Swing through Northern Mississippi AOT

[larry_cockerham]

My dear wife actually accompanied me on a swing through northern Mississippi after I bribed her with a visit to an aunt in Chester County, Tennessee. For some time, as most of you know, I've been writing about the movement of the Army of Tennessee after the retreat across the Tennessee River at Bainbridge, Alabama during the last week of December, 1864. The various corps, Cheatham, Stuart and Lee camped at three different locations after they entered the relative safety of Mississippi. These were Corinth, Rienzi and Burnsville, all still showing on the highway maps. I'll post here some brief notes concerning the current condition and degree of interpretation available at these sites. Won't take long. If those of you who are more familiar with these places can add information or chime in, I'd appreciate it.

[larry_cockerham]

About the only common aspect I could conclude from my visit to these three towns is the fact they were all located near railroads in 1865, the north south line through Corinth, heading for Mobile, goes through Rienzi and the east west line from Memphis to Chattanooga goes through Burnsville, which is located between Corinth and Iuka, the path followed by the AOT in 1865. The three corps split up with Cheatham going to Corinth, Lee at Burnsville on Dec 31 before moving to Rienzi on Jan 2, 1865 and Stewart remaining at Burnsville apparently before both were ordered on Jan 3, 1865 to continue the march south to Tupelo.

[larry_cockerham]

For those of you who haven't been to Corinth, it is located just south of the Tennessee – Mississippi state line on highway US 45 south of Jackson, TN. A small city, this was the base of the Confederate operation that resulted in the more famous battle of Shiloh in 1862 and was on the east west route of several conflicts between Federal and Confederate forces throughout the war. There is a beautiful, well-funded, maintained and operated interpretive center there today, which was open on a Saturday afternoon. Two of the best looking lady rangers I've ever seen at an NPS counter made the trip worthwhile.
The sad fact was that none of the folks working there had ever heard of the AOT, nor were they aware of any local information concerning Cheatham's Corps, nor Forrest, nor John Bell Hood having camped there in 1865. The site at Stones River National Park has much the same problem with respect to the 1864 Battle of the Cedars. Corinth boasts Jarnigans re-enactor's shop which has a huge website and occupies a very attractive building downtown near the railroad. They were closed on this Saturday afternoon in June, 2008, apparently to go fishing, as was the case for most of the small city. There were no particularly enticing restaurants or other attractions apparent, though they are doubtless there, and could be found with closer inspection. There are many well-kept residences near downtown, but otherwise this is now a very sleepy small southern city.

[larry_cockerham]

Today, the little town is located east of US Highway 45 on Mississippi highway 356 maybe 15 minutes south from Corinth by car. This would have been a full day's march in 1865, unless rail cars were available. The place looks and feels much like a ghost town in 2008, though folks have been mowing the grass.. No Confederate are flags flying or much of anything else, though one lady had her laundry flying from a rope across the front porch of her mobile home. Bombed-out or mostly abandoned former storefronts populate 'downtown'. The town hall, a small modern structure, proudly sported a sign "CLOSED". That seemed to pretty much sum up the place. January 1865 may well have been it's most active month in history. The ever-present railroad is still there, linking Corinth to Mobile and the Gulf coast. Highway 356 runs east from Rienzi over to highway 365, which, in turn, leads to Burnsville at the intersection with US 72, the main highway from Memphis to Huntsville. As far as the AOT at Reinzi, they apparently left no trace and did no noticeable harm.

[larry_cockerham]

This city is on the map, though there is not too much more evidence. Today it's a Corinth 'suburb' along the very busy US 72. A couple of bombed out former stores are evident facing the railroad about a half mile off the highway. Obviously urban planning and the new road doomed the former business district. There is a local power plant on the nearby Tennessee River, but no other signs of life aside from the highway. As in Rienzi, no Confederate flags and only a couple of US flags, small ones at that. No sign the AOT ever graced this town and I rather suspect I was one of the few folks there this Saturday who cared. By the way, no food except for small markets. At least one could have found a restroom with a careful search process. Reinzi would have had to share a pine. I'm told there is a civil war museum of some value at Baldwyn a few miles south of Rienzi north of Tupelo. Maybe next trip. As for time of travel, we left Henderson, TN about 1 pm and were back in Nashville by 5:30, stopping in Florence for dinner.

[Ashbel]

Larry
I am surprised you didn't go to the Brice's Cross Roads Battlefield. It looks like you were just a few miles north of it. Baldwyn is the closest town.

I will be touring this area later this month and will give my report.

Of course, now that I think about it, you were with your wife. If she is like mine, she has already filled her lifetime quota of battlefields.

[cw1865]

So true.....

[ole]

You were likely there when CalCav was off on a seminar. He'd have told you how to find where Van Dorn was brought to bay after being run away from Corinth. Had you chosen to see that, you'd have run around on roads as bad if not slightly worse than those surrounding Sugar Creek.

Downtown Corinth is interesting and quaint, but all the facilities are along 72. Mobile and I spent a couple of days there and didn't discover a place to eat until we headed east to Tuscumbia and Florence.

At any rate, I hope your missus enjoyed herself enough to go on a few other treks.

ole

[larry_cockerham]

Originally Posted by Ashbel

Larry
I am surprised you didn't go to the Brice's Cross Roads Battlefield. It looks like you were just a few miles north of it. Baldwyn is the closest town.

I will be touring this area later this month and will give my report.

Of course, now that I think about it, you were with your wife. If she is like mine, she has already filled her lifetime quota of battlefields.

Actually, I was focused on the path of the Army of Tennessee in January, 1865, hence the visits to the three Corps camp sites, Corinth, Rienzi and Burnsville. I didn't have time to catch Booneville, the site of the organization of the trains for the trek south to Tupelo and *******n that same month. Even though my wife has at least two well-documented Confederate ancestors, both from Alabama, I can't get her overly excited about the civil war, though she does tolerate my frequent trips to the Forrest home in Marshall Co., TN and my occasional short walks with the other old codgers in the Sam Davis Camp.

[Ashbel]

Larry
I admire your focus. I don't think I could be that close and not be distracted by visiting the site of Forrest's finest battle.

A friend a I are doing the Civil War Battlefield/Grierson's Raid trip. Our wives are meeting us in New Orleans.

She doesn't have much interest in the Battlefields (but she can spend hours in the antique shops). To her credit she was the one that encouraged us to take the trip.