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The Siege and Battle of Corinth

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The Siege and Battle of Corinth toN ~· THE SIEGE AND BATTLE OF CORINTH A STRATEGY FOR PRESERVATION, PROTECTION AND INTERPRETATION · Prepared for The Citizens of Corinth, Mississippi as a Technical Assistance Product of Southeast Region National Park Service and the American Battlefield Protection Progrmn PLEASE RE'MN TO: September 1991 TECHNICALINFORMATtON CENiER DENVER SERVICE CENTER B&WScans NATIONAL PARK SERVICE s-jrr9)~oo 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document is a National Park Service The report tines not address the feasibility and technical assistance effort provided to the citizens suitability t~f these sites as parks on a federal, of Corinth as part of the American Battlefield state, or local level. The local community, Protection Program. It is intended to present the particularly '(he Corinth Task Force,' provided community of Corinth, Mississippi, with ideas significant input in the generation of this report. about the alternatives available to them for preserving the resources associated with the Siege and Battle of Corinth. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY: WITH ASSISTANCE FROM: Paul Hartwig l'vlaureen Danaher Foster Deputy Associate Regional Director Historian Cultural Resources Washington Office Southeast Regional Office Katie Ryan Gene Cox Historian Chief, Division of Interpretation Washington Office Everglades National Park Paul Hawke Historian Southeast Regional Office CARTOGRAPHY: Virginia Horak Doug !vladsen Editor Landscape Architect Southeast Regional Office Southeast Regional Office TABLE OF CO.NTENTS INTRODUCTION ... I SIGNIFICANCE .. 2 ~> Troop :Movernents . 7 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT 12 PLANNING CoNSIDERATIONs .. 26 PLANNING PERSPECTIVES . • • . 2 8 I> Strategies . JO I> Effects of Ownership on Resources . 34 FINDINGS ..•.•..•••..•..•.••.................................. J6 APPENDIXES ..•..•.......•..•..•............•...•.............. 38 I> A - Siege and Battle of Corinth Task Force . 39 I> B - Establishing a Friends Group . 40 I> C - Interpretive Potential . 41 I> D - Visitor Center Options ........................................ 43 I> E - American Battlefield Prp~ection Program . 46 ,, / ·-. ~ --. ) ~..: ..--- ~-:.: -· .- .• ... ., .. I INTRODUCTION The citizens of Corinth, Mississippi have long To ensure the survival of Corinth's historic Presen·atiou is best shown interest in the historic resources in and resources, a comprehensive program , with a achiel'ed wheu the around their community. In response to their strong foundation is essential. Just as a building people closest to tf1e urging, the Secretary of the Interior designated requires basic components-mortar, bricks and pface ill queUiou are several sites associated with the Siege and Battle craftsmanship-such a program must incorporate close/)' iui'Oll'ed - wheu presermtiou is of Corinth as a National Historic Landmark. some basic elements. Preservation, protection happe11i11g 11ot for Thus, Corinth received the distinction of joining and interpretation, with consideration to owner­ them or to them, but some 2,000 National Landmark properties across ship, are the key ingredients which, when skill­ ll'ith them. America. With this new status comes a serious fully combined, will form the foundation of an responsibility to preserve, protect, and interpret enduring project. This document, in the context Mauual Luja11, Jr. these resources for future generations. of Corinth's history and current circumstallccs, U.S. Secretary of provides some basic components for h11ildi11g a the 111/erior successful program to share the hi.,lory and manage the rich resources of Corinth. Oppo.•ire f'"K'': "0/lro the Wflr" by lVaJFon Taber Page I SIGNIFICANCE Corinth, Mississippi, originally known as Cross Tennessee to Union invasion. Two Union City, was founded in the 1850s. This small armies under l\·laj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and town numbering less than 400 residents in 1860, Maj. Gen. Do11 Carlos Buell advanced on Cor­ was soon to play an important role in the strug­ inth planning to unite at Pittsburg Landing on the gle between the North and the South. Located in Tennessee River, 22 miles northeast of the town. the northeast corner of Mississippi near the Grant, the first to arrive, bivouacked his army to Tennessee border, Corinth grew up around the wait for Uuell. Grant did not expect any m;~or crossover of two important railroad lines. The Confederate activity, but before Buell could join first, the Memphis & Charleston, was the only him, Confederate Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston through railroad in the South. This east-west led his army out of Corinth for a surprise attack line provided service from the Mississippi River on Grant. Thus began the Battle of Shiloh, the at Memphis, by way of Chattanooga, branching first great bloody battle of the Civil War (April off to Richmond, Atlanta and beyond. The 6-7, 1862). The timely arrival of Buell's army second railroad, the north-south Mobile & Ohio, and Grant's ability to rally his army, forced the connected Mobile, Alabama, with Columbus, Confederates to withdraw to Corinth and saved Kentucky. Since the only other railroads of the Union forces from defeat. similar size and importance were in the North, the young Confederacy depended on these two Following lhe Battle of Shiloh, the two Union railways. During the first two years of the Civil armies were joined with a third and Maj. Gen. War, the crossroads enjoyed a great level of sig­ Henry \V. llalleck assumed command of lhc nificance as Union forces planned their strategy "army group." Grant served as deputy com­ to invade the South. In the campaign (April­ mander wi til l\ laj. Gen. George H. Thomas in May 1862) leading to the Siege of Corinth, Cor­ charge of TilL~ Army of the Tennessee; Maj. inth was considered one of the most strategic Gen. Don Carlos Buell commanding the Army of locations in the Confederacy. the Ohio; <IIHI Maj. Gen. John Pope leading the Anny of the Mississippi. These combined forces The Union victory at Forts Henry and Donelson numbered 120,000 men. The Confederate troops and the subsequent loss of Nashville, Tennessee, were facing an army more than twice its effec­ and' Columbus, Kentucky, opened west-central tive size. Page 2 ' . On April28, 1862, Halleck began an advance on Corinth that was to last until May 30, 1862. Known as the Siege of Corinth, the campaign of this powerful "army group" has been described as the "most extraordinary display of entrench­ ment under offensive conditions witnessed in the entire war." Beginning with a cautious march from Pittsburg Landing and Hamburg Landing in Tennessee, Halleck's army warily pushed for­ ward. By May 2 the Northerners were within 12 c miles of Corinth. Despite these defenses, the Confederates were From "Baffle in 77w Meanwhile, the Confederates constructed de­ unable to hold their positions. On the night of Ci1·il War" by Paddy fenses to guard the eastern and northern ap­ May 29-30, 1862, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard (who Grij]itll. lll!wration f1y proaches to Corinth. Anchored on the Memphis took command after Albert Sidney Johnston was by Peter Dennis. and Charleston Railroad on the west side, these killed at Shiloh) withdrew his troops from Cor­ earthworks followed the commanding ground inth. The loss of Corinth led to the evacuation northwest and north of Corinth, crossed the of Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Purdy Road, fall of Memphis, Tennessee. The lwo vital turned south to follow the high ground com­ Southern railroads that crossed at Corinth had manding Bridge Creek, traversed the Memphis been severed. Northern Alabama, rvtississippi, and Charleston Railroad well east of the cross­ and west Tennessee, as well as the l'vlississippi over, and finally hooked up to the Danville River route to Vicksburg, lay open to Union Road, one-half mile east of the Mobile and Ohio. armtes. Page J During the summer of 1862, Union forces By the late .stlllllller and early autumn of 18(>2, occupied Corinth and hastily erected six batteries Confederat~ arlllies were on the march along a (A-F) west of town. Generals Halleck and Grant thousand-mile front. Confederate Maj. Gen. concurred that Corinth was still inadequately Earl Van Dom joined fvlaj. Gen. Sterling Price's protected from the west and northwest. Maj. Army of the West after Price's retreat from Gen. William S. Rosecrans, now commanding Iuka, rvtississippi. As senior officer, Van Dorn the Union army at Corinth, complied with the led the 22.000-man Confederate army north to wishes of his superior officers by constructing Pocahontas, Tennessee on the Memphis and Cha­ additional defenses to the west and north. They rleston Railroad-a long day's march northwest consisted of redoubts connected by rifle-pits. of Corinth. It was from here on October 2, These positions were further strengthened by an 1862, that the Confederate army began its ad­ abatis (felled timber with sharpened branches, vance on Corinth. l3y 10:00 AM on October 3, "Looking for a Friend" arranged to face the expected direction of an the Confederates initiated the Battle of Corinth by Walton Taber enemy's attack) where the lines extended into when their forces crossed Cane Creek on the forested areas. Chewalla Road. Meeting with heavy skirmish­ ing, the Con federates continued southeast on either side of the Memphis and Charleston Rail­ road from the Cane Creek crossing area. Maj. Gen. Mansfield Lovell's division deployed south of the road, while Maj. Gen. Dabney Maury and Brig. Gen. Louis Hebert deployed to the north. Fighting continued all day along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, the Chewalla Road leading into Corinth, and west of the Mobile a·nd Ohio Railroad. Toward the end of the first day, heavy fighting concentrated along the ridge near the White House and Ba!Lery F. The Union soldiers, outflanked, were forced to withdraw into their redoubts nearest the tmvn. Page 4 •' The morning of October 4 saw the Confederates Corinth and North Mississippi remained in delayed by organizational problems. Finally, the Union hands until the winter of 18GJ-G.'!.·. when attack renewed', Confederate forces slammed into the Federals abandoned their Corinth enclave.
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