Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites

Last updated
Siege and Battle of Corinth
Harper Road field fortifications.jpg
Union field fortifications along Harper Road, north of Corinth
USA Mississippi location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Nearest city Corinth, Mississippi
Coordinates 34°57′12″N88°31′10″W / 34.95333°N 88.51944°W / 34.95333; -88.51944
NRHP reference No. 91001050
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 6, 1991 [1]
Designated NHLDMay 6, 1991 [2]

The Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites are a National Historic Landmark District encompassing surviving elements of three significant American Civil War engagements in and near Corinth, Mississippi. Included are landscape and battlefield features of the Siege of Corinth (April 29 to June 10, 1862), the Second Battle of Corinth (October 3-4, 1862), and the lesser known Battle of Hatchie's Bridge on October 5, 1862. The district includes features located in both Alcorn County, Mississippi and Hardeman County, Tennessee, with some of the former preserved as part of Shiloh National Military Park. It was designated a landmark in 1991. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

The Oak Home, Leonidas Polk's midtown Corinth headquarters. Oak Home at Corinth.jpg
The Oak Home, Leonidas Polk's midtown Corinth headquarters.

The city of Corinth grew as a railroad town in the 1850s around the railroad crossing point of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad (opened 1857) and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad (opened 1861). This railroad junction, whose planning began in the mid-1850s, made Corinth a key economic junction point in the southern United States, and made it of critical military importance when the American Civil War broke out. Following the bloody Union victory at Shiloh in early April 1862, Confederate forces withdrew to Corinth, which they heavily fortified with earthworks and other defenses, in order to protect the critical railroad lines. The month-long Siege of Corinth followed, in which Union forces again compelled the Confederates to retreat. Confederate reinforcements from the west made an attempt to recapture Corinth in the Second Battle of Corinth, but were repulsed with significant casualties. During their retreat, the Confederates were attacked in the Battle of Hatchie's Bridge, near Pocahontas, Tennessee, by Union forces headed to support those at Corinth. [3]

Landmarked sites

The landmark district includes a number of discontiguous resources associated with these military movements and actions. Most of these are located in or near Corinth, and include earthworks, rifle pits, and other defensive features erected both by the Confederates (before the siege) and also the Union (after its capture). A few buildings occupied by military commanders are included, as is the actual railroad junction that was the key element of interest. [3]

The district includes the following separate areas: [3]

  1. First Phase Battle of Corinth, 157 acres (64 ha)
  2. Battery F (previously listed), 1 acre (0.40 ha)
  3. Battery Robinette (previously listed), 20 acres (8.1 ha)
  4. Fish Pond House, 708 Kilpatrick Street
  5. Curlee House, also known as "Veranda House", 705 Jackson Street (previously listed)
  6. Oak Home, 808 Jackson Street
  7. Duncan House, 810 Polk Street
  8. Railroad Crossover, 1 acre (0.40 ha)
  9. Confederate Earthworks between the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Purdy Road, 133 acres (54 ha)
  10. Harper Road Union Earthworks (previously listed), 3 acres (1.2 ha)
  11. Confederate Rifle Pit, less than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
  12. Corinth National Cemetery (previously listed), 16 acres (6.5 ha)
  13. Union Siege Line A: Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's and Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Davies' Divisions, 105 acres (42 ha).
  14. Union Siege Line B: Army of the Tennessee (Brig. Gen. Thomas McKean's and Brig. Gen. T.W. Sherman's Divisions); Army of the Ohio (Brig. Gen. T.J. Wood's and William Nelson's Divisions), 36.5 acres (14.8 ha)
  15. Union Siege Line C: Army of the Mississippi (Paine's Division), 6 acres (2.4 ha)
  16. Davis Bridge (Battle of the Hatchie), a 5-acre (2.0 ha) area of the larger battlefield, which is also individually listed

The following National Register listings are also related to the military actions in some way, but are not part of the landmarked area:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corinth, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Corinth is a city in and the county seat of Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,573 at the 2010 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Stones River</span> Major battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Of the major battles of the war, Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides. The battle ended in Union victory after the Confederate army's withdrawal on January 3, largely due to a series of tactical miscalculations by Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, but the victory was costly for the Union army. Nevertheless, it was an important victory for the Union because it provided a much-needed boost in morale after the Union's recent defeat at Fredericksburg and also reinforced President Abraham Lincoln's foundation for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, which ultimately discouraged European powers from intervening on the Confederacy's behalf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Fort Henry</span> 1862 battle of the American Civil War in Tennessee

The Battle of Fort Henry was fought on February 6, 1862, in Stewart County, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. It was the first important victory for the Union and Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Western Theater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army of the Tennessee</span> Unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War

The Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Pillow State Historic Park</span> Civil war battlefield in Tennessee, United States

Fort Pillow State Historic Park is a state park in western Tennessee that preserves the American Civil War site of the Battle of Fort Pillow. The 1,642 acre (6.6 km²) Fort Pillow, located in Lauderdale County on the Chickasaw Bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, is rich in both historic and archaeological significance. In 1861, the Confederate army built extensive fortifications and named the site for General Gideon Johnson Pillow of Maury County. It was attacked and held by the Union Army for most of the American Civil War period except immediately after the Battle of Fort Pillow, when it was retaken by the Confederate Army. The battle ended with a massacre of African-American Union troops and their white officers attempting to surrender, by soldiers under the command of Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiloh National Military Park</span> United States historic area

Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The main section of the park is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh, about nine miles (14 km) south of Savannah, Tennessee, with an additional area located in the city of Corinth, Mississippi, 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Shiloh. The Battle of Shiloh began a six-month struggle for the key railroad junction at Corinth. Afterward, Union forces marched from Pittsburg Landing to take Corinth in a May siege, then withstood an October Confederate counter-attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenville M. Dodge</span> Union Army general during the American Civil War

Grenville Mellen Dodge was a Union Army officer on the frontier and a pioneering figure in military intelligence during the Civil War, who served as Ulysses S. Grant's intelligence chief in the Western Theater. He served in several notable assignments, including command of the XVI Corps during the Atlanta Campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Hatchie's Bridge</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Hatchie's Bridge, also known as Battle of Davis Bridge or Matamora, was fought on October 5, 1862, in Hardeman County and McNairy County, Tennessee, as the final engagement of the Iuka–Corinth Campaign of the American Civil War. Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn's army successfully evaded capture by the Union Army, following his defeat at the Battle of Corinth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Champion Hill</span> Battle in the American Civil War

The Battle of Champion Hill of May 16, 1863, was the pivotal battle in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Union Army commander Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee pursued the retreating Confederate States Army under Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton and defeated it twenty miles to the east of Vicksburg, Mississippi, leading inevitably to the siege of Vicksburg and surrender. The battle is also known as Baker's Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Corinth</span> Major battle of the American Civil War

The Second Battle of Corinth was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. For the second time in the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans defeated a Confederate army, this time one under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Iuka</span> 1862 battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Iuka was fought on September 19, 1862, in Iuka, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. In the opening battle of the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans stopped the advance of the Confederate Army of the West commanded by Maj. Gen. Sterling Price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Corinth</span> Major battle of the American Civil War

The siege of Corinth was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry Halleck engaged in a month-long siege of the city, whose Confederate occupants were commanded by General P.G.T. Beauregard. The siege resulted in the capture of the town by Federal forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhea–McEntire House</span> Historic house in Alabama, United States

The Rhea–McEntire House, also known as the Rhea–Burleson–McEntire House, is a historic antebellum Greek Revival mansion located along the shoreline of the Tennessee River's Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western theater of the American Civil War</span> American Civil War area of operations

The western theater of the American Civil War encompassed major military operations in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee, as well as Louisiana east of the Mississippi River. Operations on the coasts of these states, except for Mobile Bay, are considered part of the Lower Seaboard Theater. Most other operations east of the Appalachian Mountains are part of the eastern theater. Operations west of the Mississippi River took place in the trans-Mississippi theater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Gartner Lauman</span>

Jacob Gartner Lauman was a prominent American businessman from Iowa and a controversial general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 5th Ohio Cavalry Regiment was a regiment of Union cavalry raised in seven counties in southwestern Ohio for service during the American Civil War. It primarily served in the Western Theater in several major campaigns of the Army of the Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Granger</span> United States historic place

Fort Granger was a Union fort built in 1862 in Franklin, Tennessee, south of Nashville, after their forces occupied the state during the American Civil War. One of several fortifications constructed in the Franklin Battlefield, the fort was used by Union troops to defend their positions in Middle Tennessee against Confederate attackers. The Second Battle of Franklin in 1864, part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign in the Western Theater, was the most notable engagement of this area during the Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Arkansas Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 9th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was a regiment of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Western Theater, seeing action in the Vicksburg, Tennessee and Georgia campaigns. Due to attrition; the 9th Arkansas was consolidated several times with other Arkansas regiments, finally merging in 1865 into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Rifles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milford Battlefield</span> United States historic place

Milford Battlefield is situated in Overall, Virginia in Warren County and Page County, Virginia. It was the site of a battle on September 22–24 during the Valley campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. The site is located on property now privately owned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena Artillery</span> Military unit

The Helena Artillery (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. The unit was known by several other designations during the war including; Clarkson's Battery, Company A, Shoup's Artillery Battalion, Calvert's Battery and Key's Battery. The unit was occasionally assigned to artillery battalions from other states, so the Arkansas unit was at various times designated as Company C, 20th Alabama Light Artillery Battalion and later as Company H, 28th Georgia Artillery Battalion.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Paul Hawke; Cecil McKithan; Tom Hensley; Jack Elliott & Edwin C. Bearss (January 8, 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites". National Park Service.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 15 photos, from 19 90.  (1.70 MB)
  4. John Linn Hopkins (June 1, 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Midtown Corinth Historic District". National Park Service . Retrieved October 18, 2016. without "attached map", but with 31 photos (see photo captions pages 68-70 of text document)