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

MY DEAR BRoruER.-Although !
know that you are already aware OF the
svscustion of Oorintb, and must have
read many long descriptions Of the forti-
ficstions and other points Of interest
connected with that now celebrated
town, l shall venture to give you some
account Of Whist saw in and about that
rebel stronghold.
l have already told you OF the slow
and cautious manner in which We have
approached this village, moving scarce
" more than . mile or two at time,
always keeping each division within
easy supporting distance Of others, and
ready At any moment tor . general en-.
gsgement, had Beauregsrd offered rs
battle. At every place where We have
encamped, substantial breastworks have
been thrown up, so that we have always
occupied fortified positions. These pre-
cautions, which Bragg in bis recent pro-
clamatio contemptuously styled tinid,
must have communicated timidity to the
cb,yalic sons OF Mars who lately occu-
pied Corinth, and led others to the con-
clusion that their breastworks were OF
little account against an enemy who
could build breastworks also.
You know how our army Was ar.
ranged; Pope was on the lett, Buell. to
the right Of him, and Thomas to the
right OF Buell.. / think l told you that
Gen. Thomas succeeded Gen. Grant in
command of the army of the Tennessee,
some time ago, it having been thought
no less than justice to Gen. Grant that
he should remain in command Of the
district west of Tennessee, in testimony
of Halleck's appropriations of bis gener-
alship at the battle Of Shiloh. The
whole army was in slightly concave
order of battle, making nearly semi.
circle to the north and east Of Corintb,
Port Royal Sherman's division and Nc
Kean's division being nearest to the
town, Pope on the left and Hurlburt and
VIM. Tecumseh Sherman on the ex-
IRENE right, frequently from the forest,
used their artillery on the enemy, and
Iatterly kept up a continual cannona-
ding.
1t was not more than q mile and a
half from McKean's breastworks to tho
outer breastworks of the rebels. We
all were expecting q general engage
ment every day, and the enemy was in
the same state Of expectation.
On Tuesday last the 18th wss on
picket duty, and SO near the rebel pick
cts that they could be distinctly heard
coughing, singing, talking and clearing
their throats. We and they we're post.
ed in the same wood. On Wednesday
morning, about seven o'clock, a rebel
picket approached one Of our posts, his
arms raised aloft to show that he had no
weapons, and inquired if any Of our
pickets would exchange newspapers
with him. He was answered in the
negative and retired. Soon afterwards
one of our men advanced and called tor
the man who had wanted to exchange
papers, aud asked him to come half
way. Presently rebel came forward,
and afterwards three or four others, and
met three or four of our men about halt
way between their posts and ours. The
party conversed for some time very
pleasantly about Confederate currency
and other topics, though both sides took
care not to give any information re-
spect'ng the position or numbers OF their
respective forces. Among other mat
tiers Of some little personal interest to
me, was their statement that they had
had splendid shot at me that morning
as was making a patrol along the ad-
vanced line of sentinels, just before sun.
rise, but that they did not shoot me be.
cause they had orders not to fire at us
first. They said that they had been ready
for fight for month, and could not un.
derstand why we did not attack them, and
that four miles ofground would be cover
ed with dead before any Yankee set foot
in Corinth. These interviews may be
very agreeable, but they were strictly for
hidden for the future. lam satisfied that
not rebel soldier ever dreamed Of evac-
uating Corintb until they were suddenly
ordered away, they knew not why or
where.
On Wednesday and Thursday, partic.
ularly on the first of these days, our ar
tillery kept up an iucessant fire of long
range guns upon them, occasionally pro-
voking a reply. HalIcck had gotten his
whole artillery in position to open fierce.
ly upon them on Friday morning, W hen we
we've all thunderstruck at hearing an ex.
plosion in the direction of Corinth,
which seemed louder than the booming
of a thousand siege guns discharged all
together. We asked each other what
could it mean? Some thought it the
explosion of a magazine, though but fe W
were prepared to believe that the rebels
had voluntarily burnt their ammunition,
in the evacuation Of their Toasted strong
hold. Such proved to be the fact, and by
eight o'clock our whole army knew that
the rebels had ANONYMOUSLY fed from
Corinth, after firing their magazine,
burning the railroad depot, allthe stores
they could not carry, every warehouse in
the town and number Of private houses.
Our troops began to pour in in the after
noon. Iwent with three or four officers
OF the regiment to visit the scene OF
Beaurcgard's aud Bragg's last and
greatest victory. We soon reached their
outer breastworks, for they were quite
near our own camp, aud had an oppor.
tun'ty to contrast the rebel work with