May 9, 1862 - Friday - 160 years ago today

Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Wood's Division

The slow advance of the Union army has continued between May 5th and 9th.  On the left, General Pope is ahead of the others and has come to an area around Sevenmile Creek, north of Farmington, MS and about 5 miles from Corinth.  Pope has tested the Confederate army's outer defenses, but remains unsure of their actual strength.

On his right, Buell has not moved up in concert but has been constructing corduroy roads to improve the army's mobility.  Buell is requested on the 9th to move one or two divisions forward to protect Pope's right.  It appears that one of these was Wood's division.

May 9, 1862-8 P. M.

General Buell:

You will make every effort to-morrow morning to close up the space between you and General Pope, and to protect his right in case of an attack.  If General Wood is moved to the left, his position will be occupied by General Thomas' old division.

H. W. Halleck,

   Major-General 

 

Here is a current map of the area around Corinth and Farmington in Northern Mississippi.  Sevenmile creek is in the upper right, crossing MS152 and Kendrick Road.  Corinth is at the lower left.

Virginia - Peninsula Campaign

General McClellan is slowly moving up the Virginia Peninsula toward Richmond.  When the Confederates evacuated Yorktown and move back toward Richmond, there was a sizable battle at Williamsburg.  The Yankees had got slightly the better of that battle, and the Confederates continued their retreat.  

President Lincoln had come to meet with General McClellan, and as usual was prodding him to move forward faster.  McClellan continued to advance slowly.

More Information:

• Link: War Operations, see Volume X, Chapter XXII, Part II, Correspondence,  pp. 166-179.
• The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp. 68-69.
  
• Shelby Foote: The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville, pp. 376-378.
  

NEXT POST: MAY 13TH