April 6-7: The Battle of Shiloh, the first major
battle in the Civil War's western theater, takes place near Pittsburgh Landing
on the Tennessee River a few miles north of Corinth, Mississippi. Despite overwhelming
casualties on both sides, the Union under General Ulysses S. Grant is victorious.
Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston is killed during the battle. As a
result of the battle, Confederate forces, now under the command General Pierre
G. T. Beauregard, retreat to Corinth, but being pursued by the Union forces
and outnumbered two to one, they retreat to Tupelo, where Beauregard is replaced
by General Braxton Bragg. The Union forces, now under the command of William
Starke Rosecrans, make their headquarters at Corinth.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
The Battle of Corinth occurred between October 3 and 4, 1862.
October 3-4: General Earl Van Dorn, who
had joined Beauregard's troops at Corinth, tries to recapture Corinth from the
Union forces in the Battle of Corinth, but he is repulsed.
December 12:
General Van Dorn makes a daring raid on Grant's storehouses in Holly Springs. Capturing more than 1500 Union soldiers and much-needed supplies, the raid would set back Grant's planned Vicksburg campaign by several months.