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Battle of Iuka, Mississippi
September 19, 1862
written by Alethea D. Sayers
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| USA Gen. William S. Rosecrans |
CSA Gen. Sterling Price |
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In September of 1862, General Braxton Bragg, commanding the Confederate Western Army, ordered Maj. Gen. Sterling Price to
prevent Rosecrans' two divisions from Corinth in reinforcing Buell in middle Tennessee. Price, with his 17,000 troops at
Tupelo, had also been requested by Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn to combine forces and strike at Grant's lines in West Tennessee.
Believing Bragg's order to be more imperative, Price moved his forces to Iuka, Mississippi to await further developments,
driving off a small Union force there.
Grant decided to take advantage of Price's move and attack him on the 20th, before he was reinforced by Van Dorn. Grant's
plan called for Maj. Gen. Ord's 3 small divisions of 8,000 to advance along the railroad to Iuka, while Rosecrans' two
divisions of 9,000 would cut off Price's retreat.
Ord was in position by the evening of the 18th, but Rosecrans was delayed, not reaching Iuka until late afternoon of the
19th. As his leading division moved up to within two miles of Iuka, a surprise attack was launched by the Confederates.
The fighting between Rosecrans and Price's Confederates was fierce, lasting about two hours. Ord had not heard the battle
and therefore did not participate. But when Price learned that Ord was also in position, he elected to retreat southward
during the night, falling back towards Grand Junction, Tennessee.
Price's unexpected battle resulted in 1,516 casualties; 263k, 692w & 561m. The Federals lost 782; 144k, 589w & 40m. (E&B:
Drake, L)
E&B Chronological Summary of Engagements and Battles, no author, publisher or date, copy is USMA library, a listing
prepared by the Surgeon General of the Army.
Drake, E. L. Chronological Summary of Battles and Engagements of the Western Armies of the Confederate States, Nashville
1879.
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