In the spring of 1862, there was no more important place in the western Confederacy than the town of Corinth, Mississippi. Major General Henry W. Halleck, commander of Union forces in the Western Theater, reported to Washington that "Richmond and Corinth are now the great strategical points of war, and our success at these points should be insured at all hazards." In the same vein, Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard declared to Richmond that "If defeated at Corinth, we lose the Mississippi Valley and probably our cause." Those were odd sentiments concerning a town scarcely a decade old. But it sat at the junction of the South's two most important rail lines and had become a major strategic locale. The author looks at Corinth, focusing on the nearly year-long campaign that opened the way to Vicksburg and presaged the Confederacy's defeat in the West.

Originally published: 2012.

Prologue: Crossroads -- The great rallying point -- "I leave here to-morrow morning" -- "The ball has commenced" -- "A siege from the start" -- "A constant succession of battles on a small scale" -- "To the last extremity" -- "Most anxious period of the war" -- "A deeper design" -- "My position is precarious" -- "We were obliged to fall back gradually" -- "Victorious so far" -- "Things look rather blue to-night" -- "A dreadful charge up hill" -- "The very heart of Corinth" -- "A second retreat" -- "We are getting things in good order again" -- "Establishing friendly relations with the inhabitants" -- Appendix: Order of battle at the Battle of Corinth.