Draw Your Sabers and Weigh In: Stopping the Rout at Corinth

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Draw Your Sabers and Weigh In: Stopping the Rout at Corinth

One of themost important roles played by cavalry during a battle was to serve as provostguards, providing security behind the lines by stemming the flow of men fromthe battle line. Sergeant Willard Burnap of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry told howhis company prevented a rout at the Battle of Corinth in October 1862.

“We received orders to station ourselves in the rear of theline of battle and stop all soldiers and officers from going to the rear unlessthey were wounded or belonged to the medical staff,” he wrote. “This is one ofthe most important positions that can be assigned to a company on thebattlefield. We were scarcely in line when the 80th Ohio regiment,broken, demoralized, and panic-stricken, came rushing back like frightened sheep.Other regiments, missing their support and knowing the danger when their linewas broken, seemed ready to follow. That regiment must be stopped or the day islost! I was nearest to them and putting the spurs to my horse was soon amongthem. In an instant, I was surrounded by a dozen or more of our company andsucceeded by entreaties, commands, and threats in stopping them. Their officersformed them and in turn rallied the rest as they came up. The last I saw of them;they were forming into line of battle with a cheer.”

Sergeant Burnap wrote the followingletter to his uncle Rev. E.G. Howe who shared it with the editors of the WaukeganWeekly Gazette; it ran on the first page of their October 25, 1862, issue.

The Model 1840 dragoon saber, popularly called the "wristbreaker" by the trooper who carried it, equipped most Federal cavalry regiments in the early years of the war. These sabers were produced both domestically and overseas, this particular example produced by N.P. Ames in Massachusetts in 1845.

Corinth,Mississippi

October 8,1862

Dear uncle,

Since my last, the Army of theMississippi has been again victorious. One of the most splendid victories ofthe war has been achieved here. The slaughter of the Rebels was tremendous;their wounded cover an extent of ground larger than your public square beingplaced in tents as close as they can be set and each one filled to overflowing.I don’t know how many prisoners we have but the town is full of them.

The battle lasted two days, October 3rd and 4th,and the pursuit is still going on. We have captured the baggage and ammunitiontrains of the enemy, some of his artillery, and hopes are entertained ofgetting it all. The hottest of the fight was the morning of the 4thwhen the enemy concentrated all of his strength in one desperate charge,determined on entering the town for Price told them (so say the prisoners) thatthey should take dinner in Corinth.

At daylight on the morning of the 3rd, I was threemiles south of Jacinto in charge of a patrol when we had the first intimationof the attack on Corinth by hearing the cannonading in that direction. When Ireturned to camp, I found that the company, which had been left at Jacintountil the commissary stores were removed, had received orders to rejoin thebattalion three miles back. We joined the battalion, taking with us 17Mississippians who had volunteered in the Federal army and proceeded to Corinthwhere we arrived late in the afternoon. The fight was then going on justoutside of the breastworks on the west end of the town. It continued until toodark to see when both sides ceased firing and rested on their arms.

At the first break of dawn, a Rebel battery which had beenrun up and taken position during the night, opened fire, throwing shellsdirectly into town and causing a general stampede of hospitals, sutlers,citizens, etc., but not of soldiers. Soon after daylight our company wasordered to report to General Rosecrans in person. We proceeded through the townuntil we reached quarters. The fire of the Rebels had slackened some and two orthree siege guns seemed to be taking all of the responsibility of the battle onour side.

The colors of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry call out their participation in the Battles of Farmington, Boonville, Iuka, and Corinth, all located in northeastern Mississippi.

We received orders to station ourselves in the rear of theline of battle and stop all soldiers and officers from going to the rear unlessthey were wounded or belonged to the medical staff. This is one of the mostimportant positions that can be assigned to a company on the battlefield. Ifone good company of cavalry had been placed in the rear of each brigade at theBattle of Bull Run, there would never have been a stampede as cowards are theones who commence stampedes and if they are kept in ranks, the brave willcertainly not run. Often a stampede which would if allowed to go on woulddemoralize a whole army. If halted in its commencement, it may be stopped byone determined mounted man who has a good saber and is not afraid to use itsside, back, and (if necessary) its point and edge upon dastardly cowards whowould run and leave their comrades to fight it out.

I was assigned to the command of the first platoon andstationed it as skirmishers at 15 paces intervals in rear of and overlookingtwo regiments of infantry and one regiment of sharpshooters. The firing by thistime had re-opened and soon after we had the pleasure of seeing a Rebel gunbrought into our lines and the battery which was shelling the town silenced.After the battery was silenced, the firing was confined to the sharpshooters inthe woods and they slackened so much that there began to be a general opinionthat they had given up the attack. We were recalled from our position anddismounted at headquarters to await events. It soon became apparent that thoughsilent they were not idle but were preparing for a general advance along thewhole line. Our right was in danger!

All was activity as artillery and infantry rushed to theright. We were ordered to mount and support a battery. And we, with the rest,rushed to the right following close upon the guns we were to support. Just thenthe battle opened. The Rebels charged in solid columns upon our works. Volleyafter volley of musketry is poured into their ranks and are answered by shot,shell, and musket balls with interest. Still, we go to the right under a heavyfire, past thundering batteries and staggering columns of infantry and reachedthe extreme right not a moment too soon. That flank is nearly turned; thebattery it supports is taken, the lines of infantry are wavering, recoiling,almost breaking. The Rebels by the thousands stand upon the breastworks of thecaptured battery and cheer on column after column of their comrades as theythrow themselves reckless of life upon our outnumbered infantry. It was thecritical moment of the battle. In 10 minutes, one side or the other must bevictorious.

General William S. Rosecrans commanded the Federal forces at Corinth in October 1862. That victory propelled him into his next assignment commanding the Army of the Cumberland.

Quicker than thought our battery wheeled into line andunlimbered, the gunners springing from the caissons and putting their shouldersto the wheels. In an instant, they had the guns in a raking position throwingshot and shell, grape and canister, terror and death amidst the ranks of theever-exultant enemy. At the same moment, the battery wheeled into line, we receivedorders to deploy as skirmishers and stop the stream of cowards who were leavingtheir posts. “Draw your sabers and wade in,” said Rosecrans’ aide-de-camp justas we were deploying.

We were scarcely in line when the 80th Ohioregiment, broken, demoralized, and panic-stricken, came rushing back likefrightened sheep. Other regiments, missing their support and knowing the dangerwhen their line was broken, seemed ready to follow. That regiment must bestopped or the day is lost! I was nearest to them and putting the spurs to myhorse was soon among them. In an instant, I was surrounded by a dozen or moreof our company and succeeded by entreaties, commands, and threats in stoppingthem. Their officers formed them and in turn rallied the rest as they came up.The last I saw of them; they were forming into line of battle with a cheer.They other regiments, cheered by the timely opening of our battery and findingtheir line still firm, redoubled their energy and in five minutes the batterywas retaken and was thundering sweet music and death to them.

But hark, even over the roar of musketry and thunder of thecannon, away on the left, you can hear it swell. Cheer after cheer; now itrolls along the line. Regiment after regiment take it up and brigade afterbrigade passes it along. What is it? Now the right, which a moment ago wassilently, desperately and doggedly fighting against fearful odds, seemselectrified and pausing in the conflict gave three such hearty cheers that rendthe sky and fall to work again with redoubled force.

What does it mean? The Rebels are faltering, wavering,breaking! First the left, then the center, and finally on the right they giveground. The army which a short time ago was advancing in solid columns andwell-ordered lines is now recoiling in one confused mass. The fire of ourartillery slackens; the infantry soon followed by the artillery advance andplunge into the woods after the retreating foe. The battle has ended and thepursuit begun.

Since we came to Corinth our horses have nearly starved; wehave had only two or three feeds since we came here. We remain here as picketguards for the town. I don’t know where the regiment is but probably after theRebels.

To learn more about the Battle of Corinth, please check out these posts:

Brigham's War: Letters from the 27th Ohio Infantry, Part III

Interview with Brad Quinlin and the story of Pierre Starr, 39th Ohio Infantry