The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-11-01
The Battle of Corinth,
CoRTNTu, Miss, Oct. IS, 1862

point so soon but That very night the order
came to prepare to leave for Corinth. We
did so at midnight, and as soon as day broke
we started and reached Pennington that
night, twenty-three miles distant, and about
five from Corinth. The next morning we
entered the city, and marched through to
our camp, from which we had been so long
separated. That night slept with blan-
ket over me, and it was verv comfortable
can assure you, this being the first night we
had enjoyed such a luxury since leaving
Corinth for Iuka, nearly one month This
was the night preceding the battle. ,.nf g
The Revellie sounded next morning as
cheerily as II nothing was going to happen,
outside OF the ordinary routine of soldier
life but it was not long until we, being on
dress parade, heard the roar Of cannon and
rattle of musketry. We were soon marched
into line Of battle, where we lay all day
waiting for the attack, which did not come
to our part of the line then. as the Rebels
were forming to advance on us, the order
came to change front. This was done as
rapidly as possible; every brigade in our
division had moved on to the new line, and
two regiments, the 18th and 11th Iowa, with
two batteries of Artillery belonging to our
brigade, had moved to the rear for the pur-
pose of forming a new front Now came our
turn to move. when, just as the order was
given, the enemy came in contact with our
skirmishers and commenced driving them in
Then all saw that to perform the movement,
would oblige us to receive the fire of the
enemy in our backs. This would not do
The order was revoked, and our two regi-
ments, the 18th. and 18th Iowa, prepared to
receive the onset Of the whole rebel line
This was a trying time for our commanders,
for they bad movement to perform which
would require all their skill, to perform safely.
{ The plan was for as to await the enemy
until they were close uphn us, then give
them deadly volley and fall back to the
new line ondonble quick. But the plan was
not carried out. While our skirmishers
were le,ving our front, the m en- were watch
ing with eagerness the approach of the enc
my, and permitted them to come within
fifty yards of us before we fred. As soon
as our skirmishers had assembled on our
right, the firing began; first one gun az a
signal, and then terrific voey from the
whole line The rebel line wavered and
broke-the Secesh scattering through the
brush and getting behind trees for safety
but all the while keeping up a destructive
fire on us. Now was our time to fall back
on the new line but instead of doing so,
the men fell back far enough to get the rise
of the hill between them and the enemy, and
there stopped and kept up the fire. This
continued for a few minutes, when word was
sent to Lieut. COL Belknap, who had com
mand, to bring us back, He gave the order
three times, but the men would not listen
to him ;all they thought of was driving the
Secesh. Then Col. Crocker rode up and
demanded of Col Belknap why he did not
bring his regiment out of the fire |? He re-
piled that he had already given. the order
three times. Col Croker then rode along
the line and gave the order, when it was
obeyed. We retired on double quick to the
new. line, formed an | waited for the enemy,
but they did not come they had received
lesson in that half hours work.
After waiting for them until we found
they were not going to attack US that night,
we marched into our defenses, and took up
our position ny one of the forts that defend
the town, and there lay on our arms until
morning. f.sp r,.;g,,,- ..s.s
Our regiment lost in. the engagement Fri
day evening, one third of those engaged in
killed and wounded. Our company lost
none in killed, and but one wounded, s. P.
Reed, shot through the mouth and shoulder.
Capt. Madison was knocked down by spent
ball. Ourcompany was mostly on guard, and
so missed the.fght. 1t seems strange, but
amid thu hall of balls I did not get sign of
one anywhere about my person or clothes.
Saturday, tho morning of the 4th, opened
amid the booming Of heavy siege guns, the
bursting Of shells, screaming Of shot, and
scattering of canister amid all tbisiswe eat
our breakfast, drank our coffee such of JUS
as could get it, and waited for the enemy -
But they did not come to our fort, so we
had no part in the battles of that day.. 80,
Z Corinth is surrounded by forts, Or rather
batteries, each containing about four guns.
The one we were by, is a sample of, all the
rest. Itcontains two sixty -four pound how
itzers, and two thirty pound Parrott guns,
which throw conical percussion shells, and
are very destructive. These forts are so
placed that each one is commanded by two
others, 50 that even if one was captured it
could not be held until all the others were
taken. . ,1l1as .ll gHgaef g.s 20
The Rebels had a fair chance to take Cor
inth, for they vastly ontnunbered u.s. They
fought the battle on Friday, and made the
assault on Saturday, with near fifty thousand
men, while Our forces numbered but twenty
thousand IN all. lie was nothing but heroic
determination AMI the superior skill of our
artlerymen, that prevented their doing so.
The cannonading continued all the morn
ing, our guns, in every instance, sileneing
the rebel batteries. They planted two can
non and opened ire on our regiment, wound
ing few men, Frank Bird am ,ng the nun
Der, but one broadside from tae fort over