drew to Corinth. General H. W. Halleck, with a
greatly superior force, cautiously and slowly advanced upon the
Confederate position, consuming more than a month in the operation.
During the night of the 29th of May Beauregard evacuated the place
(which was occupied by the Federals on the following day), and
re-established his line at Tupelo. Corinth then became the headquarters
of the Union forces under General W. S. Rosecrans, who on the 3/4 of
October 1862 was fiercely attacked here by General Earl von Dorn, whom
he repulsed, both sides suffering considerable losses in killed and
wounded, and the Confederates leaving many prisoners behind.

CORINTH, ISTHMUS OF, an isthmus of Greece, dividing the Gulf of Corinth
from the Saronic Gulf. Ships were sometimes dragged across it in ancient
times at a place called the Diolcus ([Greek: dielkein], to pull or cut
through). Nero, in A.D. 67, began cutting a canal through it; but the
project was abandoned. In 1893 a ship canal was opened, with its western
entrance about 1-1/4 m. N.E. of the little town of New Corinth. It was
begun in 1881 by a French company, which ceased operations in 1889, a
Greek company completing the undertaking. The canal is about 70 ft.
broad, nearly 4 m. long, and 26 ft. deep. It shortens the journey from
the Adriatic to the Peiraeus by 202 m., but foreign steamships seldom
use it, as the narrowness of the canal and the strength of the current
at times render the passage dangerous. About 1 m. from its western end
it is crossed by the iron bridge of the Athens and Corinth railway.
Traces of the Isthmian wall may still be seen parallel to the canal; it
was constructed, at an unknown date, for the fortification of the
Isthmus. Just to the S. of it, and about 1/2 m. from the sea are the
remains of the Isthmian precinct of Poseidon and its stadium, where the
Isthmian games were celebrated. This precinct served also as a fortress.
Within it have been found traces of the temple of Poseidon and other
buildings. (E. GR.)

CORINTHIANS, EPISTLES TO THE, two books of the Bible (New Testament).
The two letters addressed to the Christian church at Corinth are, with
Romans, the longest of the Pauline epistles. They possess a singular
interest and value, due to the apostle's close acquaintance with the
members of the church addressed and their circumstances. In consequence
of this intimate character the First Epistle to the Corinthians presents
a picture,