Mr King
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2008
Hey everyone! I never realized the importance of the railroads at Corinth until I've been reading the book: The Darkest Days of the War: The Battles at Iuka and Corinth by Cozzens. Here is a little what the author has written:
People have asked me why I chose to write on the relatively obscure northern Mississippi campaign that culminated in the Battle of Corinth, on October 3-4 1862. I tell them I selected this topic precisely because of its obscurity, which derives solely from a want of scholarly attention-the campaign itself was far from important.
Glance at any map of the Confederacy depicting its railroads, and your eye is naturally drawn to Corinth. It stood at the junction of two of the best railroads in the South. Take and hold Corinth, and Union armies would sever the most viable Confederate line of communications and supply between the eastern seaboard and the vast trans-Mississippi region. Maj. Gen. Halleck recognized this, and he counted the capture of Corinth more important than the destruction of the Confederate western armies.
Corinth was also of great importance to Federal plans of conquest. The town lay between the two strategic invasion routes into the Deep South: the Mississippi River Valley corridor leading to Vicksburg, and the Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta avenue into the interior of Georgia. With Corinth in their possession, the Federals would be able to transport supplies and reinforcements to armies operating along either route.
I'll stop there.
I have the book by Cozzens. It started off when I read the book Westerners in Gray: The Men and Missions of the Elite Fifth Missouri Infantry Regiment by Phillip Tucker. After I read how well these CSA Missourians fought in this battle I had to have a book that covers the whole Campaign. Therefore, selected The Battles of Iuka and Corinth by Cozzens because I love Cozzens' books especially on Chickamauga: This Terrible Sound and highly recommend that book.
I didn't realize how important the railroads at Corinth was until I got this book. So feel free to comment on this thread.
People have asked me why I chose to write on the relatively obscure northern Mississippi campaign that culminated in the Battle of Corinth, on October 3-4 1862. I tell them I selected this topic precisely because of its obscurity, which derives solely from a want of scholarly attention-the campaign itself was far from important.
Glance at any map of the Confederacy depicting its railroads, and your eye is naturally drawn to Corinth. It stood at the junction of two of the best railroads in the South. Take and hold Corinth, and Union armies would sever the most viable Confederate line of communications and supply between the eastern seaboard and the vast trans-Mississippi region. Maj. Gen. Halleck recognized this, and he counted the capture of Corinth more important than the destruction of the Confederate western armies.
Corinth was also of great importance to Federal plans of conquest. The town lay between the two strategic invasion routes into the Deep South: the Mississippi River Valley corridor leading to Vicksburg, and the Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta avenue into the interior of Georgia. With Corinth in their possession, the Federals would be able to transport supplies and reinforcements to armies operating along either route.
I'll stop there.
I have the book by Cozzens. It started off when I read the book Westerners in Gray: The Men and Missions of the Elite Fifth Missouri Infantry Regiment by Phillip Tucker. After I read how well these CSA Missourians fought in this battle I had to have a book that covers the whole Campaign. Therefore, selected The Battles of Iuka and Corinth by Cozzens because I love Cozzens' books especially on Chickamauga: This Terrible Sound and highly recommend that book.
I didn't realize how important the railroads at Corinth was until I got this book. So feel free to comment on this thread.
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