About half a mile from our camp of last night
the enemy began to dispute our advance, first
with cavalry, to which their infantry and artille
ry in force were soon added. The road, narrow
and winding, through swamp and jungle, and over
precipitous ridges, across which, at times, the ar
tillery was with difficulty dragged by hand, was
one of the most dangerous to attempt in the face
of an enemy I have ever seen. They took ad
vantage of every swamp and jungle for their in
fantry, and every ridge for their artillery, from
which we successfully drove them, generally at
the double-quick, for five miles to and across the
Hatchic, at Davis s bridge, over which and up the
steep beyond we pushed them so rapidly that
they had not time to burn the bridge. In driving
the enemy we took two batteries, and have them,
and at the river captured two or three hundred
prisoners, among whom are field-officers and an
aid-de-camp to Gen. Van Dorn, who commanded



4U8



REBELLIOX RECORD, 1862.



the enemy. On account of the fact that we had
frequently to attack across open fields and up
hills whilst the enemy were under dense cover,
we have lost quite a number of officers and men,
and have several hundred wounded, probably a
greater number than have the enemy. General
Veateh was very badly contused by a spent ball
striking him in the side.

I will send you regimental lists of killed and
wounded as soon as they can be brought in. Gen.
Hurlbut has cavalry in pursuit of the enemy, who
moved off to the south about four o clock this af
ternoon ; our infantry, which started from Bolivar
at three o clock A.M. yesterday, inarching twenty-
nine miles, and to-day fighting five miles over
this country, under a fire at short-range for seven
hours, being too much fatigued to pursue to-day ;
besides, it will take until dark to bring in the
wounded. The troops in their charge over the
miserable bridge at Davis s Creek and up the steep
beyond, exposed to a murderous fire of shell,
grape and canister, with three of their batteries
playing upon them at canister-range, however,
proved that wherever their officers dare to lead
them, the men will go. Generals Hurlbut, Veateh,
and Lauman, the former commanding the division,
the latter two brigades, did not confine themselves
alone to their duties as commanders, but did every
thing that men could do to make victory complete.
Gallant officers ! so much praise of them is entire
ly unnecessary. To their respective staff-officers
I must, also, add my sincere thanks for the zeal and
energy with which the} discharged their arduous
duties throughout the day. To the officers of the
line and the men, from what I have seen of them
to-day, I can only say that, should the fortunes
of war continue them under my command, it will
be my pride to win their confidence. Gen. Veateh
pushed the enemy with great vigor and success
in front, until their forces were so much increased
that it became necessary to bring up our reserve
under command of Gen. Lauman, which I ordered
at once ; whereupon the enemy were driven from
their last stronghold, Gen. Lauman showing, by
his coolness, energy, and courage, that the front
was his proper place.

Gen. Hurlbut has reported to me that he has
gathered about nine hundred arms already, thrown
away by the enemy in their retreat, and expects
to collect a large number to-morrow. The names
of two hundred and eighty-nine prisoners have
already been registered, and they are still being
brought in. From the nature of the country over
which we fought, it is impossible to arrive at an
accurate estimate of the number of the enemy ;
but this may be inferred from the number of arms
thrown away, the quantity of their artillery, and
the fact that a portion of their forces engaged
against us were not at Corinth. Guns are heard
to-night in the direction of Corinth.

Gen. Hurlbut will push forward early to-morrow
morning, as it is presumed General Rosecrans is
harassing the rear of the enemy. My personal
staff Division Surgeon S. B. Davis, Capt. Sharpe,
Lieut. Brown, A.D.C., and Capt. Hotaling, Sec
ond Illinois cavalry, and A.D.C. were, by turns,



colonels of regiments or captains of batteries,
cheering and leading the men through the thick
est of the fight. They always took the shortest
line to danger on the field, and were always on
hand when wanted. I commend them to the con
sideration of the Government.

E. 0. C. OKD,

Major-G eneral.

COLONEL TRUMBULL S REPORT.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD IOWA INFANTRY, )
CAMP NEAR BOLIVAR, TENN., October 8, ISG 2. f

Capt. H. Scofield, Assistant Adjutant- General:
SIR : I have the honor to report the part taken
by the Third Iowa infantry in the battle of the
fifth of October. The Third Iowa, three hundred
strong, was on the right of the First brigade,
(Gen. Lauman,) and formed part of the reserve.
When the reserve was ordered into action, the
Third Iowa led ; crossing the bridge with a cheer
and at a double-quick, under so severe a fire that
fifty-seven men were shot down in a few minutes,
including over half the commissioned officers pre
sent. This necessarily threw the regiment into
some confusion, especially as the road was very
narrow and encumbered with a good deal of un
derbrush ; and the men pressing forward got in
termixed with the men of other regiments. I saw
no way to extricate the regiment, but by planting
the colors in the middle of the road and ordering
the men to rally to them and form a new line of
battle. The regiment then moved forward up
the hill, in company with other regiments which
had adopted the same plan, the enemy retiring as
we advanced. On reaching the summit, the Third
Iowa was stationed in the open plain to the lefl
of the road, and towards the close of the engage
ment were moved to the right of the road, near
the bend of the river, to support the gallant
Twenty-eighth Illinois. The battle was now
about over.

I have to regret the loss of First Lieut. W. P.
Dodd, commanding company H, who was struck
by a shell and instantly killed, just before we
crossed the bridge. He was a brave and faithful
officer, and his loss will fall heavily upon the
regiment. I have also to regret the permanent
disability of Capt. E. J. AVeiser, of company D,
and Acting Second Lieut. I). AV. Foote, of com
pany I, tw r o noble and gallant officers, both of
whom have been wounded in battle before. Capt.
C. Kostmann, commanding company C, and First
Lieut. AV. B. Hammill, commanding company K,
were both severely wounded, while gallantly
pressing forward in the front of their respective
companies. Second Lieut. C. L. Anderson, com
manding company G, who had done his whole
duty through the engagement, was severely
wounded just at the close of the battle. First
Lieut. J. G. Scoby was especially prominent in
rallying the men to the colors. Second Lieut
Gary, company II, deserves special mention for
staying in command of his company after the
death of the First Lieutenant, all through the
battle, and until we reached Bolivar, though suf
fering from a painful but not a severe wound.



DOCUMENTS.



499



Lieuts. McMurtric and Burbick, of company D,
Lakin and Abnerthej , of company F, and Moc,
of company C, did their duty bravely and well.
Company A was not engaged, having been de
tailed as guard to the wagon-train. Second Lieut.
G. A. Cushman, Acting Adjutant, and Sergeant-
Major R. W. Montague, both displayed great cool
ness and courage, and rendered me very valuable
assistance on the field.

The conduct of the rank and file in crossing
the bridge, under the terrible fire of the enemy s
batteries, and in rallying to the flag, as promptly
as they did, deserves the highest praise.

Several cases of individual bravery among the
men I shall bring to the notice of the General
commanding the brigade as soon as I have fully
investigated the circumstances. I take pleasure
in noticing here the gallantry of Corp. Anderson
Edwards, the color-bearer. This is the third
fight in which he has carried the colors of the
regiment, and he deserves the notice of the Gen
eral Commanding. I am ashamed to say that a
few, a very few, cases of misconduct in the pres
ence of the enemy, have been reported to me,
which on further investigation I shall submit to
the General commanding the brigade, with a re
quest that they may be submitted to a general
court-martial.

1 herewith enclose a list of the killed and
wounded in the Third Iowa infantry, in the ac
tion of the fifth. The number of killed is ver} r
small, considering the terrible character of the
wounds received.

I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect,
your obedient servant,

M. M. THUMB ULL,

Lieut.-Col. Commanding Third Iowa Infantry.

REPORT OP LIEUT.-COLONEL JONES.

HEADQUARTERS FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, j
IN THE FIELD, October 9, Ib62. f

Capt. F. W. Fox, Assistant Adjutant- General:
SIH: At eight o clock on the morning of the
fifth instant, under orders from Brig.-Gen. Veatch,
the Forty-sixth regiment took position on the
right of the Second brigade in the advance, to
support Bolton s battery, two miles west of the
Big Hatchie. After several shots, the battery
took position half a mile in advance, when they
opened a galling fire on the rebels, which lasted
about three fourths of an hour ; when the com
mand " Fire" was given, the men all moved at the
word, and soon received the melancholy intelli
gence that our loved and gallant Colonel Davis
was again severely wounded by a canister shot.
When I took command and announced this, they
all seemed determined to avenge their loss, and
soon had the opportunity, for at this moment the
rebels opened their first volley of musketry at
short-range, which was received with great cool
ness by the men until they had the command,
"Fire," which they did, and rushed on, driving
them over and from their own batteries, to the
opposite bank of the river. Here the rebels made
a stand, and confidently expected to repulse our i



forces, but the word was still forward, and on
they marched on double-quick, and formed in line
over the river. I Fere Sergt. John E. Hershey,
color-bearer, fell wounded. Corp. T. E. Joiner,
of company G, true to duty, bore both colors
across the open field, and handed one to James
Hobday, of company T, who did it honor through
the day. At this time Capt. W. W. F. Fox, of
Gen. Veatch s staff, took the front, and called on
the Forty-sixth to follow him, when they charged
with cheer after cheer, until the field was again
theirs ; and in the last line, formed about four
o clock P.M., the brave and generous Lieut. M. R.
Thompson fell mortally wounded.

I cannot close this report without special men
tion of Assistant Surgeon Benj. H. Bradshaw,
who, unassisted, took the wounded from amid
the ranks himself, doing far more than his duty.
And also the officers of the line, who were at
their posts, fearless of rebel power, and if honor
has been won, it is due to them and their brave
men alone.

GENERAL GRANT S ORDERS.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OK WEST-TENNESSEE, >
JACKSON, TENN., October 7. f

GENERAL ORDERS, No. 88. It is with heart
felt gratitude the General Commanding congratu
lates the armies of the West for another great
victory won by them on the third, fourth, and
fifth inst, over the combined armies of Van Dorn,
Price, and Lovell.

The enemy chose his own time and place of
attack, and knowing the troops of the West as he
does, and with great facilities for knowing their
numbers, never would have made the attack ex
cept with a superior force, numerically. But for
the undaunted bravery of officers and soldiers,
who have yet to learn defeat, the efforts of the
enemy must have proven successful.

While one division of the army under Major-
Gen. Rosecrans was resisting and repelling the
onslaught of the rebel hosts at Corinth, another
from Bolivar, under Major-General Ilur^mt" was
niarching upon the enemy s rear, driving in their
pickets and cavalry, and attracting the attention
of a large force of infantry and artillery. On the
following day, under Major-Gen. Ord, these forces
advanced with unsurpassed gallantry, driving
the enemy back and across the Hatchie, over
ground where it is almost incredible that a supe
rior force should be driven by an inferior, captur
ing two of his batteries, (eight guns,) many hun
dred small arms, and several hundred prisoners.

To these two divisions of the army all praise is
due, and will be awarded by a grateful country.

Between them there should be, and I trust is,
the warmest bonds of brotherhood. Each waa
risking life in the same cause, and on this occa
sion risking it also to save and assist the other.
No troops could do more than these separated
armies. Each did all possible for it to do in tha
places assigned it.

As in all great battles, so in this, it becomes
our fate to mourn the loss of matiyHbrave ami
faithful officers and soldiers, who have given up



500



REBELLION RECORD, 1862,



their lives a sacrifice for a great principle. The
nation mourns for them.

By command of Major-Gen. U. S. GRANT.

JNO. A. RAWLINGS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT WEST-TENNESSEE, )
JACKSON, TENN., October 7, 1862. j

GENERAL ORDERS, No. 80.

The following despatch from the President of
the United States of America has been officially
received, and is published to the armies in this
District :

WASHINGTON, D. C., October 8, 1862.
Major- Genera I Grant:

I congratulate you and all concerned in your
recent battles and victories. How does it all
sum up V I especially regret the death of Gen.
Hackleman, and am very anxious to know the
condition of General Oglesby, who is an intimate
personal friend. A. LINCOLN.

By command of Major-Gen. U. S. GRANT.

JNO. A. RAWJJNGS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CINCINNATI "COMMERCIAL" ACCOUNT.

CORINTH, Miss., October 9, 1862.

Approaching Corinth from the north, via the
Mobile and Ohio Railroad, you scent the battle
field from afar. Sickening exhalations from the
carcasses of horses and men half stifle you.

The battle of Corinth a dreadful carnage a
glorious victory ! Perhaps three thousand dead
men, and three thoiisand mangled ! It was an
event. History will record that so many lives
went out here ; that so many splendid deeds of
manlike gallantry were done, and that the first
example of soldierly pursuit in this bloody war
of a vanquished enemy, was here signalized ~by a
Union General. Thus it was an epoch even
if those results which may follow victory do not
make it such.

The battle of luka was as much a part of the
battle of Corinth as South-Mountain was of An-
tietarn. It was the first act of the tragedy
strategy was displayed on either side. The
rebels hoped to possess Corinth by their move
ment on luka, and Van Dorn was too slow.
Price s operations were discovered, and he would
have been splendidly entrapped if somebody had
not blundered. As it was, it was a wonder that
he did not crush Rosecrans s isolated command.
It was a pity that Grant did not attack in time
to enable Rosecrans to bag Price. Fiasco on
either hand. Price supposed that by attacking
luka and drawing out our forces from Corinth,
Van Dorn would rush into Corinth, but as soon as
Price retreated from luka, Gen. Ord was sent to
Corinth by. Grant, and Van Dorn, already too
slow, discovered that an attack with his army
would result in disaster. So he waited for a con
centration of all the rebel forces.

luka was deserted by our forces on the twen
tieth, after all our stores were removed, the wound
ed rebel prisoners being paroled and left in charge
of r,bel surgeons. Gen. Rosecrans then marched >



to Jacinto, and on the twenty-first of September
established his headquarters at Corinth. Gen.
Ord returned to Bolivar, and Gen. Grant to Jack
son, Tennessee. Gen. Rosecrans, comprehending
that he would be attacked, began immediately to
prepare for active operations, and by a series of
skilful manoeuvres succeeded in deceiving the
enemy, and finally influenced them to attack on
the north and north-east sides of Corinth as will
appear hereafter. Meantime, General Rosecrans,
appreciating the fact that Beauregard s fortifica
tions, constructed for one hundred thousand men,
were indefensible by his force of not exceeding
sixteen thousand men, proceeded to encircle Co
rinth with a new chain of redoubts, greatly con
tracting the old lines, and felling large quantities
of timber to afford sweep for his guns. It is here
necessary to remark that Corinth in the dry sea
son is not Corinth in the rainy period. In the
former it is approachable on all sides ; during the
latter it is assailable only as Halleck assailed it,
upon none but the north and north-east sides.
The defences of the place had been constructed
on the other sides, and it was the design of Gen.
Rosecrans to seduce the enemy to attack him
upon his apparently weak side. We shall dis
cover the reason.

Meantime the movements of the enemy were
closely scrutinized. At one time Gen. Rosecrans
shut himself up like a tortoise ; at another, his
feelers were out in every direction. To-day he
was moving to Rienzi ; to-morrow, advancing
from that point ; next day moving back again,
so that his own perplexed officers were vexed
with him. But Price was also moving. By
placing your map before you, his movements will
appear clearly. Marching quickly in a south
westerly direction thirty miles, he struck Bald
win ; thence making a detour to the north-west,
he passed Dumas Post-Office, fifteen miles from
Baldwin, where he joined Van Dorn ; moved to
Pocahontas, thirty miles, leaving Ripley a little
on the left ; was there joined by General Lovell,
and moved down to Che walla, and from thence to
Corinth, on the old State Line road. Van Dorn
took chief command at Dumas, his force being
twenty thousand strong ; Price s constituting the
left wing, and Lovell s small division. Readers
are probably familiar with the field. If not, a
brief glance at the map will give them all the
geographical data they require Bolivar and
Jackson being kept in view as adjuncts of the
great drama.

"The eyes of the army" as Gen. Rosecrans
sharply styles cavalry were open, and the Gen
eral was apprised of their approach. Gen. Da-
vies s division and other troops were sent out
the Chewalla road to meet the rebels, with instruc
tions to resist strongly enough to draw them
under the defences of Corinth. The rebels skir
mished with us on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday, and appeared in great force on Friday,
(October third.) Our troops were then rather
rudely pushed back. We were, in fact, getting
the worst of it, and severely. Stanley s division
meantime was sent out to support the advance,



DOCUMENTS.



501



and our forces in Corinth were prepared for the
encounter. By night our whole force was driven
in, with Gen. Oglesby wounded, Gen. Hackelman
killed, and many others lost ; and the enemy,
flushed with apparent success, enveloped our
front and laid upon their arms, within a mile of
town.

Our own officers went on perfecting prepara
tions for the conflict. Capt W. B. Gau, of Gen.
Rosecrans s staff, took charge of his corps of ne
gro (slave) Sappers and Miners, and constructed
two revetted redoubts during the night. The
Yates Sharp-shooters of Illinois, and the Burgess
Sharp-shooters, rolled up a mass of logs and made
a passable breastwork in front of Bolivar road.
Gen. Rosecrans and his staff were on the field all
night making preparations to receive the enemy,
and nothing was neglected that seemed necessary
to insure victory.

The features of the field of battle are necessary
to a correct view of it. On the north and east
side of the town there is alternate hill and swampy
ground, generally heavy timbered, but now and
then a field on the left of the railroad. Our army



division, with McArthur s brigade on the extreme
left. The cavalry, under command of Colonel
Mizner, was posted on the right and left wings,
and in the rear, and competent forces were held
as reserves and to protect the rear. The front
line was carefully covered by crests of undula
tions on the town-plat, and the various batteries,
commanded by Lieut. -Colonel Lathrop, Chief of
Artillery, were generally covered by fortifications,
one of them being protected by an apron of hay
and cotton-bales.

Friday night the non-combatants of Corinth
were uneasy. Some of the troops were not al
together comfortable. The fact that the enemy
had driven our forces back into the town was not
reassuring. But it was remarked that General
Rosecrans was in magnificent humor. It is said
that he encouraged the lads by quoting Barkis,
assuring them that " things is workin ." It might
be so, but non-combatants couldn t see it. They
were told that the rebel line of battle was formed
within one thousand yards of our line. Thus it
was apparent they could shell the town. Civil
ians, you know, have a lively horror of shells. It



faced north. Fronting our right centre there is a is assumed that there was not much sleep in Co-
heavily thicketed swamp, almost impassable for
masses of infantry. On the left centre the ground
is quite hilly ; on the right, where our right wing



was posted, it was rolling, but fell off in front
into heavily-timbered ground swampy in rainy
weather. The Chewalla road enters the town on
the left, the Bolivar road about the right centre.
Excepting in the right centre, Corinth was ap
proachable in unbroken line of battle from that
side.

Our new line of fortifications consisted of four
revetted redoubts, covering the whole front of
Corinth and protecting the flanks. The fort on
the extreme right was strengthened by Beaure-
gard s old works. Fort Richardson, a new five-
gun battery, constructed during Friday night,
was at the left of Hamilton s division, which held
the extreme right, and was in direct range of the
debouch into town of the Bolivar road, the former
redoubt flanking that road ; Fort Williams,
mounted with twenty-pound Parrotts, command
ed the hills over which the Chewalla road describ
ed its course into town ; Fort Robinette, on a high,
narrow ridge, which, with Fort Williams, enfiladed
both the Chewalla and Bolivar roads. Another
fort on the extreme left, near the Corinth Semi
nary, protected our left and strengthened the
centre. The several forts in the rear were also
so located that they played a conspicuous part in
the battle, their pieces being reversed and turned
to the centre at a critical period.

The gallant Hamilton s division was assigned
the post of honor on the extreme right, his right
resting near Beauregard s old works, and at Fort
No. 1, stretching from the south side of the fa
mous Purdy road, his left resting behind Fort
Richardson. General Davies s division joined
him on the left and in consecutive order, six com
panies of the Yatcs s Illinois Sharp-shooters,
Burke s Western (Mo.) sharp-shooters, Stanley s
division, consisting of two brigades, and McKean s



rinth that night.

Before daybreak the Ohio brigade, (Stanley s di
vision,) commanded by Col. Fuller, which rested
its left on Fort Robinette, heard the enemy plac
ing a battery on the hill in front not over two
hundred yards from Fort Rohinette. Gen. Rose
crans, it is reported, said : " Let em plant it."
Before a streak of dawn, Saturday morning, they
opened furiously upon Corinth. " They saw our
breakfast-fires," said a soldier, " and got range
upon us." Shell flew about, exploding over the
houses, in houses, and in the streets. Our own
batteries did not reply for an hour or more. At
sunrise non-combatants were ordered to the rear.
Sutlers, storekeepers, employees of departments,
teamsters, negroes and all, retired precipitately ;
but they were behind the troops, and their exam,
pie was not contagious. Meantime the sharp
shooters of both armies had worked into the
swamp thicket in front of the town, and were
fighting sharply. Captain Williams, (U.S. A.) had
opened, at daylight, his thirty-pounder Parrotts
in Fort Williams on the battery which the ene
my had so slyly posted in darkness, and in
about three minutes it was silenced. This was
why General Rosecrans said : " Let em plant it."
The enemy dragged off two pieces, but were un.iblo
to take the other. Part of the Sixty-third Ohio,
and a squad of the First United States artillery,
went out and got the deserted gun, and brought
it within our lines.

Skirmishing had also opened at various points
in front as soon as it was light, and it was con
stantly thickening into the magnitude of battle.