generally flee as our army ap.
proaches, taking with them all their
worldly effects, including their negroes,
and the Corinthians are no exception to
the rule. A druggist and machinis,
we're about the only two inhabitant.
the town who remained, Everybody hav
ing gone, anticipating that HalIeck
would soon begin to shell the town
These people say that Beauregard has
not more than $4,000 men, and that no
thing was known of the intention to
cvacuate until the evacuation had actu.
ally begun. Van Dorm and Price lef,
first, but that was thought to he on an
important expedition, and when the
truth dawned upon the soldiers, they
became highly indignant and swore
they would not leave. Their officers
assured them that it was sklllful STRAIT.
egetic move, but the men did not be,
lieve in such strategy. and only left up.
on the earnest entreaties Of their com
rades. Beauregard himself did no,
leave until the stores had been FREQ, land
the magazine exploded. Some of the
troops went away by the Mobile & Ohio
road, others by the Memphis & Ohio
road, and many marched. They are re-
ported to have gone to Okolona, a sta
ton on the Mobile & Ohio..roa Willis,
in Corlnth, l obtained the Memphis 40.
alanche, OF the 2lst, containing Beau.
regards report Of the battle Of Shiloh.
One passage Of it struck me as particu
larly apropos to the present situation
Here it is:
ssBv a rapid and vioorons attach -