The Ottawa free trader., 1888-11-24

DfODltS, WHD lphhy o'' N'"e9''h
wretched remnants of eXstences 10 require
any remintng what suffering and ais
heartenment we're encountered there In
that worse than needless service, during
those sOrrowing and weary weeks oi
April Gnd May 1862. by no means
could the cause Of the rebels have been o
well advanced within those limits, as by
that siege OF Corinth, A great army
utterly disabled, in view of all circum
stances In which they were placed sue
cessiully holding In check much greater
one, and consuming II In exceeding mum
bers through the auXiliaries OF bad
weather, bad climNe, wasting toll, and
consequent disease and death, than repeated
encounters in battles, II they had been in
condition 10 have offered IT, There WAS
An inversion Of statement: the besiegers
were the besieged.
Nothing is better remembered by survi'
vors that than soon after the battle Gen,
Henry Wager Halleck, formerly OF Nir-
ginia, educated Ut West Point, somewhat
advanced in life, arrived from 81 Louis
and took command, inaugarating what
has been called The Siege Of Corinth;"
which continued until May 2Sth, 1852,
following-about seven weeks. To man
even wholly unacquainted with the science
Of war, il would seem plain that one edu-
Gated to it from early youth presumed
competent to command department In
active war, who had so far from his i'm
mediate base of operations as 81. Louis
from Pittsburg Landing, directed the
general movements, appearing early upon
the scene after the battle, should have been
able at once to have comprehended the
situation; especially to have forseen the
consequences to the health of great army
recently recruited and brought Into that
wholly new mode Of life, and into eli
mate to which they were unused at that
exceedingly unfavorable season, even If he
had no. had the advantage of superior
medical advice on his staff. At least If IL
had been impracticable to have advanced
upon the retreating enemy, as soon rs the
dead were buried and the sources of pol
luton of air and water had been abated,
he could have advanced the main body of
his army to previously unoccupied ground
where pure water was In abundance and a
better atmosphere. II was twenty miles
from Corinth, to which the enemy had
retired, and rising ground for half that
distance. Nothing TO encounter in the way
but the enemy's pickets, and the rear was
well protected, the gunboats Tyler and
Lexington In the river, and base Of sup
plies at Savannah as well as on boats at
Pittsburg Landing; fleet continually
arriving there with them, and departing
with sick to northern hospitals And 1t
was as easy from the first to have kept
open longer line as to have extended 1t
more slowly, as the only encounters all
through were from sudden dashes by small
parties made upon our advance,
and the enemy's videttes and pickets in our
front.
But some time before Halleck arrived
and sat down In command of "The Army
before Corinth near Shiloh, ," and which for
u long time seemed permanently located
in that "Dreary region of the Dead"
those who still survived met their crowning
iismay by the arrival of large
of intrenching tools, which
presented before those sick, aud wasted,
and disheartened men the discouraging
prospect Of most wearing and eXhaustiDg |
labor, than which, IN military operations
In the field, probably nothing is
more taxing to physical endurance
tlan building "earthworks," The heavier
Dnes called parallels" What are
called rifle pits' are very light In com
parison, But those, work upon which |
was shortly begun, we're so heavy and elab
orate as well to be called "fortifica-
ions,' broad, high, finished and extensive
run In a scientific manner, zIgzagging, TO
allow of repelling an enemy latterly
from front attack There were deep
meats in front from eycavating the earth
to build them, and the SUBMITS were sur
by heavy "headlogs" supported
upon skids, leaving openings through
which to press the muskets to repel an
sssaulting foe, while the head was pro.
ected. These lines of works were laid
)ut In regular lengths and direction and
distances apart, varying from a quarter to
lalf mile or a mile apart. Was told by
hose presumed to understand that this
system of defences was in expec-
alton of a probable immediate attack of
IN overwhelming force; and so that, driven
,ut of one line of parallels the retreat
would be easy TO those In the rear, where
he next attack could be further checked
made favorable for safe retreat
ather than presenting an advance. la ad-
litin, these Notifications against badly
educed enemy were furnished with heavy