Battle of Iuka Part 2

On September 18, 1862, Major General Edward Ord (USA) arrives and starts skirmishing with the Confederates within six miles of town. This mostly occurs in the evening/overnight. Ord demands that Major General Sterling Price (CSA) surrender but he flat out refuses.

Major General William S. Rosecrans (USA) is ordered up to help Ord with the Confederates but he has more miles to cover and muddy roads to cross so its taking him a little bit longer to reach Iuka, Mississippi. U.S. Grant wants the fighting to start simultaneously but doesn't know exactly when Rosecrans is going to arrive so he tells Ord not to start fighting until he hears that Rosecrans has started. They were a few miles apart, coming from opposite directions, so there should be no problem in hearing the fighting start.

In the meantime, Major General Earl Van Dorn (CSA) suggests that Price and their two armies should meet in Rienzi. By joining forces, they can then attack the Union forces in the area. So Price prepares to march on September 19.

But Rosecrans, who was supposed to arrive via two different roads, arrives on the Jacinto Road and runs into pickets which he is able to push back. When they were within two miles of town, they were attacked by Little's Division (CSA) on Mill Road...right at the intersection of the Jacinto Road. The fighting started and continued well until dark.

Due to a wind coming in from the north, Ord never heard the battle. Thus, he never got involved in the fighting. General Grant didn't even know the battle took place until it was over. Grant then prepared his men to continue the fighting the next day. But when daylight broke, they discovered that the Confederates had withdrawn. It was a Union victory.

Casualties: Union - 790
Confederate - 1516

This is a battle that you hear little about. In trying to determine what is a major battle and what is a minor battle, I have come to the conclusion that if I read about a particular battle several times and am very aware of it...then its going to be considered a major battle. If I have never heard of or am not very aware of a particular battle, then I will consider it a minor battle. This isn't very scientific, but this is the way that I have to distinguish the two. As such, this battle (in my mind at least) is a major battle.

After the fighting at Iuka subsided, Grant sent Rosecrans out to chase the Confederates but after several miles they just gave up. This all leads up to the events that will eventually become the Second Battle of Corinth.