Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-02-27

munchlng our morning hard tack and
exercising great caution, because the
enemy was near. We did not fire a
gun that day and went into uamp early.
Grant, who was with Ord, disappoiat-
ed at the failure OF Rosecrans to connect,
and having no communication with him,
issued orders to the former to await the
sound of our guns and then move for
ward in force and attack the enemy.
On the morning of the 10th Rosecrans
troops were in column in the road at day
light, its one days rationa exhausted. We
moved forward slowly and at noon ran
upon the confederate pickets few miles
from Iuka, but, | judge, about as far
from Ord as we were the morning pre-.
vious. We advanced in column, the
skirmish guns popping necessarily, un-
til about four o'clock in the afternoon,
wien the head of our column suddenly
encountered the main confederate line
in the edge of some heavy timber back
of an open field. The conflict was pre-
cipitated without any further formali-
ties. Our sluggish column resolved it
self into battle line as speedily as the
men could extricate themselves from
the narrow confines of the highway and
swing out into the timber on either side.
We were taken ct disadvantage,
and, before we could recover,
one of the batteries of our division was
captured by the coufederates and two
guns of the battery to which | belonged
were piled with their horses and cais-
sons in an inextricable mass upon the
field, overturned by stsmpeded back
ward rush of the staff and escort of a
federal general officer. But we did not
follow the first impulse and precipitate
retreat, and ere long the federal line
WAS solidly formed and the battle
ragged at close quarters up and down the
entire front of the contending forces.
Darkness found the federalsj and con.
federates occupying the relative posi-
tions assumed by them after the federal
recoll from the first sudden shock and
their recovery of the lost ground.
The guns of thei captured
battery had been retaken apd our own
disgraced pieces had been belching fire
and iron for an hour before the conflict
closed for the day.
With night came gradual cessation
of the firing and as the shadows fell the
sullen roar died into silence aud the bat.
tie was over, though the opposing forces
still faced each other. We remained in
line throughout most of the night. The
next morning it was found that the
enemy had crawled away in the dark
ness and were making good their retreat.
Then we realized that the blood stained
field was ours. A contrary wind had
carried the sound of our guns away
from Ord and his men and
they did not know until
a courier reached them very late that
night that we had met and defeated the
enemy. 1t is probable that the presence
of Ord's forces had much to do with
Prices night retreat, as he could reason
ably expect their arrival with the break
of day.
Roseorans pursued the retreating con-
federates somewhat feebly during the
Goth and then turned back and headed
for Jacinto, where we went into camp
again to await further results. Price
had been repulsed and driven away, but
his army was still intact and ready for
its threatened junction with Van Dorm
and Lowell and their expected concen-
tratcd advance upon Corinth.
The battle of Iuka, one OF
the sbarpest encounters of
the war, taking into account the number
of men engaged, goes upon the record as
an almost useless effuslon Of blood
Price was dislodged from his position,
it is true, but be went away in good or
der and took his trains with him. Rose.
Grams had made no preparations for q
pursuit and did not even hasten the
steps of the retreatiug enemy by his
leisurely movement of September Goth.
Dnring the operations about Iuka
Grant had held at Burnsville cars and
locomotives sufficient to transport Ord's
troops back to Corinth, should they be
needed there. He was fearful that Var
Dorm and Lowell might take advantage
OF the weakened condition of the CorintL
defences and make au ATTACK
upon the place. But the confederate
plans for their assault were not fully ma
tured and the affair was postponed 8
few weeks. General Ord's troops were
returned to their stations on the ia
away center. while Rosecrsns held mos
of his force compactly in and about Cor
inth, ready for defensive action. Tb
Memphis and Charleston railroad wa
abandoned, excepting at Corintb, O
Grand Junction, midway between Cor
NTH and Memphis, and at Chewalla
midway between Grand junction AM
Corinth. The latter points were ga,
risoned by small detatchments.
On the 22d of September Bolivar, fort
miles northwest of Corinth, was threat
ened by large force and was tempors
rily reinforced from Corinth. The
Van Dorm made feint in the directio
of the Mississippi river. ALI these bs
| wildering movements rendered the re!
point of attack an uucertalnt,