SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS,

Numbers 198.
Iuka, October 20, 1863.

I. General Ewing, commanding Fourth Division, will take command of all matters in and near Iuka. He will keep one regiment constantly on duty at the depot, maintaining order, loading and unloading cars with the utmost promptitude, and will impress the labor of every straggler and idler about the depot, and convalescents,where labor more or less will do them no harm. In concert with the chief quartermaster, commissary, and railroad agents, he will see that the utmost dispatch is used in expediting the work of the cars.

He will dispatch General Corse with one regiment and three days' rations, in wagons, to reconnoiter, and with instructions to collect forage and meat; to find and collect at Eastport all boats in and near the mouth of Bear Creek, and secure them for our futures. At or before the end of three days General Corse will report back to these headquarters the result of his observations.

* * * * * * *

IV. As a general policy, citizens should go away and stay. The provost-marshal-general will register all who cannot leave Iuka, and explain to them that they must keep close or suffer the penalty of expulsion. Those living in the country must stay at home. Any citizen found lurking about the town or railroad will be sent to Memphis or put in the work-gang.

* * * * * * *

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

R. M. SAWYER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS.17TH ARMY CORPS, DEPT, OF THE TENNESSEE,
Vicksburg, October 20, 1863.

Major-General GRANT,

Commanding &c.:

GENERAL: I returned yesterday from the reconnaissance in the direction of Canton, the particulars of which will be found in the report* sent this day to Brigadier-General Rawlins. After reaching Robinson's Mills, near Livingston, I was satisfied that the enemy would have a force of infantry superior to mine, besides their cavalry, and under the circumstances, considering the defenseless state of Vicksburg, I deemed it best to return, which I did, via Clinton and Big Black Bridge. On returning, I found General Hawkins, at Goodrich's Landing,had reported that 4,000 men had assembled in the vicinity of Delhi, and were coming across Bayou Macon to attack him, and had called for re-enforcements, 2,000 infantry and a battery of artillery. The main brigade was sent up to his support, and the commander of the gunboat at Lake Providence notified and requested to render him assistance, if required. This was four days ago. Since then, I have heard nothing from him in regard to the movements of the enemy, and am decidedly of the opinion that the enemy's force was greatly exaggerated, and that it consisted of a

---------------

* See Series I, Vol. XXX, Part II, p. 802

---------------