Beauregard, Pierre Gustave Toutant, 1818-1893 Message rallying troops before an anticipated battle at Corinth, with illegible signature

Calls on the "Soldiers of Shiloh and Elkhorn" to "drive back into the Tennessee the presumptuous mercenaries collected for our subjugation." Tells his men "We are about to meet once more, in the shock of battle, the invaders of our soil, the despoilers of our homes, the disturbers of our family ties. Face to face, hand to hand, we are to decide whether we are to be freemen, or the slaves of those who are free only in name...Let the impending battle decide our fate, and add one more illustrious page to the history of our Revolution; one to which our children will point with noble pride, saying: 'Our fathers were at the battle of Corinth.'" Beauregard took command of this army during the Battle of Shiloh, after which the Confederate forces returned to Corinth. The Union forces pursued them, and an attack was expected in early May. However the delaying tactics used by Beauregard and the general caution of the Union advance caused a twenty mile march to take one month. By the time the Union actually arrived at Corinth, Beauregard had decided to abandon the city. While skirmishes occurred outside the city during the Union advance, no major struggle occurred at Corinth. Beauregard also mentions the siege of Yorktown which has just begun. Illegible signature.