Significant Facts

The Corinth Siege was in the early stage of the Civil War and the remaining earth works and rare surviving examples of early Civil War field fortifications were part of a developing technology that was later applied extensively at Vicksburg (1863), Northern Virginia and Petersburg (1864) and Atlanta (1864). They were studied by foreign armies prior to World War I and this technology evolved into the trench warfare system of World War I.

In terms of aggregate numbers of troops involved, the Siege of Corinth was the greatest in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

Shiloh was the largest battle of the Corinth Campaign, as the Battle of Shiloh was fought over the railroads in Corinth.

The Battle of Corinth was one of the fiercest and bloodiest of the war. Analysts consider it the beginning of the end of the War in the West.

Corinth has the largest and best preserved collection of Civil War earthworks dating to early 1863 in the United States.

Two of the most important trunk railroads in the Confederacy passed through Corinth, Mississippi. The first of these – the Memphis & Charleston - was the only railroad in the South providing service from the Mississippi River at Memphis, by way of Chattanooga, to Richmond and Atlanta and beyond.   The other was the north-south Mobile & Ohio, connecting Mobile with Columbus, Kentucky. The railroad crossover gave to Corinth a strategic significance that made it the most significant transportation hub in the Western Confederacy during March – May 1862. These two railroads were the two longest railroads in the Western Theater.

On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation. Slaves in the South began to leave plantations and seek refuge with the Union Army. Slaves from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama made their way to Corinth seeking freedom. The arrival of the jubilant freedom overwhelmed the military authorities. On December 17, 1862, General Grant, the overall Union commander in the area, designated John Eaton "General Superintendent of Contrabands." The camp at Corinth was a model one. By March, 1863, the Contraband Camp housed 3657 former slaves. A regiment of black soldiers was raised to guard the camp. Since so many of the men at the camp had come from Alabama, the regiment was called the 1^st Alabama Infantry of African Descent; later it became the 55^th U.S. Colored Infantry.

Over 200 generals and 300,000 soldiers were in the Corinth area from 1861-1865.

Corona College, established in 1857 by the Rev. L.B. Gaston, was an elegant girls school. It was used as a hospital during 1862-1864 by Confederate and later Union Armies. In January 1864, it was burned when Federal forces left Corinth.

Did you know

• C & D Jarnagin Company of Corinth produces military uniforms and accoutrements for reenactments of the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War and the Civil War.  Their goods are sold all over the world.
• National Geographic Magazine is printed in Corinth by Quebecor Printing and is sent all over the world. In 1993, over two billion copies of National Geographic were produced in Corinth. National Geographic is the largest 2^nd class state mailer in the world. By volume of mail in Mississippi, it is one of the largest post offices.
• Cormac Sawmills, manufactured by Corinth Machinery Company, were sold throughout the world prior to World War II.
• Before passenger trains were discontinued, Corinth was known for the hot chicken lunches and red-hot tamales sold by vendors at the train station.
• Elvis Presley played in Corinth in 1954, but had to cancel a performance because of low ticket sales.
• Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse is building its largest store in Mississippi in Corinth. It is to be over 163,000 square feet.
• Alcorn County was named after the only Mississippian Scalawag Governor.
• Because of no waiting period for marriage in Corinth, it was known as the "Marriage Mill."
• December 7, 1874, the Jesse James gang robbed the Tishomingo Savings Bank in Corinth and escaped with $15,000.
• When the three banks failed during the depression in 1930-31, Abe Rubel and Company’s firm carried on the banking business for the community.
• The Mobile and Ohio railroad was completed to Corinth June 10, 1861.
• Corona College was Corinth’s only female college.
• On December 28, 1924 at 3:30 a.m. in 5 degree below zero weather, the oil stove in Jimmie Westbrook’s sandwich shop caught on fire leaving the entire city block in ashes. There were $1½ to $2 million dollars in damage and 50 businesses were destroyed.
• January 31, 1951 and February 10, 1994 were the dates of the infamous ice storms which paralyzed Corinth for several weeks.
• The first airplane flown by Roscoe Turner was built in the upstairs portion of the building now occupied by "JB Outdoors" on the corner of Fillmore and Cruise Streets.
• Chickasaw and Choctaw Indian tribes originally inhabited North Mississippi.
• The president’s wife, Mrs. William McKinley, visited Corinth on April 30, 1901
• Tuscumbia was a Chickasaw Indian Chief and is buried just south of the Biggersville Community.
• V.A. Grant was the pen name under which Gradey Peery wrote his articles