Today in History:

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

Page 249 Chapter XXIX. CORINTH.

mention one more than the other, but I would call special attention to Lieutenants Robinett and Cullen, and to First Sergt. [Patrick] Branagan, Company I, [Leonard] Hein, Company C, and [Otto] Jacobi, Company D, As well as to Sergts. [Edward] McGuire, [Patrick] McDonald, and [Patrick] Gallagher, and to Lance-Corpl. [John] Waters.

During the action the First U. S. Infantry lost as follows:*

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. A. WILLIAMS,

Captain, First U. S. Infty., Commander of Siege Artillery.

Lieutenant Colonel H. G. KENNETT,

Chief of Staff, Army of the Mississippi.


Numbers 43.

Report of Captain John Morrill (Yates Sharpshooters), Sixty-fourth Illinois Infantry.


HDQRS YATES SHARPSHOOTERS, ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS,
Corinth, Miss., October 14, 1862.

The following is a correct report of the part taken by my command in the battle of Corinth, October 4:

On the afternoon of the 3rd I received a verbal order to have my command fall in under arms and move to the provost-marshal's, and under your direction took a position in the rear of General Rosecrans' headquarters. I remained in this position until after dark, when I was ordered by General McArthur to deploy a line of skirmishers sufficient to cover his front, advance them well into the wood, and remain until morning. I accordingly deployed three companies, holding three in reserve near my line of skirmishers. I then received orders from General Rosecrans, if agreeable to General McArthur, to hold and contest the ground as long as I could and then fall back through the lines and go to the corral. The left of my lien rested on the railroad near the house just north of town and the right connected with the line of the Western Sharpshooters. The line ran in a northeasterly direction.

About 2 o'clock on the morning of the 4th I received orders to send three companies to remove our baggage, camp equipage, and stores, and then report to General Rosecrans for orders. About daylight our vedettes were driven in by the enemy. I advanced the line and engaged their skirmishers, and our scouts reported them as falling back across the railroad to the west side. Soon, however, heavy columns of the enemy recrossed the railroad under a scorching fire from the skirmishers on the railroad and commenced advancing upon us. The men fought well, contesting every inch of ground. Immediately upon the near approach of the enemy a battery in our rear opened fire, creating greater havoc among our skirmishers than the enemy. I ordered my line of skirmishers and reserve to fall back into a ravine under cover from the battery and sent my sergeant-major to have the battery change direction; but before this could be done I found myself flanked and nearly surrounded, and retreated under a very heavy fire from the enemy. The line of skirmishers being badly broken under fire from front and rear I was unable to get the men together, and they fought

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* Nominal list omitted shows 5 men killed; 1 officer and 8 men wounded.

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Page 249 Chapter XXIX. CORINTH.