The National tribune., 1906-04-26
OF THE
CUMBERLAND.
Continued from page 1.

4
! tory to an evacuation on Monday, the
2eth of May. On the next day, Tuesday.
| the 21th, Gems. Beauregard and Bragg
were making arrangements FOR falling
! back. which process was completed in
| great haste on Thursday night, the 2eth.
| On "Wednesday the entire line of Gen.
| IIalleck was advanced from ene-half To
three-quarterS of a mile and up into
1 esisy range OF the enemy'S works. The
heavy siege guns were put into position
on that day on the works thrown up
/ by the advanced column. This move
| ment throughout was hotly contested
| the enemy seeking TO keep their oppo-
| nents at safe distance. If possible. un-
| til their evacuation could be completed
| They continued to show an unbroken
| Fl ont, and to work their batteries with
energy and without interruption
| throughout this and the next day. ON
| Thursday morning operations were re-
/ sUmed with the same carnestneSs as on
Wednesday. The enemy appeared still
in position. and contested every inch of
| the Union advance with The utmost de-
| termination. At o'clock on that morn
| ihg, however, their musketry firing
| ceased and was not again resumed.
| After that hour there We're no further
! close engagements. The batteries on
both sides, however, were Kept in play.
though n gradual diininution of the
enemy's fire was observable aS the day
wore away, and before night it had
| wholly ceased. During the night heavy
explosions were heard I'm the cuemy's
works, which were cOnjectured to be
| the destruction of their magazines and
ammunition. which subsequently proved
| true. Flames were also seen issuing
from the town in the latter part of the
night. These indications We're plain u
those in the advance of the Federal
lines. and were understood to lie the
| movements for an evacuation.
Occupation of Gorintb.
As no opp gition was made to the
advance on Friday morning, some Off
GERS dashed ahead to satisfy themselves
OF the enemy's position. The first party
rode into the town at $50 in the morn
ing, and then was discovered the whole
extent of the success gained. DcstrUc-
ton, waste and desolation were visible
on every hand. Huge piles of commits
sary stores were smouldcring in the
flames. The remains of buildings de-
stroyed were conspicuous on the streets.
The enemy had fed, taking care that
what they could not carry away should
ar least not be left for the victors One
large warehouse. filed with provisions,
was all that remained undamaged of
boundless stores of similar goods, suffi-
cient to Withstand much longer siege.
Sacks were torn open, barres broken,
hogSheads knocked to pieces, and their
contents mixed in common piles, upon
ard about which huge bonlires had been
lit.
So complete was the evacuation that
not only was the Confederate army sue
cessfully withdrawn, but they took ever
piece of ordnance. A large quantity OF
ammunition was left behind in a DAM
aged state.
At Corinth the Confederate line of
Notifications was about 10 miles long,
with strong batteries or redoubts at
every road or assaila BILE point Between
the Notifications and a marshy stream,
covering the whole front, the dense tim
Der had been cut down to form a very
strong abatiS, through which no cavalry
ol artillery could have passed, nor even
Infantry except as skirmishers. The
lines thrown up by the Federal troops
at the end of the days advance We're
mere rifie-pIts, while the fortifications
around Corinth were, as stated above,
strong continuous line, constructed
with great care and labor, and, inde-
pendent of their position, Were in them
selves immeasurably stronger than the
mere precautionary defenses on the
Federal part against any sudden sortie
OF the enemy. The Confederate works,
moreover, were on the brow of ridge
considerably higher. than any in the
surrounding country, at the foot Of
which was ravine correspondinglyI
deep. The zigZag course of the line
gave TO the defenders the command of
al. the feasible approaches, and hum
dreds could have been moved down at
every step made by an assailing army.
Gen. BueIl's Report.
Gen. Buells report mentions the diff
ficulties encountered i'm the slow adj
vance, which required the corduroying
of roads, the building of bridges. and
the heavy rains which impeded opera
tions. Like the rest of the officers Gen.
Buell. had no idea Of the evacuation
and, on the other hand, was so COM
pletely deceived that he expected AM
attack in heavy force at daylight. He
had masSed his troops with reference
to that contingency, and perfected his
communications with Gen. Pope so as
u render mutual assistance. He re-
ported that the loss in his entire army
in the advance did not probably exceed
$50 killed and wounded. He says that
he had no doubt that the honor of first
entering the enemys work was due TO |
Gen. Nelson, who was the first to dis
cover that the enemy was evacuating. |
while the others supposed that the ene-
my was preparing to attack.
Again Gen. Buell. made no attempt
at pursuit further than to send some
cavalry under Col. Jackson with Il bat |
terry of artillery which went out about !
by the enemy's rear guard, and found |
trees and burned bridges that the pur-
l. sra,,-