The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 3, Volume 2. Page: 899
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UNION AUTHORITIES.
reduced on the 6th of February, after a short but severe engagement.
General Grant then marched across the peninsula and attacked Fort
Donelson. After several days' hard fighting that place also capitu-
lated on the 16th with its armament and garrison, except the small
force which crossed the Cumberland in the night and effected their
escape. This victory caused the immediate evacuation of Bowling
Green and Nashville, and, soon after, of Columbus and the greater
part of Middle Tennessee.
While Grant and Buell were concentrating their armies on the
Tennessee River, near the head of navigation and great lines of rail-
road communication, General Pope moved down the west bank of the
Mississippi, captured New Madrid, and crossing the river below the
enemy's batteries on and near Island No. 10, compelled the garrison to
capitulate on the 7th and 8th of April.
General Grant had crossed the Tennessee and taken position at
Pittsburg Landing in anticipation of the arrival of Buell. The enemy
advanced from Corinth and attacked Grant on the morning of the 6th
of April. A severe battle ensued, which continued till dark,. the
left of our line being driven back nearly to the river. A portion of
Buell's forces arrived in the afternoon and during the night, and the
battle was renewed at daylight on the morning of the 7th. The
enemy was driven back at every point, and in the afternoon fled from
the field, leaving their dead and many of their wounded in our hands.
Finding that the armies of Price and Van Dorn had been withdrawn
from Arkansas to Corinth, and all the available troops of the South-
west concentrated at that place, orders were sent for General Pope
and a part of General Curtis' troops to re-enforce our army on the
Tennessee. The latter had long and difficult marches to make, and
did not reach their destination till the latter part of May. As the
enemy's position at Corinth was strongly fortified and very difficult
of attack at that season of the year, on account of the deep marshes
by which it was surrounded, General Halleck, while awaiting the
arrival of re-enforcements from Missouri, approached the front by
means of trenches, and movable forces were sent out to cut the rail-
roads on the flanks. By the 29th of May three of the four railroads
running from Corinth had been destroyed and heavy batteries estab-
lished.within breaching distance of the enemy's works, ready to open
their fire next morning. The enemy evacuated the place in the night,
destroying the bridges and breaking up the roads in his rear. As all
the streams were bordered by deep and impassable marshes, the
enemy could not be pursued without rebuilding the bridges and
reopening the roads. The corps of Buell and Pope followed the
enemy about fifty miles into the swamps of Mississippi, capturing a
considerable number of stragglers and deserters, when the want of
supplies compelled them to discontinue the pursuit. The reduction
of Corinth caused the immediate evacuation of Forts Pillow and Ran-
dolph and the city of Memphis. The flotilla and ram fleet attacked
and destroyed the enemy's gun-boats, opening the Mississippi River
to Vicksburg.
Meanwhile General Curtis with the remainder of his army marched
through the northeast part of Arkansas, and after several successful
engagements reached Helena, where he established a depot of sup-
plies for future operations.
General Buell had during the autumn of 1861 collected a large
force at Louisville and in other parts of Kentucky. While his main
army advanced toward Bowling Green, General Thomas' command899
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The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Additions and Corrections to Series 3, Volume 2. (Pamphlet)
Errata sheets for the Records of the War of the Rebellion include additions and corrections to the text and the index for Series 3, Volume 2.
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United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 3, Volume 2., book, 1899; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139264/m1/908/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.