Friday, 26th—I was on fatigue duty down in town today, helping to dismount the guns and load them with the ammunition upon the cars to be shipped to Corinth. We are preparing to leave Iuka as soon as possible, but it is slow work, as the railroad is in bad shape, and there is only one train a day.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Thursday, 25th—Our knapsacks and tents arrived today by train from Corinth, and it will be more like living now. We have excellent water here, and there are large hotels for invalids, this having been a health resort for Southern people. There are quite a number of mineral springs here, some of sulphur and others of iron.
Wednesday, 24th—The first train of cars came in today from Corinth and we expect now to receive a fresh supply of hardtack. We have been on one-third rations by foraging; now, however, it seems we have to do without, for we have cleaned up everything for a distance of ten miles in all directions.
Tuesday, 23d—We moved out of the old camp in the woods and went into bivouac in a large field. We are obliged to form a line of battle every morning at 2 o’clock and remain in line until after sunrise. A few of the rebel cavalry are still watching us in this vicinity. Our entire division is at this place, but it is thought that we shall soon leave for Corinth, as Iuka is not a very important point to hold, but Corinth, because of its two railroad lines, is very important.
Monday, 22d—No news of importance. Rain last night. Foraging parties are bringing in all the fresh pork that we can use, besides plenty of sweet potatoes. Our crackers, having been kept in storage so long, are musty and full of the weevil web, and there are no trains from Corinth to bring a fresh supply. We often clean them the best we can and bake them again in ashes or in skillets.
Sunday, 21st—We lay around all day in the camp which the rebels vacated. Their tents are badly torn, but the wooden bunks are in good condition. The wounded have all been cared for and the dead were buried today. A detachment of our army is still in pursuit of the rebels. Our brigade has been detailed to garrison this place and we expect our tents to arrive soon. I was detailed on camp guard this morning.
Saturday, 20th—We remained in line of battle all night and early this morning advanced in a line about two miles, when we received orders to march on into Iuka. The rebels retreated during the night, and General Rosecrans’ forces are after them. We learned this morning that a battle had been fought yesterday here by Rosecrans’ forces alone. When we were waiting for the sound of Rosecrans’ cannon, we could not hear them on account of an unfavorable wind. The rebels attacked him and made the fight come off a day before the time set for our capture of them. The Sixteenth Iowa of Crocker’s Brigade had been detached from us and sent forward, being the only regiment of our brigade engaged in the fight. Their loss was fourteen killed. The Fifth Iowa in Rosecrans’ army was trapped in an ambush which was made with a battery masked in green leaves, and lost forty-one killed. The rebels were driven out and left their dead and wounded on the field. Quite a number of our wounded are now being brought into town from the battlefield. Iuka is a nice place with some good buildings. It is well supplied with good water from splendid springs. There is poor farming land around here, it being quite rolling in this part of Tennessee. The timber, mostly pine, is rather scrubby.
Friday, 19th—Each man was ordered to have sixty rounds of cartridges, and leaving our bivouac, we marched a short distance and formed a line of battle waiting for the sound of cannon from Rosecrans’ men in and around Iuka, on the opposite side of the rebels. Not hearing anything we slowly moved forward about four miles through the woods, remaining all the while in line of battle. We drove the rebel pickets in. At noon the Eleventh Iowa was on a high piece of ground in open field awaiting orders. Some of the boys started fires to boil their coffee, and the rebels, seeing the smoke, opened with a few shots from a battery of four-pounders. Then our battery of heavy guns, lying in front of us, suddenly opened up on them and soon put them out of business. But the boys put out their campfires in short order. When the rebels first opened fire upon us, I was lying on the ground resting my head upon my knapsack and a ball passed just over me, striking the ground at my left. That was a closer call than I cared to have and I did not think of taking a nap again.
Thursday, 18th—It rained all night and till about 10 o’clock in the morning. We were on the march again for fifteen miles and then bivouacked for the night. We have traveled forty miles in the two days and learn that we are about ten miles from Corinth.
Wednesday, 17th—Our division started at 6 o’clock this morning, leaving all our baggage in the tents. Each man is carrying sixty rounds of ammunition, and only such teams as are needed to haul extra ammunition are taken along. The whole Union army, excepting a small garrison left at Corinth, is on the move. We are marching out to the northwest, but the men do not know where they are headed for. We marched twenty-five miles today, and went into bivouac for the night. We got our gum blankets just in time, as it rained nearly all day, and the roads became very muddy, especially where the artillery went. The men built fires tonight to dry their clothes.
