New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-16
Advance int Cotton state-The Skirmish
Of the Eighth inst.

FROM Our Special Correspondent
OES PopI's CoRPs Left Wing Of Gen. Hsllecks Army,}
Near Pennington, Misc, Nay II, 1867.
| For the first time during the war Union army
has advanced by land into q Cotton State Gen.
Popes headquarters are within the borders of Miss
issppi. The cool green forests Of cak and hickory,
with their rich vernsl foliage, are intssected with
great cotton Geds where the black, withered stalks
Of last year here and there display white tuft re-
naming; beside the planters dwellings are lonely
skeleton cotton presses, and occasionally, in out
houses and sheds we encounter Q few bales Of the
great stsple itself, which Southern patriotism has
spared, to exchange for Northern money. A few
months ago how this would have fired the Southern
heart but now. that yellow fever, not cotton, 10
King the Southern heart seems to endure 1t with
good deal of patieuce.
The approach of the Grand Army to Cornth Is In
the form Of semi-circls. Gen. Grants troops, on
the extreme right are wthntix miles OF the enemy Q
stronVbold Ger. BuelPs, in the center, are mile
the left is not than four niles from Corinth.
An irrepressible little army m this Of Gen. Pope,
CONF osed Of our best.dril.d, best-discipned, and
best officesed troops, under commander who has
profound disgust for slow approaches, and master
ly inactivity.
Thus far, the presence of the Assistant Secretary
of War; and the Imperative orders of Gen. Halleck,
have kept him from bringing on the general battle,
though his operations Of Friday came very near
producing that result. II happened in this wise:
On Thursday, Gen. Pope led out reconnaissance in
force, which drove In the enemy's pickets aud went
within mile and hslf Of CoriDth-so near that his
engineers not only obtained the material for minute
maps Of the intervening country, but actually
exc ched tho Rebel fortifcations.
That night tho Rebels, alarmed by the'boldness Of
the movement, SLEPT OH their arms expecting an At
tack. In the morning. none being made, they SAL
lid out twenty or thirty thousand strong, under
Gen. Bragg, with Gems. Price, Van Dorm, and Rug
gles In subordinate commands. Ia front of Geu.
Pope's camps is q creek, with swamp half mile
wide extending along it. Ono brigade was on picket
duty beyond this swamp, and another had just been
sent out TO relieve il, when the enemy attacked.
These two brigsdcs, under command OF Gen. Palmer,
with one regiment Of cavalry and one section Of
artillery, held tho ground in fight with the over.
whelmipg numbers Of the enemy for more than four
hours.
the fight Gen. Stanley, who commands Gen. P0pes
Second Division, and who had now gone upon the
field, seing skirmishers waver led them in per-
son until good order was restored. The I'd Iowa
Cavalry made most gallant charge upon Rebel
battery in which il lost los horses and number of
mon wounded, bat drove of the enemy.
The position Of our troops was very strong, and
Gen. Palmer telegrspbed 70 Gen. Pope that he could
hold it against the world, the fssh and the devil,
but Gen. Halecks orders not to bring 90 battle
being very emphatic, 1t was not practicable to send
any support, and as the enemy bad obtained taste
of the quality Of our troops after four hours fight
ing they were withdrawn ecross the swamp. InS 1S
Rebe did not attempt to follow. Our loss wss Az
killed and l08 wounded. Leut..Col Miles Oh INC
47th Illinois was among tho killed
The affair establishes the TACT that the heoe's III,
not evscusting Corinth and indicates that t1ey w'
make desperate resistance there Inc vs 0Cs ssn M
@ S.. wssO 'eS Gso Pop.s hight and Gen. Buslls is,
and thus cut Of Cen. Pops. But the determined ~
siI,anes Of the two bgsdsa Which did NOT numSsa
IN The aggregate mere than S,o" men, ps'en's1
them f5vH peSsevsYin0 n IL.