Union Siege Line from May 17, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi

CORINTH CIVIL WAR DRIVING TOUR STOP 15

There are a number of Union siege lines with existing earthworks on the northeast side of Corinth, but there is nothing but an identification sign at the Union Siege line at Stop 15 on the Corinth Civil War Driving Tour. I saw no earthworks, though I didn’t go traipsing back in the woods looking for any. Earthworks are defensive trenches dug to defend a position just like the ones popularized in World War I. Over the 150+ years since the Civil War, the earthworks have been whittled down by erosion. Today, even the best of them resemble nothing more than gullies, and only those with a trained eye can differentiate the two apart.

After the Battle of Shiloh on April 6 and 7, 1862, the Confederates retreated to Corinth. In early May, Union forces under General Henry Halleck decided to go after them. However, Halleck was so worried about a counter attack that he dug defensive earthworks at each point he deemed to be strategic. It took six days for the Union Army to move six miles. Once a line of earthworks was completed, the army would move forward and then dig a new line.

According to the Corinth Civil War Driving Tour brochure, the earthworks at Stop 15 were used up until May 17th. The brochure states that Stop 17 is a Union Siege Line from May 28th. However, at that stop there is a National Park Service sign that states that this is the Union Siege Line from May 17th, so something is out of whack. Perhaps Stop 15 is also part of the May 17th line, but for sure Stop 17 is not (at least according to the National Park Service). Since there is nothing at Stop 15 to see, just pass it by and continue on to the next stop, Farmington Baptist Church. If you do want to stop, use 31 CR 114 as a GPS reference point. This is a house just south of the sign.

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