Tour Stop 20: Corinth: The Cross Roads of the Confederacy 

Visted Corinth and Shiloh a number of years ago. One of the better places to visit Civil War towns. Had a unique experience while there that shows one how small the world can be. We met the nicest lady who worked at the museum who gave us a lot of helpful hints and directions to see all the sites in the area. A few months later I was relating all this to a customer who happened to be a Civil War enthusiast like myself and when I told him about how nice the lady was at the museum, he smiled and said that that was his Mother. Small world indeed.

When one gives "Context" to Civil War History, it provides all of us not only greater understanding of the events, officers & civilian's roles, but often blueprints for future history, and how similar events would play out. This is why the curriculum of US History is so important in our US school system, and should be given priority to inform, enlighten & educate future generations !

I hate knowing that you all came through Corinth and I wasn't able to meet you! I'm 20 minutes west of there. One other critical piece of information on that crossroad is that the width of both railroad tracks is the same. There wasn't a standard for railroads at that time. But the same train could travel both tracks. My third great grandfather signed up in the cavalry with his brothers in Iuka, 10 or so miles west of Corinth. Thanks for adding to the history of my home state. Keep up the good work!

Visited Shiloh years ago, it was very surreal being at the Wisconsin memorial, it was like our people were calling to us.

My Great Grandfather, William Frame Smith, was wounded at the First Battle of Corinth in May 1862. He was a Pvt. in the 26th. Illinois Infantry, Company H. Lost fingers on his right hand due to a musket ball. He was discharged. His discharge papers state, : "loss of fingers on right hand, no longer able to fire a musket"....Upon recovery he reinlisted (Feb. 1864) in the 5th. Illinois Cavalry, Company I, as a Scout. He was discharged at the end of the War.

Gary brings history to life.

God bless Robert E Lee. I bought some property close to Corinth in Iuka back in 2008. I was about to torch the shotgun house when a skinny employee eased up the rotten stairs to the attic. He yelled there's a cedar box. After breaking in it he yelled there's a sword and clothes in here. He tossed down the sword. He looked out the window and said it's a kids fake uniform. Glad I didn't torch the shotgun house cause apparently by the water where I bought the wooded 60 acres was a Confederate safe house. Yes it was a real Confederate uniform and sword....

I am lucky to live just an hour and a half away from Corinth and Shiloh and I’ve visited these areas several times. Thanks for putting a spotlight on this area. The museum in Corinth is definitely worth visiting. Bryce’s Crossroads is just a short drive from Corinth. I didn’t know about the contraband camp east of there. You gave me a reason to go back and visit again. Nice video guys!

Such a great group of Civil War enthusiasts. What a great job they do keeping Civil War history alive.

Absolutely love you guys! Proud to be a supporter! Keep history alive!

This channel is my happy place. Well done guys. You bring history to life.

You guys do a wonderful job with your knowledge and enthusiasm. Thanks Gary & General Parker Hills and hello from Rhode Island.

Wow…what an amazing collection of talent. Irrespective of our attitude today towards the railroad crossroads, it was considered vital in 1862 and worth the thousands of casualties. Ironically, like Vietnam, Corinth was evacuated by the Union in 1864 and returned to the Confederates. Thank you for this video.

I've been to Corinth and learned about the contraband camp there. Thank you for the details.

You guys are a wealth of knowledge, thanks for passing it along!

my mom is from jacinto , the county of corinth I use to go to shiloh every summer and watch the reenactments and see the bloody pond and all the battles in and around ,

Visited Corinth with some friends in July 2016. It was a great place to visit and this video adds more depth to what I learned at the time. Thank you!

I was waiting for these guys to walk over to the square of the crossroads, point straight down at the ground, and say, "The entire Battle of Corinth was fought over this roughly four square foot piece of land."

Every time I turn on these videos to play in the background, they are so interesting I end up just watching them to the end.

One of my ancestors was there. He was wounded at are Iuka Mississippi and then surrender at Vicksburg. Thank everyone for putting this together. Would not understand what happened without your great research.

I enjoy your program. I am a descendant of Gen.Henry Wager Hallock. Thank you for sharing the dislike between Hallock and Grant kept going on till my cousin passed.. Hallock (Halleck) proved himself in the Mexican war.

The breakneck speed with which you guys are putting this content out is amazing! Well done.

I remember going to Corinth, Mississippi, realizing later that it was a crucial Confederate rail junction and staging area for General Johnson's army to attack Grant's army at Shiloh. Great video.🇺🇸

I was in Corinth in 2012. It is a beautiful location and very nice National Park. The lecture I got at the Visitor Center was fantastic. I have no eye for geography and the guide took extra time helping me understand critical (to the second battle) geography. While I disagree with some things in this video regarding the importance of Corinth, the video was great. Thank you.

Thank you for history I was ignorant of . Now something I can study

We were fortunate enough to spend two days in Corinth, such a great place and the people were so friendly

Thank you for sharing! My son and I are going to Corinth this weekend.

The magnitude of importance in this site cannot be understated. My only beef with the clip was the dead-silence at the beginning for nearly a minute. Without any audio context, I thought that my connection was the problem and went through lots of calisthenics trying to repair the issue. Jumping forward and sliding backwards, I eventually discovered that there was no issue, only a missing voice-over introduction to the subject. Please consider fixing this flaw - bring us into the Corinth of early April 1862 with the respect that is due.

Awesome videos keep them coming. In my opinion our military today needs a lot of men like Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Very enjoyable. Thank you.

Thank you for providing history of these very important areas. I love it here.

Appreciate you three immensely and your enthusiasm for history.

I've done this loop before. I started in Corinth then to Shiro. Then to Graceland. Thanks for the info Gary.

Thank you for all you guys do! Top shelf stuff! 🇨🇦

You guys are passionate about what you do. Very interesting

Thank you for highlighting this important story in the Civil War.

Thank you for the numbering system! Much appreciated! As is all your work.

Excellent stuff

Brilliant Content!! Very much Appreciated !! Battlefield Preservation should be our top priority and supporting our Homeless Veterans!! Keep on Keeping on SEMPER FI

Thank you for your concern about our history which I understood much better when I read a quote from Robt E Lee to the effect: "I could not raise my sword against my state."

The mention of cotton, it was still being supplied to the North from this area at this time, despite the war going on. With a wink and a nod cotton passed through the lines with the help of the Mississippi Central Railroad, deemed "right to trade cotton for essential supplies" Local planters as well as officers on both sides profited from the sudden surge of exports of cotton from this gray area of battle line after 1863/64. One could imagine any "captured bales" of cotton were probably sold by Union officers with proper connections at a tidy profit. War is economy and economy is war.

My 2nd most favorite place to be. Having in-laws from that area has allowed me to spend quite a bit of time there. I’m actually the voice of Sam Watkins in the visitor center movie and in fact I talk about the water there; “If the Yanks want it, they can have it.” I can still taste the water in the tea my wife’s G-Aunt used to make, it’s that bad. We used a mixture of milk and water in the movie to show just how bad it was.

....and let's not forget Newton Knight's visit to Corinth!

Great stories

Gary - another excellent job. I enjoy these videos on RU-vid quite a bit. Keep up the good work!

Garry with 2 r's = totally legit!

Thanks

As usual, very well done.

Love this content! I love your enthusiasm and make this tie in with other more famous battle sites.

1st I appreciate all history especially dealing with the subject of the Civil War so good job there. 2nd. In the future when filming on Railroad Property you should be 25 feet from the nearest rail, being a Railroad Employee for the Last 25 years an Engineer gets nervous when someone is that close to the tracks that obliviously does not work for the railroad or have premission to be there. Thanks for you attention on this matter.

I am from Liverpool..just across the River Mersey in Birkenhead John Laird shipbuilders built the CSS.ALABAMA in 1862...the civil war officially ended on 06/11/1865 at the Pier Head..Liverpool (captain James Wedell of the CSS SHENNANDOAH surrendered to British Navy warship HMS..DONEGAL

Thanks for sharing this interesting history.

I was working in that area and had a chance to see the Shiloh battlefield. It hard to believe that such a beautiful place was the scene of Soo much horror!!! Saw where Johnston was shot and laid down!

Great Video Guys...

These presentations are absolutely inspiring and informative! Salutes.

I really enjoy the series but have to take issue with the downplaying of the importance of this railroad junction. It was tactically and strategically important. Lincoln stated that at the time Corinth was THE most important location in the South…understanding that Vicksburg was the crown jewel in the effort. You cannot just focus on, however, the importance of the town for the North. It was more important to the South. How can you not see the vital importance when, even the narrators stated, that just about every major general who owned command in the town was sacked for not holding it or using the location to gain dominant victories. I was really confused by the comments here. It, to me, showed a lack of real understanding. All you need to do is add up the total carnage of Shiloh, the advance on Corinth and the Confederate attack on Corinth later that year to see how important it was. They were not fighting around Corinth and dying based on general scheme and happen stance…no, they were fighting here like it really meant something because it did. BTW…I grew up in Corinth, lived with a Confederate rifle pit in my back yard and also served as a Park Ranger at Shiloh. It is personal to me I know but I have also researched this quite a bit. Again, I appreciate the series…really well done but have issue with the aforementioned stance.

Very Good!... 67

As big a battle as 1st Bull Run at least in terms of casualties. But also strategically like you said.

I was in Corinth 2 years ago coming up from Tupelo and stopped at the Visitor Center. I asked about famous historical places around town and of course they directed me to the museum where Battery Robinette was, but nobody talked about his cross roads where the video is made. I feel cheated!

i love your youtube channel, so cool, thanks.

I was there in 2018 its a neat old town with a very cool old diner from the 1800s in the center of town

I visited 4/21/22. Interpretive center in Battery Robinette was very nice. While there, you can pick up a brochure for the town, and do a quick street tour of the homes. The crossroads is a bit hard to find, you have to look for it. I agree with their assessment - if one had engines and rolling stock on the segments, you could still cover large swaths of the south by rail without the crossroads. Nevertheless, an interesting look at a small town with a big history.

I watched a few ABT videos and being Navy guy there are generals at colonels giving tours of Battlefields. Even bring in the Nav I don't remember even seeing a Admiral and the only the only tours from a captain would be Captains Mass.

Excellent

Absolute fantastic job guys. Would u please consider doing a vid about northern Alabama n in particular Bushwhacker Johnston? Thanks so very much.

When I went to Corinth MS, at the history museum, I was able to look up, and copy my Great Grandfathers military records, from the war of northern aggression. Very interesting place.

Mr Hills. Grant and Rosecrans relationship goes south after Iuka. Rosecrans was very angry that Grants troops did not come up as he thought they would. They later had confusion regarding the pursuit after Corinth. but it all comes from Iuka mainly.

I live 20 minutes from Corinth

Patrolled that railroad diamond a few times.

I have stood in that very spot.

Well Done!!!

Hope y’all are coming to blakeley battlefield in south Alabama! Mobile campaign

This "crossroads" is more "special" then most people think........

Great stuff guys

appreciate your work, guys. just a plethora of knowledge. on another note, how is the litigation going with Best Buy? i understand they stole your name..... j/k love you guys

It looks to me that this rail junction is still active?

I guess General Jackson was the only one didn't mind working the Graveyard shift...😂

serious question...i grew up as a tot in Cornith...never knew the History...thank you all...Does any one remember eating a Slug Burger in Corinth?

Deck the hall with boughs of holly 1862

ok, serious question, ABT. What, if any, comparisons can you draw from the public sentiment in 1860, and the climate in the country in 2021. Do you suspect we are as divided then, as we are now?

Lost a g-g-g grandfather James Frederick at Corinth. Shaky history though, either died at Corinth or received injuries there and died after returning to his home in northwest Alabama.

Took me waaaay too long to figure out that "USCT" meant "Coloured Troops"

Is there any way someone could put all these videos in chronological order? So the play list could be from the start of the war to the end?

It’s pronounced co-RINTH not CARnth by the native population which is the standard for correct pronunciation of any location.

Where’s the station? Went to that spot and watched a freight train with log cars roll by.

I was just there 2 weeks ago . . . unfortunately the Coca-Cola museum was closed.

gggrandfather injuried during 2nd Battle of Corinth with 7th IL Cav.

I live near the area, about an hour away and would like to see that actual RR crossing. Can someone tell me how to get to the spot you gentlemen are standing.

'Festina lente'.

Where you from

According to whom?

No sound?

I did not see any pictures of the thousands of soldiers that were wounded in the battle of Shiloh and transported to Corinth. Forget the generals. Corinth was a bloody mess.

I think we're still dealing with 'this human crisis'. (human?)

dorks

Wow.... Limit the caffeine to this guy.

Dunk on a Confederate.

This would be so much better if you'd focus on the subject and not yourselves. We can hardly see the map because you have to be in the shot.

Impossible to watch this hand waver making the story about himself instead of the subject. .

Too wordy get to the point