FROM CORINTH TO MURFREESBORO’ (STONE’S RIVER).
BRAGG’S INVASION OF KENTUCKY AND THE PERRYVILLE CAMPAIGN. NAEEATIVE OP EVENTS.
Nashville, and received reinforcements from the Union armies around Corinth. Under instructions from Bragg to prevent Grant from reinforcing Buell, Price attempted to march iuto western Tennessee, and in September reached Iuka, in Northern Mississippi. With a small column of Grant’s army, Rosecrans defeated Price at Iuka, September 19, and drove him southward again. Price then joined his forces to Van Dorn’s, and their united armies attacked Rosecrans at Corinth, October 3 and 4, and were repulsed.
Meanwhile Bragg, preceded by Forrest’s and Morgan’s mounted raiders crossed through eastern Tennessee into Kentucky. He reached Glasgow September 12, and issued a proclamation to Kentuckians. On the 16th, he captured the Union post at Munfordville, with 4000 prisoners. A subordinate column, under General E. Kirby Smith, marched from Knoxville, Tennessee, in August, defeated the Union force under General William Nelson at Richmond, Kentucky, on the 30th, and turned the strong Union position at Cumberland Gap, which was evacuated September 17. At the same time a column of Confederate infantry, and the cavalry brigades of Colonels Morgan and Duke, marched to the west bank of the Ohio River and threatened Cincinnati. Buell concentrated his army at Louisville, and marching from there to cope with Bragg, encountered him at Perry-ville, October 8.
Perry ville was indecisive,but Bragg retreated to Knoxville, and the Union army, led by Rosecrans, who succeeded Buell October 29, advanced to Nashville. In December, Bragg occupied Murfreesboro’ threatening Nashville, and Rosecrans marched from Nashville on the 26th to attack him. The decisive battle of Murfreesboro’ (Union, “ Stone’s River”) followed. [See Colonel G. C. Kniffin’s article, p. 161, and General Crittenden’s, p. 163.]
of the enemy. I was immediately in rear of the skirmishers, and, taking in the situation at a glance, dashed back to the head of the column. If this should become enveloped by the enemy, a rout was inevitable, and our force would be doubled back on itself. I threw the leading regiment, the 5th Iowa, across the road, moving it a short distance to the right, and ordered up the nearest battery, which was placed in position on the road, and to the left of the first regiment in position. Colonel Sanborn was active in bringing up other regiments, and getting them into line. Just as the first regiment was placed, the enemy opened one of his batteries with canister. The charge passed over our heads, doing no damage beyond bringing down a shower of twigs and leaves. The Confederates were in line ready for action. Why they did not move forward and attack us at once is not understood. Their delay, which enabled us to form the nearest three regiments in line of battle before the attack began, was our salvation. An earlier attack would have enveloped the head of the column, and brought a disastrous rout.
Meantime not a moment was lost. A second regiment, and a third, with all the rapidity that men could exercise, were added to our little line; and while the Confederates were moving to the front, we had managed to get a battle-line of three regiments into position. It was then the storm of battle opened. The opposing infantry lines were within close musketry shot. Our battery was handled with energy, and dealt death to the enemy. The Confederate batteries had ceased firing, their line of fire having been covered by the
Duriug the summer of 1862, while the Confederate armies under Generals J. E. Johnston andR. E. Lee, and the Union armies under Generals McClellan and Pope, contended in the East, the military situation in the West was comparatively uneventful. The first important collision after Shiloh involving the antagonists of that decisive field, took place at Iuka, Miss., September 19, two days after Antietam.
The battle of Shiloh (April 5 and 6) resulted in the retreat of the Confederates, led by Beauregard, to Corinth. General Halleck, assuming personal command of the Union forces opposed to Beauregard, immediately besieged Corinth, where all of the Confederate troops in the southwest were assembled. Halleck’s army comprised the armies under Grant,Buell, and Pope. Beauregard evacuated Corinth,May 30, and fell back southward, halting at Tupelo. Halleck occupied Corinth, repaired the Memphis and Charleston R.R. and sent Buell along that line eastward to threaten Chattanooga. On June 27, General Braxton Bragg succeeded Beauregard in command of the Confederate forces in Mississippi. About that time Halleck and Pope were transferred from the Corinth army to another field, and Grant succeeded to the chief command in Mississippi. Late in July Bragg set out to invade the North, and proceeded with 35,000 men from Tupelo to Chattanooga, Tennessee. [See Colonel Urquliart’s article, “ Bragg’s Advance and Retreat,” page 159.] The Confederates remaining in Mississippi after Bragg’s departure were left under the command of Generals Van Dorn and Price, who had crossed to the east of the Mississippi after the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas (March 8).
Buell was placed on the defensive by Bragg’s northward movement, and gradually fell back from the Alabama and Tennessee borders toward his base at
THE BATTLE OF IUKA.
BY C. 8. HAMILTON, MAJOB-GENEBAL, U. S. Y.
Commander of a division at Iuka.
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about thirty miles east of Corinth. In September, 1862, the Confederate authorities, to prevent reinforcements being sent by the Federal commander in Mississippi to Buell in Kentucky, sent General Sterling Price with his army corps to Iuka. A regiment of Union troops stationed at Iuka evacuated the place, leaving a considerable quantity of army stores, as also quite an amount of cotton. The latter was destroyed, the former made use of, and Price settled down, apparently at his leisure, under the nose of Grant’s force, whose headquarters were at Corinth. As soon as definite information was had of this position of Price, Grant took immediate steps to beat him up. A combined attack was planned, by which Eoseerans with his two divisions (Hamilton’s and Stanley’s) was to move on Iuka from the south, while Ord, with a similar column, was to approach Iuka from the west. This he did, taking position within about six miles of the village, where he was to await Eosecrans’s attack.
[General Hamilton personally led the troops which opened the fight and was an eye-witness of all that he here describes.]
On the halting of my troops, the battalion of skirmishers was pushed rapidly forward in the direction of Iuka. An advance of four hundred yards brought them in the immediate presence 156