The 11th Missouri regiment was formed in line of battle within a short distance of a rebel battery which was shelling our men with pretty good effect, but they never fired a shot at us. Their object was to flank us and take all prisoners. Our Colonel at this time was Joseph A. Mowers. Plummer was promoted to a Brigadier General, and he recommended Mower for our Colonel, and he was accepted by the regiment as a fit man to command it. He was riding up and down the lines surveying with an eagle eye the operations of the enemy, when he perceived their intention was to flank us, and he ordered us to about face in retreat, and we double-quicked about two miles, came to a halt, and formed our line, waiting to receive the rebels if they made their appearance. But they did not think it advisable to venture into the timber where we were posted. We remained there until evening, and then returned to camp. An advance was made along our whole line, and that night we planted several batteries, and next day dug rifle pits at Farmington. Our line of rifle pits extended along the whole line, a distance of fourteen miles. Two companies had to lay in the pits in case of an attack, but we were not molested.
On the 24th of May five companies of the 11th Missouri and some artillery were ordered out to drive in the rebel grand guard, and our gunners shelled the rebel camp awhile. They had to leave and go inside their works; we made a charge, and the rebels fled before us about half a mile. Companies H and F were thrown out as skirmishers. We passed through some heavy timber, and when we came out into view the rebels poured a heavy volley into us, but it passed over our heads and done us no injury. Company H was skirmishing in advance a short distance, when three of them were wounded, the whole regiment was ordered to fire. We fired one round and the rebels fell back. One man came in and give himself up. But few prisoners were taken. One rebel was carried from the field by our men, and he died before they could get him to the hospital.
Our General did not think it good policy to venture too close at this time, so we returned to camp.
It was in front of Corinth that Col. Worthington was killed. He was doing duty on guard, and the orders were very strict. The sentinels were ordered to allow no one outside of the lines after night. He gave the order himself, and that night he was killed by one of his own men. He belonged to the 5th Iowa infantry.
On the 28th another advance was made, and this day company B lay in between the fire of two batteries—ours and the rebels'—for two hours, as they had to fire right over them. They had skirmished to within 200 yards of the rebel works, and there they were ordered to lay down, and the shot and shell flew all around them, but not a man of company B was injured. A long line of rifle pits were dug and our men soon had protection from the enemy's shot and shell, as they were doing their best to drive them back, they held their position and could not get the federals to leave. They made several charges on our batteries, but were repulsed at every point, and were obliged to retire and leave us masters of the field. We lay in the pits all of the 29th, and on this night the rebels evacuated.
The attack was to be made along the whole line on the 30th. Everything being ready, the ball was to be opened on the morrow by Gens. Halleck and Pope, when the rebels evacuated, and we took possession. Our ears were startled by hearing a sound like the report of a hundred cannon being fired at once. It was the rebels blowing up their magazine before leaving. Our men took possession on the morning of the 30th, and started in pursuit of the retreating rebels. We followed them about twenty-five miles, to a place called Booneville. About 20,000 prisoners were taken altogether.
Col. Ellett, with a strong force of cavalry intercepted the cars at Booneville with about 2,000 men on board, and an immense amount of arms and ammunition, which was burned and the railroad destroyed.
When the rebel magazine was burning a heavy smoke arose, and the sky was dark with dense columns of smoke as it curled upwards from the burning timbers, and at last came the explosion. We thought that our men had made the attack—but no, the birds had flown, and left us nothing but their cage.
After remaining at Booneville several days, we returned to Corinth, and took our camp on Clear Creek, about four miles from that place. There we formed a camp of instruction. It was a very hard march from Booneville to our present camp. Our brigade was commanded by the Colonel of the 8th Wisconsin regiment of volunteers. Our Colonel drilled us in the battalion drill in the morning, brigade drill in the afternoon. We had our drills for several weeks.