ARMY OPERATIONS. 



153 



miles upon luka. On the next day the Ohio 

 brigade, which had been occupying luka, fell 

 back to Corinth, leaving the force with Col. 

 Murphy in its place. Scarcely, however, had 

 it reached Corinth before information was re- 

 ceived that a body of Confederate cavalry had 

 dashed into luka, and after a slight skirmish 

 put the force of Col. Murphy to flight. A con- 

 siderable amount of medical and commissary 

 stores was captured, among which were six 

 hundred and eighty barrels of flour that Col. 

 Murphy had neglected to destroy. Col. Murphy 

 was immediately placed under arrest by Gen. 

 Rosecrans, who now commanded the forces 

 previously under Gen. Pope, and the brigade 

 was ordered back to luka under Col. Mower, 

 It, however, finally reached the neighborhood 

 of Jacinto, and was there instructed to await 

 further orders. The preparations of the army 

 for an active campaign were now commenced. 

 Transportation and baggage were reduced, and 

 the supply of tents cut down. At this time 

 information was received that the Confederate 

 general Price had not only occupied luka in 

 force, but was endeavoring to cross the Tennes- 

 see river for the purpose of getting in the rear 

 of Gen. Buell, then falling back toward Nash- 

 ville. It was also a part of the plan of Gen. 

 Price, by his movement upon luka, to draw 

 the Federal forces away from Corinth, and 

 thus render its capture easy by Gen. Van Dorn, 

 who was to attack it during the absence of 

 Gen. Grant's forces. The design was then 

 formed by Gens. Grant and Rosecrans to cut 

 off the retreat of Gen. Price, and force him to 

 surrender. For this purpose eighteen thousand 

 men under Gens. Grant and Ord were to move 

 by way of Burnsville, and attack Gen. Price, 

 while Gen. Rosecrans should move with part 

 of his force by the way of Jacinto, and attack 

 him on the flank ; at the same time the re- 

 mainder of Gen. Rosecrans' force was to move 

 on the Fulton road and cut off Gen. Price's re- 

 treat if he should attempt it. "With this under- 

 standing the army was put in motion on the 

 morning of the 18th of September. The divi- 

 sions of Gens. Stanley and Hamilton under Gen. 

 Rosecrans, after a fatiguing march in a drench- 

 ing rain, bivouacked at Jacinto. Early the next 

 morning they were again on the march, and at 

 ten o'clock the advance encountered the Con- 

 federate pickets at Barnett's Corners. A sharp 

 skirmish ensued, which resulted in driving 

 them six miles toward luka, with a small 

 loss. At this time the entire column had ar- 

 rived at Barnett's Corners, and awaited, ac- 

 cording to the previous understanding, for Gen. 

 Grant to commence the attack, which would 

 be known by the sound of his artillery. After 

 two hours had elapsed a despatch arrived from 

 Gen. Grant, seven miles distant, to the effect 

 that he was waiting for Gen. Rosecrans to open 

 the battle. The column was immediately moved 

 forward within two miles of luka, when the 

 Confederate force was discovered posted on a 

 broad ridge commanding the country for some 



distance. The Confederates opened fire upon 

 the skirmishers as they advanced in sight, un- 

 der which Gen. Hamilton's division formed in 

 line. They were also received by a hot fire of 

 artillery and musketry, which was replied to 

 by the llth Ohio battery, that had now got 

 into position. The engagement soon became 

 general, and continued for two hours, Avhen 

 darkness prevented any further advantage to 

 either side. The contest was exceedingly fierce, 

 and the troops behaved with great bravery. 

 The llth Missouri and the 5th Iowa stood the 

 severest portion of the contest, and the former 

 lost seventy-six, and the latter one hundred 

 and sixteen in killed and wounded. The llth 

 Ohio battery was exposed to a severe fire of 

 musketry, and in less than half an hour seventy- 

 two of its men were killed or wounded. The 

 Confederate officers, perceiving that it was 

 poorly supported, ordered a charge to be made 

 on it, by which the six guns were captured, 

 and two of them spiked. It was afterward 

 retaken twice by the 5th Iowa at the point of 

 the bayonet, but finally fell into the possession 

 of the Confederates. The night was spent in 

 taking care of the wounded and burying the 

 dead, while the troops lay on their arms awaiting 

 the dawn of the next day to renew the battle. 

 Early in the morning, as no movement was 

 perceived on the part of the Confederate force 

 like renewing the contest, Gen. Rosecrans or- 

 dered his line of pickets to advance. Not meet- 

 ing with any opposition the whole force was 

 thrown forward, and within a half mile of the 

 town a flag of truce was seen approaching. It 

 reported that Gen. Price had evacuated the 

 town during the night. Pursuit was immedi- 

 ately made and kept up by three companies of 

 cavalry during the day, skirmishing with the 

 Confederate rear guard, and capturing many 

 prisoners. The loss of Gen. Rosecrans's force 

 was 148 killed, 570 wounded, and 94 missing. 

 The Confederate loss was supposed to be larger 

 in killed and wounded, and about one thousand 

 prisoners were taken by Gen. Rosecrans. At 

 luka the six pieces of the llth Ohio battery 

 were found, having been abandoned, and also 

 a large number of wounded, and commissary 

 stores and camp equipage. Among the killed 

 were the Confederate generals Lytle and 

 Berry. Gen. Whitfield also was mortally 

 wounded. The road by which Gen. Price re- 

 treated being unobstructed, he marched that 

 day twenty-seven miles to Bay Spring. 



The force of Gen. Grant left Corinth at the 

 same time when Gen. Rosecrans marched, and 

 reached Burnsville. Miss., in the afternoon. 

 There it remained one night and the next day, 

 and then pushed forward until it met the Con- 

 federate pickets. Then it retired and awaited 

 the next morning, when a flag of truce was 

 sent to the Confederate camp, which did not 

 return until late in the afternoon. Thus while 

 Gen. Rosecrans engaged the Confederates on 

 the south, Gen. Grant was prevented from en- 

 gaging them on the west and north. 



