Today in History:

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

Page 425 Chapter XXIX. CORINTH.

Answer. About 280 men. They were picked men and good ones. The detail was for 200. I sent the First Missouri Regiment entire.

Question. Are you aware of the fact that General Armstrong with his cavalry, was ordered by General Van Dorn to Chewalla the same night that you encamped at Davis' Bridge?

Answer. No; I heard that he was somewhere in that direction, but do not remember the location.

Question. Was not our cavalry in front of Lovell's division (our infantry advance) until within a short distance of the exterior works of Corinth?

Answer. Yes; Jackson' cavalry was continually in front skirmishing with the enemy, especially between Chewalla and Corinth.

Question. Do you know whether or not any provision was made by defendant for bringing forward supplies from Holly Springs to supply the necessities of the army?

Answer. Order were issued at Davis' Mill to send back wagons for rations to Holly Springs. The order was not complied with at all in my brigade, and I think not in the other two of Lovell's division, our transportation being too limited to spare any wagons. These facts were reported and nothing further said about rations.

Question. When did your brigade reach Davis' Bridge?

Answer. On September 30, as well as remember, about 10 or 11 a. m.

Question. When did you get orders to cook three day's rations?

Answer. I got the orders to cook three days' rations an hour or two after my arrival. We only cooked two day's rations, having but one day's salt meat.

Question. How long were you going to Corinth?

Answer. We encamped one night at Chewalla and made the attack next morning.

Question. How far from Tuscumbia to Corinth?

Answer. From Tuscumbia to Corinth is from 12 to 15 miles.

Question. Explain why the attack was made on Corinth with a half day's rations.

Answer. We had two day's rations when we left Davis' Mill. We were

a day and a half in marching from Davis' Mill to Corinth.

Question. Did you get orders from any one to send empty wagons back from Ripley to Holly Springs?

Answer. I got orders to send back empty wagons from General Lovell, but had none to send.

Question. Did you turn over rations to General Price's command; if so, out of whose wagons were they taken and how much?

Answer. I turned over 4,000 pounds of flour and a sack of salt to General Price's command, taken out the different regimental wagons of my brigade.

By COURT:

Question. What became of the wagons emptied by the issue of rations to the troops on the march from Davis' Mill to Davis' Bridge, and also of those emptied by issue to General Price's command?

Answer. There were no wagons emptied by the issue. I had not transportation enough for a commissary train, and had to divide the fifteen day's rations issued immediately among regiments. They were transported mixed in with the lighter baggage of the command, and in some of the regiments two rations day's were cooked and packed by the men when we started from Davis' Mill, near La Grange. About two or three wagons were broken down on the march and all of them overloaded when we started. My command had been reduced prior to the march to the minimum allowance under General Bragg's

order, and had been increased subsequently by the assignment of 725 conscripts to three of the regiments.


Page 425 Chapter XXIX. CORINTH.