Evening star., 1914-05-24

! purpose of the south. They doubted
the ability of Lincoln, who had recent
political party. They were uncertain
as to whether he would yield to the
demands of political bosses. Lincoln
was not a trained soldier. They were
uncertain as to whether he could sue
ceed in the management of his army
| But the people of the south, on this
30th of May, were hopeful and con-
fdent. Loyalty from their point of
view meant allegiance to their states.
They held that the general government
had no right to interfere with their
formation of a new government. Their
loyalty to their cause almost amounted
to enthusiasm. They had the best of
reasons for being hopeful and confident
their president was a trained soldier.
He had studied at West Point and had
had experience both in the army and
in the War Department. Above all
things. he had the confidence of his
people.
1t is no wonder that the people Of
the south received the announcement
of Lincolns call for $4,000 troops with
derisive Laughter. and cheers. This
was on the Sd of April. By the Goth
of May their loyalty to their cause
had become more enthusiastic. This
men The military drill incident to
their preparation for war with them
was pleasant pastime. There was no
need of call for troops. Thousands
VI tHSHl were ready ana anxious TO
enlist. Manassas Junction. Va. had
been selected as the rallying place for
the Confederates, and volunteers were
gathering there. Such was the situa
before the storm Fifty-two days later
the battle of Bull Run!
The goth of May in 1862 was made
memorable in civil war history by the
evacuation of Corinth. Miss. The seiz-
ure of this Confederate stronghold by
the Union armies was an event which
estimated by its results. may be re-
garded as the first important event of
the war. Since the first Of May Halleck
had been trying to gain possession of
this stronghold. which. at that time.
was held by Beauregard. In the mean
time Old Pennington. the strongly for
titled outpost Of the Confederacy about
four miles from Corinth, had been
given up; Marmaduke. who had been
in command there. had retired to Cor
inth to reinforce Beauregard. The
Union forces had taken possession of
Old Pennington, had cut off Beaure-
CARDS railroad connections to the
north and east. and had, by the 29th
OF May. succeeded in working their
way to position. near the Confederate
fortiications at Corinth, from which
an assault could be made
1t was Hallecks intention to make
an assault on the following morning.
: and he was expecting to meet with
! strong resistance. But Halleck's ex-
| pectations were not realized. All night
long the pickets and sentinels heard a
continuous roar of moving cars in
Corinth. At early dawn Halleck sent
: out skirmishers, but no foe appeared to
oppose them. He then ordered Sher-
man to advance with his troops toward
) the Confederate Notifications and to
feel the enemy" But no enemy could
be found. Where was he?
Out near Old Pennington there still
, stands a tall tree which today is
pointed out to sightseers who visit
top of this tree the Union spies. at the
time of the siege. with field glass,
used to observe the movements of the
Confederate troops.
these spies saw only the rear of Beau
regards army far to the south CT
. Corlnth fleeing down the Mobile rail-
: road The enemy whom Sherman mad
been sent to feel had escaped The
city had been evacuated and left as a
prize of war to the Union army
On this 3oth of May there was mich
) rejoicing in the northern states. for all
: through the month of May the people
there had been awaiting the outcome of
: this siege On the following morning
there appeared in the New York Tribune
2 long editorial beginning thus:
Another stronghold of the rebels has fallen.
regards army is flying down the Mobile rail
road in anxious search for the 'last ditch
This tells the story. Soon after the
Both of May of the preceding year the
battle of Bull Run had given the Con-
federates a strong footing in the east,
: but since the beginning of the year 1862
the Union forces had been gaining a
t series of victories in the Mississippi val
ley; Pea Ridge, Shiloh. Island Number
Ten, New Madred and Fort Donelson
had prepared the way for the victory
, at Corinth. The result of this victory
was the establishment of the power of
: the Union in the west. One week later
Memphis fell. as it were. by its own
weight This gave the Union forces con-
troll OF the Mississippi river as far south
a as Vicksburg, the only important strong
: : hold in the Mississippi valley that re-
z mained secure to the Confederates.
While the people in the north on this
g Goth of May were rejoicing over the
victory of their soldiers at Corinth and
O over the results which they felt would
inevitably follow. what about the people
t in the south? Nearly year had now
passed since the victory of the Con-
j: federate soldiers at the battle Of Bull
Run. When the news of this victory had
q come to the southern people many of
o them thought the war was over. So gen.
e eral was this impression that many of
the southern soldiers had gone back to
" their homes, thinking that there would
o be no further need of their services.
: The evacuation of Corinth cast a gloom
. over the whole south, but there still
I remained with the southern people an
! implicit confidence in the army of North
e Virginia which was. on that day, hold
!, ing its own in defense of Richmond
t The truthfulness of the old saying
n Coming events cast their shadows be-
: FORE" must have been realized by the
" people both in the north and in the
south the 30th of May in 1863. for al
that time tS,re were pending two
events. either of which, these people
: must have realized might prove to be
j the turning point of the war. one OF
9 these, they knew. would happen soon
g at Vicksburg, the other somewhere in
a the east, but at what place no one
v aould at this time foretell
ANY news from Vicksburg?' must
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