With Col. Rogers When He Fell: The Attack on Battery Robinett at Corinth

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Illustration of the attack on Battery Robinett, looking from behind the Federal lines.

The following account is from the Confederate Veteran, vol. 4, p. 220-22.

WITH COL. ROGERS WHEN HE FELL.​
J.A. McKinstry, who was a private in Company D, Forty-second Alabama regiment, now of Wyeth City, Ala., May 26, 1896.​
For thirty years I have been urged by comrades to put in print what I saw and did in the storming of Battery Robinette, at Corinth, Miss., Oct. 4, 1862, but for reasons of my own I have until now refused to do so. In a recent issue of the Confederate Veteran my name appears in connection with a mention of that terrible charge, and my gifted college chum, also gallant comrade, Dr. John A. Wyeth, of New York, renews the request that I give to surviving comrades a description of the charge, and the death of Col. Rogers, Capt. Foster, and the brave thirteen who fell with them, as I recollect it, and I consent. In doing so, I wish to preface my description by saying that I am not accustomed to write for publication, and that I do not claim to be mathematically correct as to time, position, and distance in what I say; but merely give the recollections that were indelibly impressed upon the mind of a barefooted boy, who went as far, and who saw and felt as much, as any one that day.​
I was a private in Company D, Forty-second Alabama Regiment, Moore's Brigade, Maury's Division, Price's Corps; and Col. Rogers' regiment (the Second Texas) was a part of our brigade, and acted as skirmishers in that engagement. I was only seventeen years of age, and weighed less than one hundred pounds. Being the smallest member of the company, my position was on the extreme left, which rested upon the regimental colors.​
On Friday, the 3rd of October, we stormed the outer works of the Federals, and carried them. The first shot fired at our regiment was a shell that exploded a few feet in front of our colors. It killed and wounded eleven men, including the color bearer. I was knocked off my feet by the concussion, but not otherwise hurt. The flag was instantly raised by Corporal J. A. Going (now of Birmingham, Ala.), and we were soon in possession of the works.​
We had several running fights during the day, as the Federals were driven from the outer to the inner fortifications. We lay on our guns during the night, and just before daylight we took position in a skirt of woods, directly in front of Robinette and some four or five hundred yards from it. We were discovered at dawn, and Forts Williams, Robinette, and College Hill opened a terrific enfilade fire of shot and shell upon us. We lay flat upon our faces, and the shells passed a few feet over us (we thought these feet were only inches), doing but slight damage.​
We remained in this position, hugging the ground, for four mortal hours before the signal gun was fired and the order to charge was given. The forts caught the sound of the signal gun, and ceased firing. We raised the rebel yell, and made a rush for the opening, some fifty yards in our front. There we were met by a deadly volley of shrapnel shells from the three forts, and our men fell dead and wounded all along the line.​
In front of us was the most obstructive abattis that it was my misfortune to encounter, or to see, during the war. Beyond this in our front, to our right and to our left, were the forts belching destruction into our ranks; yet our men did not waver or halt, but over the tops, under the limbs, around the stumps, along the fallen trunks of the trees, like squirrels, they scrambled in their effort to reach the fort in front. Forts Williams and College Hill were soon devoting their attention to the columns in their respective fronts; and when about half through the abattis, Robinette changed shells for grape and canister on us. Our yells grew fainter, and our men fell faster; but at last we reached the unobstructed ground in front of the fort, which was still a hundred yards away.​
Minies had been added to the missiles of death by the battery's infantry support; still we moved onward, and our badly scattered forces rallied on the flag. Twenty steps further, and our colors went down again. Going had fallen with a bullet in his leg. Comrade Crawford, of Company A, dropped his gun, and, almost before the flag had touched the dust, hoisted it again, and shouted: "On to the fort, boys!" A few steps farther, and the guns of the fort again changed their charges; now whole bags of buckshot were being belched from the cannons' mouths into our now nearly annihilated ranks, and our flag went down the ill-fated third time to rise no more on that battlefield.​
Poor Crawford had caught nine buckshot—seven in his breast and two in his arm; but we, only a remnant now of those who started, pressed on and reached the outside of the fort, and for a moment had protection; but before we could scarcely catch a breath, hand-grenades came flying thick and fast over the walls of the fort, and, falling in the dust, which was ankle deep, began to explode under our feet, filling the air with dust and smoke, and wounding our men. It took but a moment, however; to put a stop to this; for, having been educated in the tactics of fort defense, we quickly answered the command of a comrade, "Pick them up, boys, and pitch them back into the fort;" and immediately these infernal machines were bursting upon the inside among those who first threw them.​
Some one at this juncture shouted, "Over the walls, and drive them out;" and up the steep embankment we clambered. Comrade Luke was on my right, and Comrade Franks was on my left. As we scaled the top of the parapet, a volley of musketry met us. Luke went on over, Franks was killed with a bullet in the forehead, and, as he fell backward, he clinched me around the neck and carried me tumbling back with him to the bottom of the ditch on the outside. I was considerably rattled by the fall; but I heard Luke shout from the inside of the fort," Come on, boys; here they are;" and I picked up my gun to go back to him, when I saw a "blue coat" jump from behind a stump, on the right of the fort, and run back in the direction of Corinth. He was only a few steps from me, and I held my gun on him and tried to fire, but could not. He soon got behind the fort, so that I could not see him, and I took my gun down to see what was the matter, and found that in my excitement I had only half-cocked it.​
Firing had almost ceased, and I heard the shout of "Victory! victory!" and I thought we had won the day. I ran to the left of the fort whence the shout of victory came, and joined a small squad of our men that were standing a few paces from the fort. Col. Rogers and Capt. Foster were in this squad. On seeing a line of Federals approaching, and before giving the situation a thought, I immediately raised my gun and fired full into the breast of a Federal sergeant, who was in front of the column, and only a short distance from us. 'Twas then that Capt. Foster shouted, "Cease firing, men! cease firing!" and waved his handkerchief; and I realized the true situation. 'Twas too late! That fatal volley had been turned on our little band from the muzzles of fifteen hundred muskets. I was still standing just as I was when I fired my last shot, and within a few feet of Col. Rogers, when a minie ball went crashing through my left hip and turned me half round; another went tearing through my right shoulder, which changed my position to front; and another ball crushed through my left shoulder, causing me to drop my gun and my left arm to fall limp by my side. I looked, and, lo! every one of the fifteen men who were standing with me had fallen in a heap. I looked again, and not a Confederate was in sight.​
The battle was lost, and our men had fallen back to the cover of the woods. Desperation seemed to seize me; and, though the blood was spurting from six gaping wounds, and I was already staggering from weakness, I took my dangling left arm up in my right, and, in the face of that deadly fire, I turned and ran for a quarter (in full view of that column of Federals, who were popping away at me every step that I took), and on for half a mile before I fell. He who seems to take special care of the boys was certainly with me in my desperate flight; for, though hundreds of minies passed uncomfortably near my ears, I was not hit in the back, nor was I captured. I lay on my back for three months without being able to turn over; but twelve months from then I, with a discharge in my pocket, was again with Gen. Moore in the battle above the clouds, and on with Johnston to Atlanta.​
I have only to add that Crawford, after being shot down, saved our flag by tearing it from the staff, pulling it in his bosom, and crawling out with it. Poor Luke was killed inside the fort. Of the thirty-three men belonging to our company who went into the charge that morning only eleven answered to roll call next day.​
Reading the accounts of the battle published in the papers afterwards, and remembering to have heard Capt. Foster shout, "Cease firing, men," and seeing him after I fired waving his handkerchief, I have always thought that perhaps if I had not fired my last shot that day we might have been permitted to surrender without being fired upon. Consequently, while I've always loved to talk about it, I've never thought that I would like to see my terrible experience in that battle put in print. So far as I know, I am the only person near Col. Rogers when he fell who was not killed with him.​

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"Key to Corinth" by Keith Rocco depicts Col. William P. Rogers of the 2nd Texas Infantry leading his men, with colors in hand, toward Battery Robinett.

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Here's the photo of Col. Rogers (at left) with other Confederates dead at Corinth. The man lying beside Rogers is thought to be Capt. George W. Foster of Co. A, 42nd Alabama. Lt. Charles R. Labruzan of the 42nd said that Foster was killed as they were retreating from Robinett, "Just then I saw poor Foster throw up his hands, saying 'Oh, my God!' jumped about two feet from the ground, falling on his face. The top of his head seemed to cave in, and the blood spouted straight up several feet."

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Another photo of the aftermath, with Battery Robinett in the background.

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Photo taken from Battery Robinett looking back toward the town.

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My Great Grandfather fought with the 42nd Alabama along with two of his brothers. He was badly wounded at Vicksburg (lost his right arm). Thanks for posting this.
 
It is very exciting that the two main points of interest at Corinth to visit today are the Battery Robinett Site and Battery F Site, both of which the 42nd Alabama had a direct involvement with.

My dream would be to some day have a monument or marker for the 42nd Alabama installed at Corinth. It saddens me that the 42nd markers are hidden in the trees at Vicksburg and not easily visited by the public.
 
Yes Sir! Imagine that! I'm getting some threads going now about our Grandfather Elias Green Mancil and his story. I am also working to add information about the 42nd Alabama. They definitely played a big part in the fighting at Corinth.
 
During the summer months I present a program "Battery Robinett: The Confederate Perspective" and read quotes, primarily from Labuzan and McKinstry, while walking the final two hundred yards of the charge and finishing at Battery Robinett. I warn the visitors in advance that the quotes are not for the faint of heart.
The site of the fighting is about a hundred yards from where I'm sitting.
Tom
 
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This is an amazing image (taken by Nicholas Brown) and is one of two taken of this group of Confederates that includes Col. Rogers and Capt. Foster. The other photo shows how the bodies were manipulated for visual effect and in the other Rogers' underwear is almost pulled off. Note the logs in the middle ground. Now check out this image from the Getty Museum in Los Angeles -
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection...nts-american-1861-1865/?dz=0.5516,0.4107,1.52

The photo shows Battery Robinett at the extreme right and Battery Williams on the left across the tracks. Battery Robinett has been heavily modified by the orders of the new garrison commander Brig. Gen. Grenville Dodge. The photo was taken by photographer George Armstead in the winter of 1862/1863. We have a few images of this very photo but all have the edges cropped off and details of Robinett and Williams are lost. Not in the Getty image.

I recently received a high-resolution scan of this and three other photos from The Getty and you can clearly see these logs which had not been moved.

Warning: please read the Getty's requirements for using their photos before you would use the image for publication, also it can not be cropped. It is for research purposes only.
 
During the summer months I present a program "Battery Robinett: The Confederate Perspective" and read quotes, primarily from Labuzan and McKinstry, while walking the final two hundred yards of the charge and finishing at Battery Robinett. I warn the visitors in advance that the quotes are not for the faint of heart.
The site of the fighting is about a hundred yards from where I'm sitting.
Tom

I will be visiting Corinth for the first time in the next few months. I am trying to fully understand where Battery Robinett actually was when visiting the site. Are the monuments on top of or inside the original location of Battery Robinett?

I will visit the Battery F site as well. What else do you recommend visiting to help me envision the battlefield. Are there any markers indicating the fist day's fighting to the south of Battery F? Are there markers for the Confederate Camps?
 
I will be visiting Corinth for the first time in the next few months. I am trying to fully understand where Battery Robinett actually was when visiting the site. Are the monuments on top of or inside the original location of Battery Robinett?

I will visit the Battery F site as well. What else do you recommend visiting to help me envision the battlefield. Are there any markers indicating the fist day's fighting to the south of Battery F? Are there markers for the Confederate Camps?
I'll let @TomP answer the questions, but will comment on how very much the area has changed over the years I've visited there, mostly during several reenactments beginning during the 1976 Bicentennial (of the Revolution, but also a time for the growth of reenacting in general) and extending to the creation of the present NPS Visitor Center adjacent to Battery Robinette. It has undergone several "reconstructions" and "restorations" over the years; maybe Tom can enlighten us as to those as well.
 
I will be visiting Corinth for the first time in the next few months. I am trying to fully understand where Battery Robinett actually was when visiting the site. Are the monuments on top of or inside the original location of Battery Robinett?

I will visit the Battery F site as well. What else do you recommend visiting to help me envision the battlefield. Are there any markers indicating the fist day's fighting to the south of Battery F? Are there markers for the Confederate Camps?
Its been years since I was last there, but from what I recall, the Interpretative Center is located where Battery Robinett used to be and there is a modern reconstruction alongside it. There are still some surviving earthworks from the outer line, like Battery F. Definitely still worth the visit though.

I also have a thread on Battery Powell here: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/battery-powell-corinth-ms-battleground.121310/
 
I will be visiting Corinth for the first time in the next few months. I am trying to fully understand where Battery Robinett actually was when visiting the site. Are the monuments on top of or inside the original location of Battery Robinett?

I will visit the Battery F site as well. What else do you recommend visiting to help me envision the battlefield. Are there any markers indicating the fist day's fighting to the south of Battery F? Are there markers for the Confederate Camps?

@rebracer , The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center is located adjacent to the site of Battery Robinett. The battery was destroyed in 1900 however the Rangers can show you where the walls of the fort once stood. There are several monuments and graves at the battery site as well. The center has three short films and three rooms of exhibits all of which was designed to enhance a visit to the Shiloh battlefield. Shiloh National Military Park is actually comprised of three battlefields (Shiloh, Corinth, and Davis Bridge) and two visitor centers.

Battery F is the only existing fort of both the Halleck and Rosecrans lines of fortifications. It is in excellent condition considering it is 156 years old and has never been "touched-up" as have been many earthworks at other sites. The 42nd Alabama fought just to the north-east of Battery F. The park also administers two sites which are part of the Beauregard Line of Confederate earthworks. Although our local friends group owns the site where Moore's brigade (and the 42nd) made the initial breakthrough of the Union lines, the site is not yet developed for visitation. Another section of the line further to the east is accessible but requires a 1 mile walk. The works in this area are some of the best in the country. In addition there are numerous sites which have Union earthworks from the Siege of Corinth (May 1862).

There are no marked Confederate, or Union, camps in Corinth. The city has grown and swallowed up much of what was the battlefield and the siege. If you are looking for the camp of the 42nd Alabama, it is not marked but easily pointed out, though the location is covered with housing, streets, etc. The 42nd only spent one night in Corinth, October 3, 1862. Moore's brigade was camped about 500 yards NW of Battery Robinett but during the night they had to shift behind Pfifer's brigade in order to allow three artillery batteries to take position for a pre-dawn bombardment of the city defenses.

We have a number of maps available but the best thing you can do is down load the Shiloh Battle App. Produced by the Civil War Trust, the app is free and has four tours (Shiloh Day 1, Shiloh Day 2, Shiloh Indian Mounds, and Corinth). Each of the tours was written by a Shiloh Ranger (I prepared the Corinth tour) and there are 11 stops and numerous points of interest for Corinth. You could easily spend the day in what was once billed, "Corinth - The Gateway to Shiloh."

Tom
 
Tom
The Getty link is of the railroad tracks instead of Colonel Rogers. Is this what you mean to post?
I have enjoyed your posts about Battery Robinett as well as the others.
Regards
David
 
Tom, thank you for the response, this information is very helpful. As I will be visiting Shiloh and Davis Bridge at this time as well, the battle app. Thanks again.
 
The Getty link is of the railroad tracks instead of Colonel Rogers. Is this what you mean to post?

Yes. I was pointing out that in this image, particularly the high resolution image they sent me, Battery Robinett is on the far right and you can see the logs which are in the background of the famous image in Post No. 4 & 12. The Getty image was taken 2-3 months after the battle and shows the impressive additions to the original fort and the tents of the 57th Illinois Infantry.

Tom
 
Is anyone aware of an in depth analysis having been done of the uniforms worn by the Confederate Dead photographed in front of Battery Robinett? I have looked have not really found anything of substance.
 
Is anyone aware of an in depth analysis having been done of the uniforms worn by the Confederate Dead photographed in front of Battery Robinett? I have looked have not really found anything of substance.

The Nicholas Brown photograph shows only a very small number of the men who fell in front of Battery Robinett. Although two of the men have been identified the others have not and they can be from one of several regiments; 42nd Alabama, 2nd Texas, 35th Mississippi, 3rd Arkansas Cav (D), 6th Texas Cav (D), 9th Texas Cav (D), and Stirman's Arkansas Sharpshooters. There are uniforms from a number of regiments or as few as two. An analysis would be difficult but the results would be fascinating to review.
 
Yes the photograph is interesting to me as the jackets appear to be dark and the pants are a lighter color. What is the source of the highest resolution copy of this photograph?
 
@rebracer , The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center is located adjacent to the site of Battery Robinett. The battery was destroyed in 1900 however the Rangers can show you where the walls of the fort once stood. There are several monuments and graves at the battery site as well. The center has three short films and three rooms of exhibits all of which was designed to enhance a visit to the Shiloh battlefield. Shiloh National Military Park is actually comprised of three battlefields (Shiloh, Corinth, and Davis Bridge) and two visitor centers.

Battery F is the only existing fort of both the Halleck and Rosecrans lines of fortifications. It is in excellent condition considering it is 156 years old and has never been "touched-up" as have been many earthworks at other sites. The 42nd Alabama fought just to the north-east of Battery F. The park also administers two sites which are part of the Beauregard Line of Confederate earthworks. Although our local friends group owns the site where Moore's brigade (and the 42nd) made the initial breakthrough of the Union lines, the site is not yet developed for visitation. Another section of the line further to the east is accessible but requires a 1 mile walk. The works in this area are some of the best in the country. In addition there are numerous sites which have Union earthworks from the Siege of Corinth (May 1862).

There are no marked Confederate, or Union, camps in Corinth. The city has grown and swallowed up much of what was the battlefield and the siege. If you are looking for the camp of the 42nd Alabama, it is not marked but easily pointed out, though the location is covered with housing, streets, etc. The 42nd only spent one night in Corinth, October 3, 1862. Moore's brigade was camped about 500 yards NW of Battery Robinett but during the night they had to shift behind Pfifer's brigade in order to allow three artillery batteries to take position for a pre-dawn bombardment of the city defenses.

We have a number of maps available but the best thing you can do is down load the Shiloh Battle App. Produced by the Civil War Trust, the app is free and has four tours (Shiloh Day 1, Shiloh Day 2, Shiloh Indian Mounds, and Corinth). Each of the tours was written by a Shiloh Ranger (I prepared the Corinth tour) and there are 11 stops and numerous points of interest for Corinth. You could easily spend the day in what was once billed, "Corinth - The Gateway to Shiloh."

Tom
Tom do you think the NPS would ever consider marking where the walls of Robinett were? That would be neat.
 
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