The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-10-09
THE BATTLE OF IUKA.
Graphic Description OF the Engage
t.' .r.. -r ment. LA ..F ...
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.l
CnRINTH. Miss. Sept. %, l

! Correspondence of the Chicago Trlbunel .
CoRINTH, Miss, Sept 28 1862
i I propose to give you, in this communica-
ton facts in connection with the battle of Iuka
! facts which could not be obtained earlier, for
the reason that the scattered condition OF the
army engaged in the fight, which Is oohged TO
hold and protect large extent OF country, mas
delayed the reception of othclai ana reilaoie re-
ports.
The battle was fought on our side entirely
by troops of Maj. Gen. Rosecrans' command,
not a gun being fired by any other. Neither
the troops of Grant or Ord made any effort to
engage the enemy, although the entire force OF
those Generals was within seven miles OF the
henemy on the morning Of the 18th, (the day
of the battle,) while Gen. Rosecrans' with his
command was nineteen miles distant The
programme, so understood, in Gen. Rosecrans'
command was, that Gems, Grant and Ord
should attack Price from the direction of Bunns-
vile, and while the two armies we're engaged,
| Gen. Rosecrans was to attack the rebels in
flank by surprise, and cut off the possibility of
retreat This plan was proposed by General
Rosecrans and he supposed was adopted by
| Grant
| In accordance with this understanding, Gen.
Rosccrans made forced eircuitous march
Starting from his camp at Clear Creek on the
morning of the i8th and had Grant attacked
the enemy at any time during the 18th, the
capture and destruction OF Prices entire army
| W ould have been certain result! Tor the rebel
general never dreamed of our approach, until
the head of our column was within two miles
of Iuka Seven aud half miles from luka, our
skirmishers first came in contact with the
pickets of the enemy. Our advance consisted
of three companies of the 9Th Iowa, who stead
| lily moved forward driving the enemy for
| distance of FIVE miles, when they were relieved
| by three companies of the Missouri volunteers,
who, in their turn, drove the enemy's pickets
to within one and half miles of Iuka, where
we met the enemy in strong position, with in
fantry and artillery. eH
Brigadier General c. S.. Hamilton, whose
division was on the advance, Immediately
moved to the front, and after accommodating
the enemy'5 position, proceeded to place his
own troops in line, ordering forward the llth
Ohio and 18th Wisconsin batteries, and made
such other disposition of his troops as the
emergency required. General Rosecrans had
by this time reached the front and cordially
approved the dispositions made by Gen. Ham
ilt0n. He- go. 81 sa.H. .I..- .f.... .-. .-tt
The division of General Stanley was not yet
up, but that gallant leader was himself on
the ground, aiding, advising and encourage
! ing. -"- rr r..'} .l-. ~ a..rr- .sH .t
The following regiments and detachments,
and no others, comprise the troops OF General
Hamilton division on the ground that day,
to wit: 9Th Iowa volunteers, 10th Iowa, 10th
Iowa, 18th Iowa, 10th Missouri, 26th Missouri,
9Th Minnesota, 48th Indiana, and 80th Ohio. all
infantry; and the 11th Ohio and 18th Wiscon-
sin batteries of light artillery. Although all
obese troops were on the ground, all were not
actively in the fight though within the range
If the enemy's missiles. %
At about o'clock in the afternoon the en-
1 d. flFF
both TANKS with artillery aud large force OF
infantry. The ground immediately in our
front, and on all sides, was covered with
thick growth OF scrub oaks so that the rebel
infantry could not be seen until they were al
most at close quarters Out of this dense GOV
er they poured CALLING fire. aimed principally
at the lth Ohio battery, and then dashed Tor
ward III desperate charge So sudden was
Their onset, and so deadly their concentrated
lire, that IN less than three minutes they had
killed or wounded more than half the men OF
The battery, and all the horses, and were III
possession of the guns. But during this time
our troops were not idle. In front, ranged
from right to left, were the 9Th Iowa, the 26th
Missouri, and the 4Sth Indiana, whose cool and
steady conduct, and deliberate fire, held the
enemy at bay, except when they had stormed
the battery .....s
As soon as the Colonel of the 9TH Iowa saw
that the enemy had captured our battery, he
closed with the rebels and gave them the bay
onet. On dashed that wave of steel, and again
the battery is ours, only to be again taken by
the charge Of a fresh brigade of rebels, and
again in the end to remain in our hands.
1t is impossible in Il brief communication
such as l design this to be, to give detailed
report of the operations of all the regiments
that took distinguished part in this battle;
that win be found in the official report, which
will doubtless be published ere long. ...
Besides the division of Gen. Hamilton, the
11th Missouri of Gen. SANKEY'S division, was
the only regiment or detachment i'll the fight.
The regiment arrived on the field at a dou-
bIe-quick, and reached the front about thirty
minutes after the commencement of the en-.
gagement, and together with the 9th Iowa,
10th Iowa. part Of the 26th Missouri, and the
45th Indiana, remained in front until darkness
closed the battle. -.. ........
| The aggregate of our killed, wounded and
missing is as follows:
! Killed, LAG; wounded, $50 missing, 40
| Total killed wounded and missing, 7S2-di-
vided among the different regiments, as fol-
lows
9Th Iowa. 81 killed, l78 wounded, missing
Ash Indiana, 81 killed, Sc wounded miss
ing-100.
26th Missouri, 81 killed, "A wounded, i miss,
! ing-126
nth Missouri, killed, &c wounded, 8 miss,
ing--75. ......#. ids .-..e ......s
10Th Iowa, IA killed, 48 wounded, 10 miss
ing--75. .-..,
18th Minnesota killed, 48 wounded, 9 miss
ing-49
18th Iowa, killed. SO wounded-43
18th Ohio Battery. Is killed, 80 wounded, 3
mssing-54.
The other losses are trifing-not more than
fifteen in any one regiment, and those pr1ncl-
palIy slight wounds from spent balls. Ih"I
heaviest loss in proportion is that OF the bae
cry; though the 18th Iowa lost nearly in the
came proportion. The number OF missing IS
comparatively small and the number OF killed
and wounded in the respective regiments,
show which regiments did the fighting, as
these men all fell with their faces to the foe,
and We're not shot down in fight.
Our troops next day buried 295 dead rebels;
a large number were buried the night before
by their friends. In addition thereto, 1913 reb-
els were buried from the hospital at 1uka the
first two days after the battle, they having
been mortally wounded therein. All their
slightly wounded were taken away by them,
yet over 600 of their wounded fell into our
hands, besides about 400 other prisoners. 1t
is certain from facts within our knowledge
that the rebel loss in killed and wounded, is
not far from 800, and the wounded prisoners
we have taken swell the aggregate loss to
about 1900.
No battle fought during this war, shows so
large a proportion of killed and wounded to
the number of troops engaged; and what IS
also very remarkable about this battle, is the
fact that about nineteen twentieths Of all the
dead and wounded, fell on space of GROUND
not more than forty rods by eighty, or an area
of twenty acres Immediately about the poslN
.H,kk All I,
One section only of the 10Th Wisconsin bat
tery was engaged, and that did terrible exc
cution, breaking and scattering the Texas Lee
gion of Gen WBitefeld SO that they were not
again rallied during the battle Some of them
unable to regain their lines were captured by
our troops the next morning. Whitefeld was
severely wounded.