Beauregard, having been forced to abandon Corinth, and with it any real hope of operations on the Tennessee River, still had his army more or less intact. Regrouping in Tupelo, MS, he considered future movements.
From the Official Record:
HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT,
Tupelo, Miss., June 10, 1862.Major General MANSFIELD LOVELL,
Commanding Department Numbers 1, Jackson, Miss.:
GENERAL: You ask what are my future plans. They will depend somewhat on the movements of the enemy. I intend to fights him here if he advances upon me and my force be strong enough to meet him with a chance of success; otherwise, I will fall back toward my true base, via Columbus and the Meridian and Selma Railroad. But should circumstances favor it I shall march from here to Oxford via Pontotoc. The first movement would necessarily the withdrawal of all my troops west of this place to concentrate them here. What would then become of you and your command must be left for you to decide. I would advise you, if my advice were asked, to concentrate them here also, in order to enable me to take the offensive, if practicable. The only thing left to us now is to endeavor to divide the enemy’s forces, if possible, and then to unite ours rapidly for a sudden blow on anyone of his fractional commands.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. T. BEAUREGARD,
General, Commanding.