|
Just a quick review of "Corinth 1862: Siege, Battle, Occupation" by Timothy B. Smith (2012).
I've read other books by Smith in the past and had high hopes with this one. The siege of Corinth is not a very well-covered Civil War event and getting to learn more about it was a big reason I wanted to read this. Smith's book does a good job starting with why Corinth was important in 1862 and why the Confederates were holding it in the Spring of that year. After the Battle of Shiloh the Confederates concentrated at Corinth under Beauregard and were reinforced by Van Dorn and Price from the Trans-Mississippi Department.
Smith's writing on the Siege of Corinth was interesting but a bit dry. I can't fault him too much because, really, the soldiers involved were all miserable on both sides. High heat, very poor water, and endless digging were the constant complaints. Beauregard did attempt to counterattack against Halleck's massive combined armies but was never able to achieve the surprise and tactical advantage he was looking for. I found it interesting as it reminded me a lot of Johnston's efforts to stop Sherman in 1864 - a lot of close calls and missed chances which never resulted in a large battle. In both cases you wonder what a more aggressive commander could have done. With Atlanta, and the promotion of John Bell Hood, we have an answer. But with Corinth the outcome is the opposite. Rather than wasting his army with low-probability attacks, Beauregard abandons Corinth and the main Confederate forces in the West live to fight for three more year. Had they been destroyed or captured the war might have ended much sooner. Beauregard's evacuation of Corinth went about as well as any military evacuation in history could have gone. Probably more luck than skill but I am sure Beauregard would argue it was all skill.
The book then goes on to cover the subsequent Iuka and Corinth Campaign of late 1862. Here, Smith did a good job of covering the campaign and why it was being fought. I found his writing about the Battle of Corinth to be very good and I learned quite a bit about the battle I did not know before. I enjoyed this part of his book probably the most.
Maybe it was because most history books end with the climatic battle, but I then found the "occupation" portion of the book to be very dull. Reading about a siege and a battle - always interesting! Reading about occupation... always boring. Sorry. I get it, he wanted to tell the full story of Corinth in the Civil War. But then naming the book "Corinth 1862" is a bit misleading. Corinth went on to remain occupied until 1864 when it no longer was important to the Union cause (with the capture of Vicksburg and Chattanooga being more important) and it was abandoned. The Confederates would reoccupy the town until 1865 when they abandoned it again as Union forces swept through Alabama and Mississippi.
Overall, I could have lived without the final few chapters discussion the occupation of the town. While it completes the historical picture of Corinth in the Civil War, it just dragged the book on for an extra 40 pages after the shooting and the action stopped. But ignoring that flaw (if it is one), I enjoyed the book. It wasn't the greatest Civil War history book but it also was not the worst. It filled in some missing links in my Civil War knowledge bank in my mind and I am glad I read it.
What's next?
General Lee's Army: From Victory to Collapse
_________________ Gen. Blake Strickler
Confederate General-in-Chief
El Presidente 2010 - 2012
|
ACWGC 
ACWGC Memorial
CSA HQ
VMI
Join CSA
Union HQ
Join Union 
Login
FAQ
Search
Members
