two hours before dark yesterday, and had a sharp fight until night closed in. General Ord was to the north with an armed force of about five thousand men, and had some skirmishing with the rebel pickets. This morning the fight was renewed by General Rosecrans, who was nearest to the town; but it was found that the enemy had been evacuating during the night, going south. Generals Hamilton and Stanley, with cavalry, are in full pursuit

This will, no doubt, break up the enemy, and possibly force them to abandon much of their artillery. The loss on either side, in killed and wounded, is from four to five hundred. The enemy's loss in arms, tents, &c., will be large. We have about two hundred and fifty prisoners.

I have reliable intelligence that it was Price's intention to move over east of the Tennessee. In this he has been thwarted. Among the enemy's loss are General Little, killed, and General Whitefield, wounded.

I cannot speak too highly of the energy and skill displayed by General Rosecrans in the attack, and of the endurance of the troops. General Ord's command showed untiring zeal; but the direction taken by the enemy prevented them from taking the active part they desired. Price's force was about eighteen thousand.

U. S. GRANT, Major General.

The examination of the field, after the first excitement of the battle was over, showed a still more favorable result for the Union forces, as may be judged by the following despatch:

HEADQUARTERS CORINTH, September 22, 1862.

MAJOR GENERAL HALLECK, General-in-Chief.

In my despatch of the 20th our loss was over-estimated, and the rebel loss under-estimated. We found two hundred and sixty-one of them dead upon the field, while our loss in killed will be less than one hundred.

U. S. GRANT, Major General.

General Grant, on the same day that he sent the above despatch, issued the following order, complimenting his officers and men upon their bravery, not forgetting those who fell on that occasion:

General Field Orders, No. 1.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WEST TENNESSEE,

CORINTH, September 22, 1862.

The General commanding takes great pleasure in congratulating the two wings of the army, commanded respectively by Major General Ord and Major General Rosecrans, upon the energy, alacrity, and bravery displayed by them on the 19th and 20th inst., in their movement against the enemy at Iuka. Although the enemy was in numbers reputed far greater than their own, nothing was evinced by the troops but a burning desire to meet him, whatever his numbers, and however strong his position.

With such a disposition as was manifested by the troops on this occasion, their commanders need never fear defeat against anything but overwhelming numbers.

While it was the fortune of the command of General Rosecrans, on the evening of the 19th inst., to engage the`enemy in a most spirited fight for more than two hours, driving him with great loss from his position, and winning for themselves fresh laurels, the command of General Ord is entitled to equal credit for their efforts in trying to reach the enemy, and in diverting his attention.

And while congratulating the noble living, it is meet to offer our condolence to the friends of the heroic dead, who offered their lives a sacrifice in defence of constitutional liberty, and in their fall rendered memorable the field of luka.

By command of

JOHN A. RAWLINS, A. A. G.

Major General U. S. GRANT.

CHAPTER XII.

THE BATTLE OF CORINTH.

WHEN Corir.th had been in the possession of the Confederates under Beauregard, the line of defences constructed for its protection were so extended, reaching about fifteen miles, and requiring such numbers to man them, that Halleck, on taking possession of the place had had an interior line built, which could be manned by a much smaller number. Grant was not, however, satisfied with these, and said to General Halleck, that they would be admirable if we had an army of one hundred thousand men to defend them. When General Halleck, therefore, went to Washington, Major F. E. Prime, under Grant's direction, made a plan for a still further interior and more compact line of defences, the work upon which was pushed forward with vigor, so that on the 25th of September they were about completed. Upon this day, General Rosecrans, under Grant's orders, took command at Corinth, while Ord was stationed at Bolivar, which might be the point of Van Dorn's attack, and where, in any event, he would be within easy distance, while Grant removed his headquarters to Jackson. General Hurlbut was stationed with his division at Pocahontas.

The Confederates combined their forces for this attack. Price, after leaving Iuka, joined Van Dorn, by

a circuitous route, at Dumas, and their united force moved northward to Pocahontas, where they met the troops under Mansfield Lovell, and the entire army then advanced by the railroad to Corinth. Rosecrans, having called in his outposts, awaited the attack, which came with impetuous force on the 3d of October. The Confederates were in large force, and pressed vigorously upon the works. During the day of the 3d, they gained ground; our troops being drawn in to concentrate in the works immediately surrounding the position. Deceived by the apparent ease of his first day's success, Van Dorn sent a telegraph to Richmond, announcing a great victory.

The next day, the 4th of October, the assault was repeated with even increased determination. The impetuousness of the assault was equalled only by the stubbornness of the resistance. At one time the head of the column penetrated into the town, but they were driven back by our artillery, supported by infantry. The battle raged with inconceivable fury the whole morning. Time after time the advancing wave of living men is broken by the murderous fire of our guns, and falls away only to re-form and surge again tumultuously against our defences, only to meet again with a similar reception. But the Confederate valor was of no avail. At noon the battle was ended. Having waited a short time, after the last repulse, for the enemy's reappearance, our skirmishers advance to find that they have retired. Rosecrans gallops along the whole length of our line, to give the information, to cheer our exhausted men, to give them rest and rations, and to inspirit them for the pursuit early the

next morning. The enemy's loss was one thousand four hundred and twenty-three killed, and upwards of five thousand wounded. Two thousand two hundred and forty-eight prisoners were taken, with fourteen colors and ten guns.

Our infantry followed the retreating enemy forty miles, and the cavalry sixty miles; while on the morning of the 5th, near Pocahontas, they were met by Hurlbut, who drove them back towards Corinth. During the day, Ord, coming up, assumed the command, but fell, severely wounded, and Hurlbut took his place. The fighting here was again severe, and the retreating army was driven to make a circuit, and cross the Hatchie six miles above where they had intended. The following despatches from General Grant tell the story with military brevity and conciseness:

HEADQUARTERS JACKSON, Tenn.,

TO MAJOR GENERAL H. W. HALLECK,

October 5, 8 A. M.

General-in-Chief United States Army.

Yesterday the rebels under Price, Van Dorn, and Lovell were repulsed from their attack on Corinth with great slaughter.

The enemy are in full retreat, leaving their dead and wounded on the field.

Rosecrans telegraphs that the loss is serious on our side, particularly in officers, but bears no comparison with that of the enemy.

General Hackleman fell while gallantly leading his brigade. General Oglesby is dangerously wounded.

General McPherson, with his command, reached Corinth yesterday.

General Rosecrans pursued the retreating enemy this morning, and, should they attempt to move towards Bolivar, will follow to that place.