After the evacuation of
Corinth (q. v.),
General Rosecrans was placed in command of the forces under
Pope, who had gone to
Virginia, to occupy
northern Mississippi and
Alabama, in the vicinity of
Corinth, and eastward to
Tuscumbia.
His forces were known as the Army of the Mississippi, with headquarters at
Corinth.
There were no more stirring events in the region of
General Grant's command (under whom was
Rosecrans) than guerilla operations, from June until September.
At the beginning of September the
Confederates under
Price and
Van Dorn moved towards the
Tennessee River, and, when
Bragg moved into
Tennessee,
Price attempted to cut off communications between
Grant and
Buell.
General Armstrong (Confederate), with over 5,000 cavalry, struck the Nationals, Aug. 30, 1862, at
Bolivar, with the intention of severing the railway there.
He was repulsed by less than 1,000 men, under
Colonel Leggett.
He was repulsed at
Jackson the next day, and again, on Sept. 1, at Britton's Lane, after a battle of four hours with
Indiana troops, under
Colonel Dennis.
At the latter place
Armstrong left 179 men, dead and wounded, on the field.
Informed of this raid, at
Tuscumbia,
Rosecrans hastened to
Iuka, a little
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village celebrated for its fine mineral springs, about 15 miles east of
Corinth, where a large amount of stores had been gathered.
There, with
Stanley's division, he encamped at
Clear Creek, 7 miles east of
Corinth, and, at the same time,
Price moved northward from
Tupelo with about
12,000 Confederate troops.
Price struck
Iuka, Sept. 10, and captured the
National property there.
Grant at once put two columns in motion to crush
Price—one, under
Rosecrans, to attack his flank and rear, and another, under
General Ord, to confront him. These movements began on the morning of Sept. 18.
Ord, with 5,000 men, advanced to
Burnsville, followed by
General Ross with more, while
Rosecrans moved with the separated divisions of
Stanley and
C. S. Hamilton, about 9,000 strong, during a drenching rain, to
San Jacinto, 20 miles southward of
Iuka.
On the next morning, Sept. 19, they pushed on towards
Iuka,
Mizner's cavalry driving a Confederate guard.
Early in the afternoon
Hamilton, listening for the sound of
Ord's guns, and skirmishing briskly by the way, had reached a point within 2 miles of
Iuka, on densely wooded heights.
There he formed a line of battle.
He sent forward his skirmishers, who were driven back, and a severe battle immediately followed.
The 11th Ohio Battery was, after a severe struggle, placed in position on the crest of the hill.
With this battery, a few regiments of
Iowa,
Missouri,
Minnesota, and
Indiana troops fought more than three times their number of Confederates, led by
Price in person.
Finally, when
Colonel Eddy, of an Indiana regiment, was mortally wounded, the remainder of his regiment was hurled back in disorder, leaving the almost disabled battery to be seized by the
Confederates.
For the possession of these guns desperate charges and countercharges were made, until at length the
Confederate soldiers dragged the guns off the field.
All of the horses and seventy-two of the artillerymen had been killed.
The battle raged warmly elsewhere, when the
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Confederates were driven to the shelter of the hollows near the village.
Darkness ended the
battle of Iuka.
The National loss was nearly 800, killed, wounded, and missing; that of the
Confederates was nearly 1,400.
Ord, meanwhile, whom
Grant had sent to assist
Rosecrans, had been watching the movements of Confederates who were making feints on
Corinth.
Expecting to renew the
battle at Iuka in the morning,
Stanley pressed forward for the purpose, but found that
Price had fled southward under cover of the darkness, leaving behind the captured guns of the 11th Ohio Battery.
Price was pursued all day, but escaped.
