No. 23.-report of Brig. Gen. David S. Stanley, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division, of operations from April 22 to June 11.
Hdqrs. Second Division, Army of the Mississippi, June 14, 1862.
Lieutenant: In compliance with the order of the general commanding the right wing of the army, dated yesterday, I have the honor to submit the following summary of the services of this division, under my command, in compelling the rebels to evacuate Corinth.
My report must be very imperfect, as I kept no notes, and now depend upon memory to recount what I saw:
The division landed at Hamburg, Tenn., on the 22d day of April.
From that time until the 27th we were delayed, organizing transporta.
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tion and making roads, which were almost impassable on account of the heavy rains.
On the 27th the division moved 5 miles on .the road to Corinth, and encamped at the forks of the road-one fork leading to Monterey, tile other to Farmington.
On the 29th a reconnaissance in force, consisting of two regiments of cavalry, commanded by Col. W. L. Elliott, and the Second Brigade of the division, four Ohio regiments, commanded by Col. John Groesbeck, was made to Monterey.
When near the place we learned that the enemy were in retreat, and pressing rapidly forward with the cavalry, we found some hundred tents yet standing.
Two miles toward Corinth the enemy were found in force, with artillery in position.
Major Love, Second Iowa Cavalry, charged the first battery with one battalion, but could not hold his ground.
Two men of the Second Iowa were killed and 4 wounded. Twenty-five of the rebels were made prisoners.
A special report of the day's operations has heretofore been made to the general commanding this army.1
On the 1st day of May the division crossed into Mississippi and camped at Springer's house.
Here we first established communication of pickets with General Buells left.
On the 3d General Paine's division made a reconnaissance to Farmington. )n the 4th the division moved forward and encamped on the Farmington road, on the Seven Mile Creek.
Here we had cold rains, lasting several days.
Our pickets occupied the open grounds near Farmington, and one demi-brigade, commanded by J. L. Kirby Smith, colonel Forty-third Ohio Volunteers, occupied Nichols' Ford.
The time from this until the 8th was spent getting forward supplies.
On the 8th the Second Division, in concert with General Paine's, made a reconnaissance in force, passing through Farmington, General Paine taking the right-hand, and the First Brigade of the Second Division, with Maurice's battery, going the left-hand road to Corinth.
The pickets of the enemy had been driven in and pursued across Bridge Creek, the brigade following until immediately under the guns of the enemy's battery in their principal intrenchment.
We remained here from 3 p. m. until sundown and returned.
Two of the Thirty-ninth Ohio were wounded, and Surgeon Thrall, of the Twenty-seventh Ohio, was taken prisoner.
Immediately in our rear, on the 9th, the enemy attacked our grand guard, consisting of the brigade of my division, early in the morning.
This guard, commanded by Colonel Loomis, Twenty-sixth Illinois, was relieved at 8 o'clock a. m. by a brigade of General Paine's division, commanded by Brigadier-General Palmer, but as the enemy came on in force, it was deemed proper to leave Colonel Loomis' command on the field in support.
This command consisted of the Twenty-sixth and Forty-seventh Illinois, the Eleventh Missouri, and the Eighth Wisconsin.
The loss to Colonel Loomis' brigade was 64 killed and wounded. As Brigadier-General Palmer has made a full r-port and commanded, it is not deemed necessary to repeat any of the incidents of this fight.
Nothing but preparation occurred until the 15th.
That day our men stood to arms all day, but no move was made.
On the 17th we moved to Farmington, with two days cooked rations, and as soon as the ground could be examined we commenced to intrench our position.
These
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trenches were made to conform with the nature of the ground, following the crest of the ridges and provided with such flanking arrangements as could be improvised by the eye. They consisted of a single ditch and parapet in the form of a parallel, though constructed with less work, and only designed to cover our infantry against the projectiles of the enemy.
Here we were less than 2 miles from the enemy's works and picket firing was constant.
On the morning of the 18th these works were completed.
On the 22d the Second Regiment Missouri Reserve Corps joined the Second Division, Colonel Kallman commanding.
On the 24th we were joined by the Fifth Minnesota, Colonel Borgersode commanding.
On the same day, I being officer of the day, and the enemy's firing upon our pickets having become exceedingly annoying and insolent, it was deemed advisable by General Pope to drive them from their positions.
I selected for this purpose five companies of the Eleventh Missouri, Colonel Mower commanding, and five companies of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, Major Noyes commanding, with Dees' Third Michigan Battery.
Getting in front of our pickets, we soon found the position of the enemy, and after throwing some rounds of shell with great accuracy into their reserves, Colonel Mower charged the wood occupied by the enemy with five companies of the Eleventh Missouri, driving the enemy before him. The enemy had three regiments of infantry and a battalion of cavalry, and after being driven from their first position they tried to make a stand in the open field.
Coming out of the woods with the members of my staff, I found myself within a few hundred yards of their front, but, I suppose thinking us their officers, they made no attempt to molest us. I rode back and apprised Colonel Mower, who, concealing his force, advanced on the enemy until within musket range, and gave them a volley that started them scampering in all directions for the cover of the woods.
I then brought down two of Dees' Parrott guns and threw a dozen shells into Corinth.
The two men of the Eleventh Missouri were badly wounded.
We could not learn the loss of the enemy.
We took one prisoner; one of their wounded also, who soon died, and we know of several of their dead left in the woods.
The battalion of the Thirty-ninth Ohio was kept as a support for Dees' battery.
Considering the disparity of numbers this was a very pretty little exploit for the numbers engaged, and did great credit to Colonel Mower and his troops.
From this date until the 28th nothing worthy of note occurred in the Second Division.
On the 28th my division moved forward 14 miles, and halted near the White House on Bridge Creek presenting a diagonal double line to Corinth, the right flank nearest the enemy's main work and the front facing a large earthwork battery erected by the enemy south of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.
This battery was silent for several hours until about noon.
I directed Dees' and Maurice's batteries to open upon the position, and was soon answered by four guns from the rebel battery.
Notwithstanding their fire, which mostly passed over the heads of our men, the work of intrenching was carried on until about 3 o'clock p. m. when the enemy, who had previously cut roads through the swamp and across Bridge Creek, approached in three columns and attacked our right, their battery at the same time plying us with round shot and shell.
Of how this was met and repulsed a full report has been made
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to the general commanding the army.
Suffice to say that the result was satisfactory to the Second Division.
We had to deplore the loss of some gallant men but in turn we buried over 50 of the enemy in a space of 3 acres, and the lesson they received permitted our pickets to remain in peace during the forty-eight hours we remained in that place.
My division was the advanced salient point of the line investing Corinth, and the energy and industry of our troops made our position so strong by the morning of the 29th that it would have been a bold euemy that would have disturbed us.
On the 29th Brigadier-General Rosecrans was assigned the command of the right wing of the army, including the Second Division.
The day was spent in strengthening our position.
During the night the continued running of cars from Corinth to our left and the beating of drums and moving of troops in the same direction induced me to report to the general that he must expect the whole weight of their attack to fall early upon our left, and preparations were made accordingly, under the personal direction of General Rosecrans.
Just before sunrise the explosion of the enemy's magazines and the smoke of the burning houses apprised us that the enemy had fled.
The same day we marched to Morrison's, on Tuscumbia Creek.
Here we staid two days. On the 2d of June we marched to Booneville; on the 11th the division marched from Booneville to this place.
I have thus endeavored to trace out the service of this division for fifty days. Of course it is a mere outline.
The labor of road-making, of camp labor, of marches through heat and dust, of privations in short rations, in bad clothing, in bare feet, all I am happy to report borne with patience and cheerfulness, have shown that our young soldiers already begin to appreciate Napoleon's maxim, that “the first quality of a soldier is constancy in enduring fatigue; that poverty and privation are the soldier's school.”
Neither have they ever shown that their courage may be classed as secondary to these qualities.
Before closing this report I must pay thanks to the worthy officers who have so cheerfully supported me in all my labors: to Generals Plummer and Tyler, always prompt and cheerful; to Colonels Groesbeck, J. L. Kirby Smith, and Colonel Murphy, to Colonel Loomis, all commanding brigades and demi-brigades, and to the officers of my personal staff, Maj. William D. Coleman and Surg. J. L. Crane, upon whom much of the hard labor of the campaign has fallen; to Lieutenants How and Sinclair, my aides, and to two hard-working men, Lieutenants Cherry and Edwards, quartermaster and commissary, I take this occasion to give thanks for their cheerful and constant assistance.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
D. S. Stanley, Brig. Gen., Comdg. Second Div., Army of the Mississippi. First Lieut. C. Goddard, A. A. A. G., Right Wing Army Miss.