Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/308

 right, but the greater part of the regiment was present throughout the engagement. Indeed it may be said that in all its hard fought battles the Seventeenth Iowa never did better, all things considered, than it did in its luckless fight at Iuka.”

The censure, by General Rosecrans, in view of all of the circumstances was most unjust. The regimetn lost in killed and wounded in this battle forty men, among the killed being Lieutenant O. P. Smith, while Captain S. M. Archer was severely wounded. Colonel Rankin resigned on the 3d of September and was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Hillis. The Seventeenth joined in pursuit of the Confederate army the day after the battle, returning to Corinth, where it remained until the battle at that place on the 3d and 4th of October.

BATTLE OF CORINTH

After the Battle of Iuka the Confederates, under Price and Van Dorn, with large reënforcements, increasing the army to 38,000 men, commanded by General Van Dorn, moved against Corinth, held by General Rosecrans with an army of 20,000. On the morning of the 3d the Union army was in line of battle; General Hamilton on the right, between the Hamburg and Purdy roads; General Davis held the center, between the Memphis and Columbus roads; while General McKean held the extreme left facing the west on the Chewalla road. General Stanley’s Division was in reserve; cavalry covered the flanks and front on the north and east. This position was some distance from the town, and was ordered to be held until the force and position of the enemy was fully developed. It was then proposed by General Rosecrans to take a new position behind strong earthworks defended by artillery near Corinth. At 9 o’clock in the morning the Confederate army began the attack, Van Dorn leading the right wing and Price the left. They were met with a heavy fire all along our line. But their superior numbers gradually pressed our army back from one line of intrenchments to