CHAPTER VII.
CAMPAIGNS OF PRICE AND VAN DORN—BATTLE OF IUKA—MISSISSIPPI COMMANDS IN VAN DORN'S ARMY—BATTLE OF CORINTH—HATCHIE BRIDGE—GRANT'S CAMPAIGN ON THE CENTRAL RAILROAD—INVASION FROM ARKANSAS—FORREST IN WEST TENNESSEE—VAN DORN AT HOLLY SPRINGS—PRESIDENT DAVIS VISITS MISSISSIPPI—SHERMAN DEFEATED AT CHICKASAW BAYOU.
WE will now turn to the field in Northeast Mississippi, where General Price, at Tupelo, confronted Grant and Rosecrans at Corinth.
On July 27-29th, Lee, a Kansas colonel, with 400 cavalry, made a raid from Rienzi to Ripley, captured three Confederates and arrested Judge Thompson and the postmaster. August 4-7th Mitchell's Federal brigade made an excursion to Bay Springs and returned to Iuka after doing some damage and encountering a little skirmishing with the Confederate parties observing them. On August 19th, Colonel Adams, in camp with two companies of Mississippi cavalry at Marietta, was attacked by Colonel Lee, and made a safe retreat toward the headquarters of Armstrong near Guntown. Lee reported that the posting and vigilance of the Confederate pickets were perfect, and it was impracticable to capture them.
On August 27th Colonel Falkner tried his hand at this game and drove in Sheridan’s pickets on the Ripley road.
General Price, who had now an army of 13,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry, and 800 artillerymen, was ordered by Bragg to make as strong a show as possible against Grant, to prevent reinforcements being sent to Buell. He could
83
