October 1862 saw Robert E Lee move his army away from Washington
and for the time being the capital was safe. At the end of
October 1862, the armies of McClellan and Lee were only two
miles apart near the Blue Ridge Mountains. October 1st: The
Confederate press portrayed Lincoln’s emancipation declaration
as a recipe for slave insurrection. October 4th: The
Confederates launched a major attack on Corinth. It was not a
success as the Unionists were well dug in and the Confederates
lost many men – 1,423 killed, 5,692 wounded and 2,248 missing.
The North lost 315 dead, 1,812 wounded and 232 missing. October
5th: As the Confederates withdrew from Corinth, their rearguard
clashed with a Unionist force at Metamora by the Big Hatchie
River. In this action, the Union lost over 500 men while the
South lost about 400. October 8th: A battle at Perryville in
Kentucky led to heavy casualties on both sides. The North lost
916 killed, 2943 wounded and 489 missing while the South lost
500 killed, 2635 wounded and 251 missing