Today in History:

216 Series I Volume XVII-I Serial 24 - Corinth Part I

Page 216 WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS. Chapter XXIX.

on, we were prevented making it. During the night the enemy crossed the river, burned the bridge, and continued his retreat.

The following morning, after rebuilding the bridge, the pursuit was kept up. We crossed the Hatchie at Crum's Mill and marched to Jones borough, where we halted for the night.

The next day (7th) we came up to them near Ruckersville and attacked and drove them before us.

On the morning of the 8th the advance division entered Ripley.

On the 10th a section of my battery under Lieutenant Tiemeyer went upon the Oxford road as far as Tippah Creek. they saw nothing of the enemy. We moved from Ripley at 1.30 on the 11th and reached Corinth at 5 p. m. on the 12th.

The casualties in the four batteries during the fight and pursuit were as follows, viz:*

A. M. POWELL,

Major, 1st Mo. Lt. Arty., Chief of Arty., 3rd Div., Army of the Miss.

Lieutenant Colonel W. L. LOTHROP,

Chief of Artillery, Army of the Mississippi.


Numbers 22.

Report of Brigadier General Napoleon B. Buford, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade.


HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, THIRD DIV., ARMY OF THE MISS.,
Corinth, Miss., October 13, 1862.

SIR: On the 3rd instant this brigade broke up its camp at dawn, and before 7 o'clock took up the position assigned it on the extreme right, on the north side of the city. By order of General Rosecrans one regiment (I selected the Fifth Iowa, Colonel Matthies) was sent to hold the pass of the Pittsburg Landing road where it crosses the fortifications, which it did faithfully until relieved at 4 a. m. the next day.

About 10 a. m. the column, consisting of the Fourth Minnesota, Colonel Sanborn; Fifty-ninth Indiana, Colonel Alexander; Forty-eighth Indiana, Lieutenant-Colonel Rugg; Twenty-sixth Missouri, Lieutenant-Colonel Holman; Eleventh Ohio Battery, Lieutenant Neil, and Battery M, First Missouri Light Artillery, Captain Powell, moved, by your order, into the Purdy road and followed to the extreme outer fortifications made by the rebels, where it was engaged all the day in watching the enemy, and particularly his left flank. A cavalry force was seen during the day west of my position and was engaged by skirmishers of the Second Brigade. At 5 p. m. I obeyed your order to deploy three regiments at right angles to the Purdy road, but facing south, and co-operate with the Second Brigade in finding the enemy, who was supposed to have crossed the railroad and got between us and Corinth. I deployed the Fourth Minnesota on the extreme right, next the Fifty-ninth Indiana, and last the Forty-eighth Indiana, into an open field, but it was closed on the south and west with down brush-wood and timber. The deployment was made with company K, Fourth Minnesota, as skirmishers, which was immediately hotly engaged by a much larger concealed force. In my opinion it became absolutely necessary to dislodge him. It was done by Colonel Sanborn, commanding the Fourth

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* Nominal list omitted shows 1 officer and 4 men killed, and 25 men wounded.

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Page 216 WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS. Chapter XXIX.