Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-14

nc
The following interesting description of the
Pittsburg battlefield and the surrounding country
we copy from the Chicago Times:
CONCENTRATION OF FEDERAL TROOPS on THE UPPER
TENNESSEE
Soon after the fall of Fort Donelson, and the
occupation of Nashville by the Federal troops.
the army engaged in the reduction of the fort was
sent up the Tennessee river under the command
OF Gen. G. f. Smith. The first and second weeks
of March were occupied by the transportation of
troops, one hundred and thirty steamers be-
ing engaged in the work, under the convoy of
the gunboats Tyler. Conestoga and Lexington.
The troops were distributed at various points
along the river, but the main body was concen-
trated at Savannah, Crumps Landing and Pitts
burg-all contiguous to each other. General
Grant soon afterwards went up the river and as
sumed the command of the entire Federal forces.
Savannah. the first important point on the
river where our troops were massed, is the county
seat of Hardin county, and is on the east bank OF
the Tennessee river, 80 miles from its mouth. 1t
was here that Gen. Buell's forces from Nashville
first reached the Tennessee river, after a weary
march of eighty two miles from Columbia. From
Savannah to Crump's Landing, where Gen. Lew.
Wallace was stationed with his command, the
distance is four miles, and from Crump's Land
ing to Pittsburg FIVE miles.
Beauregard was at Corinth, with his left wing
at Purdy and beyond on the Mobile and Ohio
road, and his right under Sidney Johnston on the
Memphis and Charleston road, off toward Flor.
ence. Gen. Grant occupied Pittsburg with 3d.
600 troops, with his advance thrown out on the
roads to Corinth and Pittsburg. At Crump's
Landing Gen Lew Wallace was posted with a
portion of the army while other troops were al
Savannah, upon which place Gen. Buell's divi
sions were marching.
As throwing same light on the movements oil
the rebel troops, we notice that the Nashville
Patriot, of April 3, says: "a gentleman who LEFT
the neiehborhood of the Confederate army of the
West on last Thursday (the 2d) states that Beau
regard left Corinth that day with his command
for Purdy. Tennessee. and that Johnston lef
with him the same day for Purdy by way of Ham
burg. 1t was expected that they would bring on
battle Friday or Saturday if their march wa:
not impeded by rain" This expectation wa.
nearly realized, for, instead OF the battle being
fought on Friday OR Saturday, it took place OF
Sunday and Monday.
| THE BATTLE GROUND.
Pittsburg, Tennessee, the scene Of the bloody
and decisive battles of Sunday and Monday last
is situated on the west bank of the TENNESSEE
river in Hardin county, 2l9 miles from the mouth
of the Tennessee river. The town contains bu
half dozen houses. and, prior TO the war, oweC
its little Importance to the fact of its being th,
landing on the Tennessee used by the people o.
| Corinth, Purdy and the adjacent country. 1t i.
connected with both of these towns by gooC
roads
The rebels Immediately after the fall of Fort:
Henry and Donelson, appear TO have had some
idea of the Importance of Pittsburg Landing, fo
they erected batteries on the bluffs adjacent t.
the town, and opened upon one of our gunboat
passing up the river The enemy were shellec
cut of their batteries, and the place was soor
afterwards occupied by portion of Gen. Grant.
army.
From Pittsburg to Corinth, the headquarters
of the rebel army, the distance is twenty miles
the road running in southwest direction over
heavily timbered and rolling country. The roa.
| from Purdy to Pittsburg runs almost due west,
distance of twelve miles. A detachment wa.
sent out to the latter place soon after our arm,
was concentrated on the Upper Tennessee, to de
strOy the railroad connection between Purdy anC
/ Cornth. The expedition was successful but tn,
rebels repaired the injuries to the road, land re
opened communication.
| coRINrH.
| Corinth, the headquarters of the late rebe
army intended to operate against Gen. Grant, il
village of about 900 inhabitants, situatet
near the Tennessee line, in Tishomingo county
Mississippi, the northeastern county of that State
| This county has an area of about fourteen hun
dred square miles. The Tombigbee river rise
in the county; the Tennessee flows along tn,
northeast boundary, and tits drained by Tuscum
bia river.
The surface is diversified by small hills; th,
soil is fertile. especially in the valleys, and gen
orally has substratum of sand. A large par
of the country is covered with forests OF hick
DRY, oak. walnut, and pine. The bead streams
of the Tombigbee furnish valuable motive pow
er. The county was organized in 1896. Th,
population in 1850 amounted to Is AGO, of which
/ $500 were free and 96l slaves. In 1860 it
population had run up to "a ,l49.
Oorinth is well known as the junction of th,
| Memphis and Charleston and the Mobile anC
Ohio Railroads. From this point road stretche.
northward through the whole of Western Ten
nessee to Cumberland, Kentucky; southwark tn.
road runs through Eastern Mississippi and cor
ner of Alabama, to Mobile on the Gulf west
ward road runs direct to Memphis, and east
ward through Florence, Aha, Chattanooga, Tenn.
and Atlanta, Ca, to Charleston, S. @. Corinth
therefore, commands the communication to Mem
phs, the Gulf, and the seaboard seeded States
Not only so, but this Memphis and Charleston
road is the only railroad connection left the rebel
between Louisiana, Mississippi and all Alabam:
west of Pensacola and the southern seaboart
States Troops can emily be sent east from New
Orleans, Natchez, Vicksburg, jackson, Memphis
Baton Rouge, or Mobile or to those points from
Virginia, North or South Carolina or Georgia
over the Memphis and Charleston road, the onl,
railroad hne now connecting the east and west o
the rebellion. Let that road be once broken an,
the Southern Confederacy is cut in two as effec
tually as it Chinese wall were built between
the Gulf and the seaboard States.