WITH PRICE EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

73i

Price entered Iuka the next morning (September 14th), and quietly tookpossession,—the Union garrison retiring without offering any resistance, andabandoning a large amount of supplies which added greatly to the happinessof the Confederates.

Price learned as soon as he got into Iuka that though Rosecrans had sentthree divisions of his army [E. A. Paine’s, Jeff. C. Davis’s, and GordonGranger’s] to Buell, he was himself stillwest of Iuka with two divisions. Aftersome hesitation he felt that it was hisduty not to go to Nashville , but to lookafter Rosecrans and what was left of hisarmy; accordingly he telegraphed VanDorn that as Rosecrans had gone toCorinth he would turn back and co-operate with Van Dorn in an attackupon that place. Hardly had he donethis when Price received a telegramfrom Bragg urging him to hasten toNashville . [See map, p. 702.]

This is what Price ought to have done.

It is what Halleck, Grant, and Rosecransfeared that he would do. Rosecrans tel-egraphed Grant that he “had betterwatch the Old Woodpecker” (alludingto that bird’s skill in deceiving itsenemies), “ or he would get away from them.” Halleck telegraphed (Sep-tember 17th): “ Do everything in your power to prevent Price from crossingthe Tennessee River. A junction of Price and Bragg in- Tennessee wouldbe most disastrous. They should be fought while separate.” Grant repliedthat he “ would do everything in his power to prevent such a catastrophe,”and began at once to concentrate his forces against Price . Ord was pushedforward to Burnsville, where Grant established his own headquarters, andRosecrans was ordered to concentrate his two divisions at Jacinto, and tomove thence upon Iuka, in order to flank Price and cut off his retreat.

Hurlbut, who was at Bolivar, was at the same time ordered to make a strongdemonstration toward Grand Junction , near which place Van Dorn had at lastarrived with about 10,000 effectives. In order to deceive Van Dorn, and tokeep him from helping Price by an attack upon Corinth, Hurlbut was toldto make a great fuss, and to let it leak out that he was expecting heavyreenforcements from Columbus, and that as soon as they came, he, Shermanand Steele were going to make a dash for Grenada and the Yazoo country. %

On the 18th of September, Ord with about 6500 men was advanced towithin 6 miles of Iuka and directed to be ready to attack the next morning;

BRIGADIER-GENERAL HENRY LITTLE, 0. S. A., KILLEDAT IUKA. EROM A PHOTOGRAPH.

On the 19th of September, 1862, GeneralGrant telegraphed to General Halleck that be-fore leaving Corinth he had sent instructionsto General Hurlbut as indicated in the text.

Meanwhile General Grant had received GeneralHalleck’s orders of September 18th to make thevery movement up the Yazoo that Hurlbut hadbeen told to feign.— Editors.