up after its first capture, but it would have been isolated and the garrison there would have been obliged to beat a hasty retreat if the troops in West Tennessee had been compelled to fall back.  To say at the end of the second year of the war the line dividing the contestants at the East was pushed north of Maryland, a State that had not seceded, and at the West beyond Kentucky, another State which had been always loyal, would have been discouraging indeed.  As it was, many loyal people despaired in the fall of 1862 of ever saving the Union.  The administration at Washington was much concerned for the safety of the cause it held so dear.  But I believe there was never a day when the President did not think that, in some way or other, a cause so just as ours would come out triumphant.

Up to the 11th of September Rosecrans still had troops on the railroad east of Corinth, but they had all been ordered in.  By the 12th all were in except a small force under Colonel Murphy of the 8th Wisconsin.  He had been detained to guard the remainder of the stores which had not yet been brought in to Corinth.

On the 13th of September General Sterling Price entered Iuka, a town about twenty miles east of Corinth on the Memphis and Charleston railroad.  Colonel Murphy with a few men was guarding the place.  He made no resistance, but evacuated the town on the approach of the enemy.  I was apprehensive lest the object of the rebels might be to get troops into Tennessee to reinforce Bragg, as it was afterwards ascertained to be.  The authorities at Washington, including the general-in-chief of the army, were very anxious, as I have said, about affairs both in East and Middle Tennessee; and my anxiety was quite as great on their account as for any danger threatening my command.  I had not force enough at Corinth to attack Price even by stripping everything; and there was danger that before troops could be got from other points he might be far on his way across the Tennessee.  To prevent this all spare forces at Bolivar and Jackson were ordered to Corinth, and cars were concentrated at Jackson for their transportation.  Within twenty-four hours from the transmission of the order the troops were at their destination, although there had been a delay of four hours resulting from the forward train getting off the track and stopping all the others.  This gave a reinforcement of near 8,000 men, General Ord in command.  General Rosecrans commanded the district of Corinth with a movable force of about 9,000 independent of the garrison deemed necessary to be left behind.  It was known that General Van Dorn was about a four days’ march south of us, with a large force.  It might have been part of his plan to attack at Corinth, Price coming from the east while he came up from the south.  My desire was to attack Price before Van Dorn could reach Corinth or go to his relief.