After this battle the main army of the rebels retreated to East Tennessee. General Buell pursued it as far as Mount Vernon or London; then fell back to the line from Louisville to Nashville. Here Major-General Rosecrans surprised him in command, by order of the President. As the Secretary of War has ordered a military commission to investigate to operations of General Buell in this campaign, it would be obviously improper for me to express any opinion unless specially directed to do so.

The command of Brigadier-General Morgan at Cumberland Gap abandoned that place and retreated to the Ohio River. The alleged cause of this retreat was the want of supplies. The commanding officer, however, had just before reported that he had several weeks" provisions, and number no circumstances would he surrender that important post. An investigation of this matter has been ordered.

The withdrawal of a considerable part of General Grant's army to re-enforce General Buell and to occupy Louisville and Cincinnati induced the enemy to renew operations in Northern Mississippi and Western Tennessee. A force of some 5,000 or 6,000 men was sent to attack Bolivar and Jackson, Tenn., and by destroying the railroad to cut off all connection between Memphis and Corinth. The head of the enemy's column was met about four miles south of Bolivar on the 30th of August and a brisk skirmish ensued. On the 31st a portion of the enemy's forces was engaged and repulsed near Medon Station. On the 1st of September the fight was renewed at Brinton's Lane, on the Denmark road, and continued till night, when the enemy retreated south across the Hatchie, leaving 179 dead and wounded on the field. Our loss was 5 killed, 78 wounded, 92 prisoners and missing.

In the early part of September General Price advanced with a large force and took possession of Iuka, a small town on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, twenty-one miles southeast of Corinth. The garrison, to weak to attempt resistance, fell back on Corinth. As the occupation of this place by the enemy cut off all connection between the forces of General Grant and General Buell, the former determined to attack and drive him from that position. Grant's forces moved in two columns - one on the north of the town, under Major-General Ord, and the other on the south, under Major-General Rosecrans. The enemy, finding himself likely to be surrounded, left the town and attacked the column of General Rosecrans about 4 p. m. on the 19th of September. The engagement lasted until dark, Hamilton's division sustaining the brunt of the battle. Our men fought with great bravery and completely routed the enemy, who fled in confusion, leaving his dead and most of his wounded on the field. We buried 265 of his dead, took between 700 and 800 wounded, and captured 361 prisoners, over 1,600 stand of arms, and a considerable quantity of stores. Our loss was 108 killed, 611 wounded, and 17 missing.* The retreating foe was pursued only a few miles.

On the 30th of September General Grant ascertained that Generals Price and Van Dorn were concentrating their forces at Ripley with the probable intention of attacking Corinth. The enemy crossed the Hatchie River and took possession of the railroad north of Corinth, thus cutting off all direct communication with jackson and Bolivar. He then advanced toward Corinth, and some skirmishing took place on the 2nd of November [October].

Major-General Rosecrans commanded our forces at Corinth, which consisted of the divisions of Brigadier-Generals Hamilton, McKean,

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

* But see revised statement, Series I, Vol. XVII, Part I, p. 78.

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