The Battle of Iuka

The Battery at this time was stationed at Camp Clear Creek under command of Gen. David S. Stanley, First Brigade, Second Division of the Army of the Mississippi.[1]  On the 18th of August, it was ordered to break camp for Tuscumbia, passing through Iuka, where the First Brigade was to stop while the remainder of the Second Division continued on.  On the 20th, the Battery struck its camp and commenced the 25 mile march to Iuka, arriving in the former resort town on August 21.              

Col. Alfred Gilbert of the 39th Ohio found Iuka to be a "very pretty village."  Almost all of the buildings were new, painted white with green window shutters.[2]  Before the war, Iuka had been a popular watering spot because of its seven mineral springs, surrounded by a rolling and picturesque landscape.  It had a population of 300 who were mostly secessionists.

Gen. William S. Rosecrans established his headquarters in the town, and on August 29 proposed that the Army of the Tennessee be stretched so it would cover all approaches to the Tennessee River.  Gen. Stanley then divided his Division to guard the road from Iuka to Decatur, Alabama, the road to Eastport, and all depots to that point.  One brigade was to remain in Iuka.
  
The soldiers received pay on August 31,[3] but their pay did not go far.  The price of food from private sellers in Tishimingo County was exorbitant; watermelons sold for 50 cents a piece, peaches were almost a penny, butter for 30 cents a pound, a mouthful of pie for 15 cents, and a loaf of bread for five cents.  Eating utensils were also high-priced, with tinware that sold for a quarter in Cincinnati being sold for $1.50 in Iuka.[4] 

Meanwhile, the Confederates under Gen. Sterling Price prepared to take to the field after spending several months recovering their health and drilling to achieve military proficiency.  The farm boys from Missouri, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas became efficient and disciplined soldiers.  Price organized his army of 15,000 and began to move his troops toward Tennessee in order to support Gen. Braxton Bragg's invasion of Kentucky.              

In a move to enlarge Gen. Don Carlos Buell's army, which was to counter Bragg, Gen. Grant ordered "Old Rosey" to send two divisions to reinforce Buell.  Stanley's Division was one of those requested by Grant, but was overruled by General-in-Chief Halleck, who preferred to send another.[5]  As a result of the loss of these troops, Gen. Halleck ordered the Memphis & Charleston Railroad east of Corinth abandoned.[6]  Iuka, still garrisoned by Stanley's soldiers, contained a large military hospital and a huge stockpile of commissary supplies with an estimated value of $14,000.[7]  Rosecrans did not want to leave these supplies for the Confederates under Price, who was then advancing toward the town; however, Gen. Grant ordered an immediate evacuation.[8] 

On the night of September 2, the troops stationed in Iuka were ordered to prepare for a move to Burnsville, and in order to travel faster Rosecrans ordered the wagons loaded with tents to be dumped with ammunition and rations carried instead.[9]  All the wagons were packed with everything but the tents, but no orders were received for several days.  The men meanwhile began to remove items from the wagons for their comfort.[10]              

On the 8th of September the officers of the 39th Ohio invited Gen. Stanley to dinner and presented him with a handsome sword, costing $225, which they had ordered from New York.[11]

It was not until September 12th that the orders to march to Corinth were received and Gen. Rosecrans transferred his headquarters to Camp Clear Creek.  Col. Robert C. Murphy of the 8th Wisconsin[12] Infantry, with about 1500 men under his command, was left to hold Iuka for a few days in order to remove the remainder of the stores stockpiled there.[13]  As Gen. Rosecrans began retreating from Iuka, Gen. Price continued his march upon the small Federal garrison there.  The Federals consisted of the 8th Wisconsin, seven companies of the 5th Minnesota Infantry, one section of Dees' Battery, and three companies of cavalry; five more companies of cavalry would join Murphy's command the following day.              

Col. Murphy inspected the commissary stores near the Iuka depot and estimated that there were about two trainloads of Federal property still there.  He then directed the Eagle Regiment and Dees' section to be placed on a hill inside of the fortifications a short distance south of town.  According to Capt. Dees, "there was no protection for the artillery, it is one of the worst places to use artillery that I ever saw.  The enemy can cover themselves in front of us within rifle shot."[14] 

Shortly after dark, around 5:30 pm, Col. Murphy received a telegram to send his freshest infantry regiment and a battery to Burnsville that night and to follow with the rest on the next day.  Murphy replied that neither of his regiments were fresh and that Dees' section of artillery was poorly horsed.  He informed Gen. Rosecrans that the day's march had been severe, but that he could move all of his command towards Burnsville before daylight on the 13th.[15]  Murphy also received orders to be prepared to march by rail or foot, and to have everything ready to move by rail at short notice.[16]
           
Murphy, having heard rumors about Confederate troops approaching, thought to have Lt. E. T. Sprague of the 8th Wisconsin post some of the Union cavalrymen as additional pickets.  At 8:00 am September 13th, as Sprague was speaking to the cavalry major, shots sounded near one of the picket posts.  Suddenly a cloud of dust appeared near the same position and about the same time a large force of C.S. Gen. Frank Armstrong's cavalry galloped up near the Union fortifications in the southeast portion of Iuka, where the 8th Wisconsin and the section of Dees' Battery were placed.  Some of the Rebel cavalrymen were wearing captured Union jackets and the officers of the 8th Wisconsin were loath to open fire.  About that time, near Col. Murphy's headquarters, one of the cannon of the 3rd Michigan Battery opened fire on the Rebel cavalrymen.  Several sallies brought the troopers to within 100 yards of the Union lines, but within an hour the Union infantry and cavalry, with the assistance of Dees' section of artillery, had forced the Rebels back.[17]  Several picket posts unfortunately had been captured during this attack by the charging cavalrymen. 

Capt. Dees writes:
We were attacked at Iuka Mississippi by the enemy force on the south & east side of the town. . .  I kept them at bay with the two guns composing the left section throughout the day, the right section being at that time on detached service under 1st Lt. Carl Lamberg.[18] 

One of the men taken prisoner on September 13 by the Confederate cavalrymen was a servant of Capt. Dees's,  James Platt, who was part Indian and had been on forage detail looking for feed for the Battery's horses when the Rebels attacked.  Five artillerymen had gone out to the first picket post which was manned by infantry.  The foragers were halted and advised that no one but cavalry could pass their line.  The sergeant in charge of the detail was instructed, however, that off to the left of the picket about 80 yards was an area where forage could be found.  Platt and the others investigated this information and were in the process of loading the forage when they heard the sound of cavalry approaching.  At first they thought that it was a Union patrol, but soon changed their minds when the horsemen began shooting at the infantrymen in the picket line.  As soon as the gunfire began, the artillerymen left the fodder pen and began running from the Confederates.  As the cannoneers were running toward the safety of Iuka, Platt's mule began to follow them, and before James could catch and mount it, he was captured by the Rebels.  James was taken to the picket post and placed with the captured infantrymen while the cavalry continued to chase the Union artillerymen.  One other, a private who was also in Capt. Dees's Battery was captured.  These unlucky men were then marched back to the Confederate rear.[19] 

Col. Murphy, feeling endangered now that his telegraph lines had been cut, became more anxious with each passing hour.  By 5:00 pm, Murphy ordered that all the transportation should be gathered and be ready to withdraw from Iuka at a moment's notice.  As a result of this order, 75 six-mule wagon teams, each capable of hauling one and a half tons,[20] and 200 horses belonging to the cavalry and artillery, were gathered, and the wagons loaded with camp and garrison equipment.[21]
           
Col. Murphy then held council with several of his officers, and discussed the method of destruction of the remaining stores should Iuka be evacuated.  The officers were told to put the materials inside a building and be prepared to burn it if necessary.  These officers, not understanding that these orders were to be carried out immediately, decided to retire for the evening.  Around 10:00 pm, Murphy ordered the quartermaster train to depart for Farmington.

Awakening shortly before daybreak on the 14th, the officers began their job of destruction by breaking open the wooden barrels, as the 8th Wisconsin, 5th Minnesota and Dees' Section of artillery started marching out of town.  The 7th Illinois Cavalry, which was to help in the destruction and act as a rear guard, formed their ranks and left about one hour after daybreak, the officers scurrying along with them, thus leaving the huge accumulation of army stores in Iuka intact and unguarded.[22]               

Shortly after the Federals had left the town, the Rebels entered Iuka and found the large amount of stores; even the Federal tents had been left standing.  Several large tents full of sutler's goods, full of corn, salt, cheese, crackers, bacon, and "a little most everything" were eagerly confiscated.  Luxuries such as coffee, tea, sugar, condensed milk, mackerel, canned fruit and preserves, brandy, lager beer, whiskey and wine were distributed.  Approximately 295 stands of small arms, 18,500 rounds of small arm ammunition, 10 rounds of artillery ammunition, tarpaulins and knapsacks were taken by the ragged and half-starved Rebels.[23]              

While the 2nd Brigade was withdrawing to Farmington, Col. Murphy placed the Third Battery's howitzer in the rear of the column, at which point the 5th Minnesota was fired upon.  Capt. Dees, however, did not get a chance to fire any of his cannon during the march.  In fact Dees later said that he did not see a Rebel during the entire march.  He did, however, claim to have lost one man, Joseph Robe, taken prisoner by the Rebels.[24] 

As Murphy approached Burnsville, Mississippi, he expected to meet a large Confederate force.  He sent four companies of the 8th Wisconsin at the double-quick to cross a bottom and to deploy along the road, to the left and right of it.  Meanwhile he deployed six more companies of the 8th and one gun of Dees' Section, planning to leave the 5th Minnesota and Dees' remaining gun as a reserve under the hill.  These dispositions were made but no Rebels were seen.  The Federals stayed in this line of battle for about one hour, but when no attack was made, Murphy ordered the march to continue in the same order as before.              

The march to Farmington was "tolerably quick" but in no great haste.  The men moved in good order and marched well; they arrived in Farmington about 3:30 in the afternoon, a march of about 25 miles.[25] 

After Confederate Gen. Sterling Price had invested Iuka, he sent dispatches to Gen. Earl Van Dorn, announcing the capture of the town and retreat of Gen. Rosecrans.  Price proposed to unite the two armies for a more ambitious move against Corinth.[26]  Although the Rebels had pushed the Federals back, they remained unsettled and expected a counter attack at any moment.  The men slept in battle lines, and on several occasions the soldiers were ordered out to meet the enemy, only to find that the marauding enemy were a few pickets or a small scouting party of cavalrymen.[27]              

Meanwhile Gen. Grant, desiring reliable information, issued orders for a reconnaissance in force from Glendale, Mississippi, to Iuka.  The officer selected for this job failed to reach Rosecrans' headquarters in time, so Col. Joseph A. Mower was placed in command.[28] 

Captain Dees reported:  "On the 15th being joined by the right section at the above named place, were ordered back to Iuka on a reconnaissance in which the Battery took a very active part."[29]              
On the 16th Col. Mower, being informed that Gen. Price was at Iuka, decided to push ahead and verify the information.  Mower's force penetrated to within six miles of Iuka before they were discovered by the Rebel pickets.[30]  The Rebels quickly marched toward the invaders.  Gen. Dabney H. Maury positioned his division a half-mile west of Iuka, across the Burnsville Road.  the 2nd Texas, under the command of Col. William P. Rogers, along with the Ripley Arkansas Sharpshooter Battalion, were deployed and advanced in line of battle toward the union troops.[31] 

Col. Mower halted his column and deployed along a ridge which commanded the countryside.  As Mower's men double-quicked into position, the sound of musketry was heard in their front, indicating that contact with the Rebels had begun.[32]  Capt. Dees placed two of his guns (the howitzer and a 10-pound Parrott) on the brow of a hill and threw shells to the right, left and front into the heavy dust clouds that were moving from Iuka.  The other two guns of the Battery were soon in position and opened fire, continuing for about 15 minutes.[33]  Under the covering fire of the artillery, Col. Mower advanced his soldiers into a woods; after a brief skirmish with the Rebels, Col. Mower, thinking that his men were being beaten, ordered his infantry to retire back to the ridge where the cannons were posted.[34]              

The Union retreat was in good order.  Capt. Dees covered the withdrawal with the howitzer, firing canister.  In his report of this action, dated September 22, 1862, he wrote:

The Colonel [Mower] commanding, finding the enemy's intention to flank us on the right, ordered a retreat, which was done in good order.  I covered the retreat, the narrow road did not allow me to deploy more than one gun, (the Howitzer, loaded with cannister, and moving by a fixed prolong.)  After reaching the above named hill, we halted, and . . . again shelled in several directions for a short time, and everything being quiet, I was ordered to cease firing. . .[35]

Mower also ordered one of the Parrotts into action.[36]  A Confederate soldier of Ross's cavalry brigade entered into his diary that the federal "rifled shells cut the trees very close to our positions but [did] us no harm."[37]              

After a period of time, everything seeming quiet, Mower again advanced his skirmishers across a mile wide open field toward the forest.  Before they reached the tree line, a brisk volley greeted them from the Confederates.  Capt. Dees reopened his fire and the shooting ceased; Mower then continued his advance into the woods.  The skirmishing continued until nightfall.[38]              

Col. Rogers gave this account of the action in a letter to his wife:

On Tues. evening at 2 pm the booming of cannon announced the enemy was returning.  I formed the old Regt. and advanced it deployed as skirmishers in front of the 1st Brigade.  The enemy soon greeted us with minnie balls. . .  We returned their fire for 2 hours, drove them before us, until night put a stop to our work.  Second Texas was the only Regt. in the fight and during 2 1/2 or 3 hrs was exposed to the fire of the enemies sharpshooters and artillery.[39]              

Col. Mower ordered his men to sleep on their arms still in line of battle.  During the night, a deserter from the 2nd Texas was taken to Mower's tent where informed Mower that "Gen. Price was in Iuka with at least 12,000 men" and five batteries of artillery.  Mower also learned that there was a planned night attack.  This timely information caused Mower to withdraw his forces and march westward under the cover of darkness; by 11:00 pm the Federals were back in their old camp at Burnsville.

At dawn on the 17th, Col. Rogers began an advance to pursue the Yankees, moving forward through the rain for a mile or more, searching the forest, fields and brush for the enemy, but to no avail.  Mower continued the retreat to Glendale.[40]              

On the morning of September 18, Gen. Grant ordered Gen. E. O. C. Ord to advance a strong column from Glendale toward Iuka; by noon he had reached Burnsville, where Gen. Grant joined him and continued the advance, reaching to within three miles of Iuka at 8:00 pm, before the Confederates realized the Union troops were coming.  To add to the excitement, Gen. Martin Green's son (Green commanded a brigade in Gen. Henry Little's division) was playing with an artillery shell that the Federals had fired at them a day or two previously.  The foolish soldier got the shell too close to the fire, and the powder exploded.  There were several men near the explosion but apparently only one man and a horse were wounded.[41]              

Gen. Price disposed his brigades and expected an attack in the morning.  Besides a small amount of skirmishing, neither side became engaged, and by the afternoon of the 19th the Rebel camps were quiet.

Price had received orders from Van Dorn late on the evening of the 18th requesting Price to combine with Van Dorn's army immediately for a campaign in West Tennessee.  So while the Rebel soldiers planned for an attack, Price began plans to leave Iuka.  He called his officers, Maury and Little, and showed them the orders from Van Dorn.  Both men concurred with the plan to evacuate on the morning of the 20th.[42]              

Unbeknownst to Price, Gen. Grant had plans to annihilate the Rebel army before it could leave Iuka.  In a classic pincers attack, Rosecrans was to attack from the south and Ord from the northwest.  All of Rosecrans' troops were at Jacinto except Gen. Stanley's division, which was at Camp Clear Creek.  Misled by his guides, Stanley had to backtrack several miles, and did not reach his assigned position for the attack at the specified time.  Gen. Rosecrans sent a dispatch to Gen Grant stating that he would begin marching at 4:30 am on the 19th, march 20 miles and attack.  Grant doubted that this plan would work, but told Gen. Ord to hold his position until he could hear Rosecrans attack Iuka.[43] 

Rosecrans' column, consisting of Stanley's and Gen. Schuyler Hamilton's divisions, with five batteries, moved at daybreak on the 19th on the Tuscumbia Road.[44]  At Barnett's, Stanley's Division would move up the Jacinto road, with Hamilton moving along the Fulton and Iuka road.[45]              
The order of march for Rosecrans' army had the Third Division in the lead, then the Second Division (Stanley's), whose 2nd Brigade, commanded by Col. Mower, included the 47th Illinois, 26th Illinois, 11th Missouri, and  8th Wisconsin Infantry; Spoor's 2nd Iowa Light Artillery and the 3rd Michigan Light Artillery; and the 5th Minnesota.  The 1st Brigade was commanded by Col. John W. Fuller.[46]  When the army reached the point where the two divisions were to split, Gen. Rosecrans examined the map and determined that the distance between the two divisions would be too great to support each other in case of attack, so both divisions were to proceed on the Jacinto road, leaving the Fulton road open.  Hamilton took the lead and Stanley's Division followed.[47]              

As the Federals advanced, the confederates formed their lines and waited for the bluecoats.  After marching 18 miles, Gen. Rosecrans' tired but excited soldiers met the Rebel line at 4:30 pm.  Because of the order of march, Stanley's Division was some distance to the rear, and only three of his regiments reached the field in time to take any part in the battle.  Gen Rosecrans had been riding with Gen. Stanley a mile to the rear when fighting began; he then quickly galloped to the front and inspected the placement of the Union troops.[48] 

Because of the Union position on the brow of a hill, Rosecrans was unable to position his troops rapidly, and Stanley's Division was kept standing in column, south of the Federal hospital (the Rick's house) while they waited to be moved forward into the developing battle.              

It was during this engagement that the 11th Ohio Battery, of Gen. Hamilton's Division, received the dubious honor of suffering the greatest loss in a single action of any Union battery of light artillery.  The 11th Ohio was overrun at bayonet point by the Rebel infantry.  Before being captured, the cannoneers had fired 116 rounds of ammunition, mostly cannister and double cannister.  Of the 105 men who had gone into action that afternoon, 16 were killed on the field, and 39 more were wounded.  Of these numbers 46 men were cannoneers, the remainder being drivers.  Three of the four officers shared their fate.  Forty-two horses were killed and another 42 wounded; only three of the battery's horses survived.[49] 

Of Stanley's division, only the 11th Missouri, led by Col. Mower, was able to deploy, and with a cheer and at the double-quick reached the right of the Union lines.  Just as the Missourians reached their lines they came face to face with a battalion of Rebel infantry only 30 yards away.  At once Mower's men fired a volley, and the firing became intense on both sides for a period of about 45 minutes; the smoke became so thick that visibility at the front of the lines was only 15 feet.  After three attacks against the 11th Missouri, the 36th Mississippi and 37th Alabama fixed bayonets and charged into the Missourians.  Bayonets and pistols were used at close quarters by both sides and many prisoners were taken.              

Finally Col. Mower ordered the 11th Missouri back because their ammunition began to run low and dusk was beginning to turn into darkness.  When Mower's troops withdrew, the Rebels did not pursue and they spent the night in line of battle.[50] 

Darkness finally ended the fighting, although skirmishing continued throughout the night.  Stanley's artillery was brought up and placed east of the Jacinto road atop a large hill that commanded an open field just to the rear of the Union lines, the positions being selected by Col. J. L. Kirby Smith of the 43rd Ohio.[51]              

Rosecrans sent a message to Gen. Grant at 10:30 pm informing him of the battle, but it wasn't until 3:30 am on September 20 that Grant received news of the battle.  During the battle, Confederate Gen. Henry Little was killed as he was conversing with Gen. Price.  Little was considered Price's "most trusted lieutenant."[52]  Gen. Little had commanded the Missouri Brigade, instructing and drilling his men until they became some of the best trained soldiers in Price's army.  After his death, the brigade was given over to Gen. Louis Hebert.

Around 2:00 am, Generals Hebert and Maury held council with Price, regarding the pending battle.  Both men felt that their brigades were "used up" and that Rosecrans would be heavily reinforced by daybreak.  Price realized that he could not continue the battle, and ordered his forces to withdraw and march for Baldwyn and Van Dorn.[53]  Again by feigning preparations for attack, the Rebels deceived the Federals, as Confederate wagon trains and troops moved off the battlefield and down the unguarded Fulton Road.              

At daybreak, the Union skirmishers advanced and found the Rebel positions vacated.  Gen. Rosecrans ordered Stanley's Division to push ahead and occupy Iuka.  As the Federals neared the town, a group of citizens came out, met with Col. Fuller, and surrendered the town.[54]  Around 9:00 am, with Col. Hatch's 2nd Iowa Cavalry leading the way, Stanley's Division left Iuka by way of the Fulton Road. 

Gen. Rosecrans in a message to Grant writes:

   . . .Stanley, with the 39th Ohio, section of artillery and [Col]. Mizner's cavalry are pushing them rapidly. . .  Men are pushing forward so fast as excessive fatigue will admit.[55]              

Meanwhile Rosecrans waited for Grant in Iuka.  At about noon, Rosecrans was "startled by the sound of music and, looking up, saw the head of Gen. Grant's column entering the town."  Grant assumed command and Rosecrans was ordered to pursue the enemy.  The two Generals rode down the Fulton Road together for several miles, then stopped with Grant turning back to Iuka and "Rosey" galloping ahead to join Stanley's force.[56] 

About seven miles from Iuka, Col. Maury, finding that the Rebels were being pursued, set up an ambush with the 2nd Texas Infantry and Bledsoe's Missouri Battery.  As the Union cavalry neared the trap, they sensed danger, and after a few shots from the Confederate cannon, the Union boys retreated and the entire pursuit was abandoned.[57]              

After the dead were buried, Stanley's Division was ordered to Barnett's.  The men were very short of rations, and when they arrived, several "fine beeves" were killed and eaten.[58]     

Capt. Dees' report regarding the Battery's activities was very brief:  "On the 19th at the Battle of Iuka the Battery was in position, but owing to the darkness was not allowed to take part in the action."[59] 

However, Pvt. Frank Higgins wrote to his father in Allegan, Michigan, giving a detailed description of the marches made by the 3rd Michigan Battery:

Camp near Jacinto, Miss.                                                                         Sept. 22, 1862  

Dear Father and Mother,            

Since my last letter from Tuscumbia, Ala. some weeks since, I have seen a great many sights worth seeing, you may bet.  From Tuscumbia the right section of the company to which I belong went to Russelville , remained over night and proceeded to Frankfort and staid overnight.  Next day we came down off the mountains at Barton Station which is between Tuscumbia and Iuka.  From Barton we went to Iuka and staid one night where we lost five horses, which died, we drawed twelve new ones.  From Iuka we went south 9 miles and camped three days, throughing up fortifications for our two guns.  The next day after arriving at "Camp Good Enough" (as the boys call it, although properly it is Fort Mower) we (our two guns) and six companies of the 11th Missouri Inf. started for Bay Springs, just after dark.            

Our object in going there was to surround and capture about 800 rebel cavalry in the dark.  When about half way there another of our scouts came in and reported 8,000 instead of 800, and so it proved to be.  We turned our backs to the enemy and away we went Double-Quick and no mistake.  We arrived in camp about 3:30 a.m., and found the tents struck and most of them loaded.  We never stopped to unhitch our horses from the guns, but went on the main road about a mile and a half when we struck for the woods, baggage, guns and all, and never stopped to feed our horses untill we got to Brownsville, some 18 or 20 miles distant.  We stopped only about two hours and a half, and marched all of that night and about 1 p.m., next day, we hauled up in our old camp at Clear Creek, Miss.  The next day/night about 10:30 p.m. We got orders to be ready to march in one hour with 3 days rations.

We started and went to Farmington where we ran into the 2nd section which in the meantime had quite a fight with the 8,000 cavalry, and lost three men prisoners, one of whom has been released and is now with us.  We did not stop, but went on to Brownsville and staid one night, when we started for Iuka, which was then in full possession of Rebel General Price and 22,000 men, we got about a mile and a half of town and the orders came Counter-march, which was done in Double-quick, back to Brownsville where we were joined by Infantry and Artillery enough to make about 11,000 men.  We started for Iuka again to give Price fight.            

On the 19th September, we came before Iuka and had a very hard battle, the losses on either side I don't know, but the rebels lost a General Little killed, and in an out of the way place our men found 160 rebels thrown in a heap and covered up with a tarpaulin, on the night of the 19th, they evacuated the town and 2 hours after the last of them left, our Battery and the 11th Missouri marched through the town in pursuit of the enemy.  We went about 5 miles beyond Fulton, capturing a number of prisoners and saw quite a number of wagons which were burnt.            

The next day we turned our faces towards Jacinto (Miss.) and today I find myself about 1 mile from Jacinto with the look of staying several days.  I am well and enjoying myself first rate.  On our last march we have been pretty hard up for provisions, but that is all got along with.  If on our march we see anything in a garden, we want we go and get it with out saying a word to anybody.  Enclosed I sent you a example of secech money, which they use in place of silver the money the rebels were last paid in reads as follows; "Six months after the ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States , the Confederate States of America will pay One dollar to the bearer"            

I saw one of the bills and it is so.                                                            
From your son                                                            
Franklin J. Higgins                                                            
3rd Mich. Artillery[60]

1862 Confederate dollar

Although engaged at Iuka, the fighting there did not significantly test the Battery; its position was to the rear.  It would be otherwise two weeks later, when the cannoneers found themselves very much at the center of the action.

[1]  Kitchen, Ben Earl.  Rosecrans Meets Price:  The Battle of Iuka, Miss.  p. 13.  
[2]  Ibid., p. 14. 
[3]  Ibid., p. 17.  
[4]  Ibid., p. 17.
[5]  Brown, Alonzo L.  History of the 4th Regiment of Minnesota Infantry Volunteers During the Great Rebellion 1861-1865.  p. 74.  
[6]  Lamors, William M.  The Edge of Glory.  p. 98.  
[7]  Court Martial Case File KK303, Robert C. Murphy.  National Archives, Washington, D.C.  
[8]  Kitchen, Rosecrans Meets Price.  p. 27.
[9]  Bearss, Edwin.  Decision in Mississippi.  pp. 9-15.  
[10]  Kitchen, Rosecrans Meets Price.  p. 28.  
[11]  Smith, William and Ophia.  Col. A. W. Gilbert, Citizen Soldier of Cincinnati.  Cincinnati:  Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, 1934.  p. 108.
[12]  The 8th Wisconsin would become famous as the "Eagle Regiment" because of their unique mascot - a pet bald eagle named Old Abe.  Old Abe first came under fire at the Battle of Farmington, and soon became a symbol of bravery and determination for the entire First Brigade, although he was technically the mascot of Company C of the 8th Wisconsin.  
[13]  Murphy Court-Martial.
[14]  Ibid.
[15]  Ibid.  
[16]  Ibid.  
[17]  Ibid.
[18]  Report of Capt. Alexander Dees, November 14, 1862.  Michigan State Archives, Lansing, Michigan.
[19]  Murphy Court-Martial.
[20]  The Civil War Book of Lists.  1993.  
[21]  Murphy Court-Martial.
[22]  Ibid.
[23]  Ibid.  
[24]  Ibid.  Robe does not appear in the Michigan Roster.
[25]  Ibid.
[26]  Kitchen, Rosecrans Meets Price.  p. 28.  
[27]  Ibid.  
[28]  Ibid.
[29]  Report of Capt. Alexander Dees, November 14, 1862.  Michigan State Archives, Lansing, Michigan.  
[30]  Bearss, Decision in Mississippi.  
[31]  Ibid.
[32]  Ibid.  
[33]  OR 17(1): 61  
[34]  Bearss, Decision in Mississippi.
[35]  OR 17(1):  61
[36]  Kitchen, Rosecrans Meets Price.  p. 28.  
[37]  Homer L. Kerr, editor.  Fighting with Ross's Texas Cavalry Brigade CSA.  p. 42.  
[38]  OR 17(1): 61
[39]  Chance, Joseph E.  The Second Texas Infantry, from Shiloh to Vicksburg.  p. 58.
[40]  Bearss, Decision in Mississippi.
[41]  Fauntleroy, James H. Edited by Homer L. Calkins.  James H. Fauntleroy's Diary for the Year 1862.  p. 31.
[42]  Bevier, R. S.   History of the First & Second Missouri Confederate Brigades 1861 - 1865.  p. 129.  
[43]  Grant, Ulysses S.  Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.  p. 212.
[44]  OR 17(1): 72  
[45]  Grant, Ulysses S., John R. Simon, ed.  The Papers of U. S. Grant.  p. 69.  
[46]  Brown,  History of the 4th Minnesota,  p. 80.
[47]  Bearss, Decision in Mississippi.  
[48]  Lamers, William.  The Edge of Glory.  p. 11.
[49]  The Civil War Book of Lists.  p. 103.
[50]  OR 17(1): 132
[51]  Jackson, Oscar L.  The Colonel's Diary.  p. 63.  
[52]  Snead, Thomas L.  With Price East of the Mississippi.  p. 733.
[53]  Picayune, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 11, 1901.  
[54]  McDonald, Lydia M.  Iuka's History.  p. 19.
[55]  OR 17(1): 70-71  
[56]  Lamers, The Edge of Glory, p. 115-116.
[57]  OR 17(1): 79  
[58]  Jackson, The Colonel's Diary, p. 65.  
[59]  Report of Capt. Alexander Dees, November 14, 1862.  Michigan State Archives, Lansing, Michigan.
[60]  Letter from Franklin Higgins, Allegan Journal, October 1, 1862.