A Hot Fight At Corinth

A FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY WAR STORY

October 3-4, 1862

[Copyright, 1902, by G. L. Kilmer.]

At Corinth, Miss., Oct. 3 and 4, 1862, General Earl Van Dorn attempted to wrest the great prize of the valley from the grasp of Grant. The fall of Corinth into the hands of the Confederates would mean that Grant's victories at Fort Henry, Donelson and Shiloh early in the year had been in vain. Corinth at the time was the advance post of the Federals in the southwest. Grant was at Jackson, Tenn., and maintained a force of 12,000 at Bolivar, with another at Memphis under Sherman numbering 7,000. The garrison at Corinth mustered 23, 000 and was commanded by Rosecrans. Van Dorn, having united his own army with that of Sterling Price after the repulse of Price at Iuka Sept. 20, had over 40,000 troops in the field, and he boldly considered striking Memphis, Bolivar or Corinth.

Grant was in doubt where Van Dorn would appear. A large Confederate army was across the border in Kentucky, and every Federal soldier that could be spared from the defense of the Memphis and Corinth region was needed to defend the line on the Ohio. Gran and his generals must therefore fight it out with Van Dorn alone.

Both Van Dorn and Price were vehement, not to say rash, leaders in battle. They planned to surprise Rosecrans at Corinth with one column and engaging him in his works, bring up a fresh column to clinch the victory. But Rosecrans was bold as well. When he heard that the enemy was after Corinth, he marched his troops out to give battle in front of the works.

Having made a long march, the Confederates were worn out and not in condition for battle. Besides, they hadn't formed lines when they found the enemy across their path. Rosecrans' center division under General Davies was first attacked by three Confederate divisions. Van Dorn's line was so long that it overlapped Davies and his troops fought heroically, but had to give ground step by step. Every one of his brigade commanders fell early in the fight. General Hackleman was mortally wounded while rallying the troops. General Oglesby of Illinois was shot down at the same time. Some soldiers stooped to carry Oglesby from the field, but he cried out: "Never mind me! Look yonder!" The Confederates had broken the line and were rushing on to Corinth. Colonel Baldwin, leader of the Third brigade, also fell.

Countless deeds of heroism were enacted on Davies' line, for it was in a forlorn hope to keep the head of the Confederate column at arm's length until Rosecrans could draw his line back to the works. Lieutenant Maxwell of Hackleman's brigade rushed forward into the enemy's ranks and recaptured a regimental standard that had just been lost. In falling back from an old redan which had been used at the beginning of the fight the Fifty-second Illinois left Private Murray alone behind the rampart. "It is orders to hold the fort to the last," he exclaimed. A Confederate captain demanded Murray's surrender and when it was refused shot him with a revolver. Murray shot the captain dead and also a private who attacked him.

Both army leaders sighed for "one hour more of daylight" when night put an end to the battle on Oct. 3. In spite of the heroic fighting in the center of Rosecrans' line Van Dorn had carried his army to within 600 yards of Cornith. But in fighting his way up Van Dorn had merely driven a wedge between the Federal right and left. Rosecrans' right division under Beneral Hamilton was ready when the sun went down to fall upon the Confederate rear. After dark Rosecrans drew all his troops back inside the line of fortifications and stood ready for the battle which Van Dorn sprung at daylight Oct. 4. After a shor duel of artillery the Confederates ceased fighting. The division which had the most important part in heading the charge did not move, but about 8 o'clock the charging line marched out from the cover of the woods in splendid style. Rosecrans' troops, lying down in front of the batteries, could see the southern flags and the glint of the sun upon the advancing bayonets. The first Federal line attacked was unfortunately placed, and the troops gave way. Rushing pellmell, the Confederates were caught by the fire of Rosecrans' batteries. The force of the charge was broken by the shells, but some of the boldest Confederates dashed on into the Federal reserve artillery.

The bloodiest fighting of the day was at Battery Robinett, a little work holding three guns, with a ditch in front five fee deep. This battery was assaulted again and again until the dead Confederates lay piled in ranks before it. When the head of the column at last reached the ditch, Colonel Rogers, leading the Second Texas, dismounted and, taking his flag from the hands of a dead color bearer, the fifth to fall in the desperate charge, planted it upon the bank and stood by rallying his men until he was pierced by eleven bullets.

Colonel Rogers fell in front of the Eleventh Missouri infantry. That regiment lay, or knelt, rather, out of sight of the enemy in rear of the battery. The moment the force of the southern charge was broken the Missourians arose with wild cheers and charged bayonets. But the dead in front of Battery Robinett were not al Confederates. At the beginning of the fight the Sixty-third Ohio lay about forty rods in advance of the Missouri regiment. A cloud of sharpshooters preceded the Confederate column and took the Ohioans for their principal target. So deadly was this fire that when the charging column headed by Colonel Rogers reached the little fort the Ohio regiment had entirely disappeared. When the Ohioans arose to meet the Confederate onslaught, there were 13 officers and 275 men in the line. More than half of the men and nine officers were killed or wounded, but the remnant, with the Eleventh Missouri, rushed after the Confederates with their bayonets at the end of the last desperate charge.

One of the Ohio boys made the most desperate flag capture fo the day. In the last charge a gallant Texan marched in front of the column straight for the fort. He was shot, and Private Orin B. Gould of Company G sprang forward to seize the flag. A Confederate captain called out to his followers, "Save your colors." Gould was hit in the breast with a revolver shot, but brought off the trophy in triumph.

The fight at the works of Corinth did not last over an hour. The Federal Battery Powell was captured by a brigade of Price's Missourians, but before help could come up to hold it the assailants had been routed. By noon the Confederates were in full retreat. Van Dorn drew his army south into Mississippi, and it took no further part in the campaign around Corinth or the game General Bragg was playing in the invasion of Kentucky.

GEORGE L. KILMER