General Ord's command at Iuka

[Tacloban]

I am asking the experts here for OOB information for what may be known as the "left wing" of Grant's Army of the Tennessee at the time of the Battle of Iuka (Septmber 19, 1862). This was the command of Brig. Gen. Edward Otho Cresap Ord (who named this guy?) that did not engage at the battle. I believe his troops were stationed at Jackson in mid-1862. Much googling has not produced much for me. All I know so far is that he had three infantry divisions under him:

1. MacArthur's Division - possibly similar to 6th Division XVII Corps at Vicksburg???, McKean's Division at Corinth?

2. Davies' Division - same as at Corinth in October?

3. Brig Gen Leonard F. Ross's Division - McClernand's??? included 17th Illinois Inf

I asume one of these was Ord's old 2nd division, but which one? I don't know much about MacArthur's or Ross' divisions. Are they known, more or less, by another name at some point before or after Iuka?

Also, bonus question: What other troops were with Price at Iuka besides Hamilton and Stanley's divisions?

Thank you for your help, Oh Wise and Generous Ones. I hope this is for a "what if" scenario for a new Iuka TC2M map.

[Shirkon]

Tacloban wrote:

I am asking the experts here for OOB information for what may be known as the "left wing" of Grant's Army of the Tennessee at the time of the Battle of Iuka (Septmber 19, 1862). This was the command of Brig. Gen. Edward Otho Cresap Ord (who named this guy?) that did not engage at the battle. I believe his troops were stationed at Jackson in mid-1862. Much googling has not produced much for me. All I know so far is that he had three infantry divisions under him:

1. MacArthur's Division - possibly similar to 6th Division XVII Corps at Vicksburg???, McKean's Division at Corinth?

2. Davies' Division - same as at Corinth in October?

3. Brig Gen Leonard F. Ross's Division - McClernand's??? included 17th Illinois Inf

I asume one of these was Ord's old 2nd division, but which one? I don't know much about MacArthur's or Ross' divisions. Are they known, more or less, by another name at some point before or after Iuka?

Also, bonus question: What other troops were with Price at Iuka besides Hamilton and Stanley's divisions?

Thank you for your help, Oh Wise and Generous Ones. I hope this is for a "what if" scenario for a new Iuka TC2M map.

I'll look in my copy of the OR and see what I can come up with for you.

[Hancock the Superb]

Battles and Leaders:

Army of West Tennessee:

1st Division - Maj Gen John A. McClernand
1st Brigade - Brig Gen John A. Logan
2nd Brigade - Col Lydorf Ozburn
3rd Brigade - Col C. C. Marsh
4th Brigade - Col L. F. Rhoads (unsure if this was attached at the time.)

2nd Division - Brig Gen Thomas A. Davies
1st Brigade - Brig Gen Pleasant A. Hackleman
2nd Brigade - Brig Gen Richard J. Oglesby
3rd Brigade - Col Silas D. Baldwin

6th Division - Brig Gen Thomas J. McKean
1st Brigade - Col Benjamin Allen (or Brig Gen John McArthur)
2nd Brigade - Col John M. Oliver
3rd Brigade - Col Marcellus M. Crocker

I also have a digital version of the official records and Dyer's Comp. combined into a series of OOBs. I can make an OOB of it in excel for you if you want me to. My sources are quite confusion on this actually. The 1st Division could actually be the 3rd...

[Tacloban]

Thank you all for your generous efforts. Hancock, I think you were right on it.

So far I have found a modded OOB hosted by the benevolent folks working in the American Civil War Cartography Office, a part of the American Civil War Gaming Club. They have an OOB for the Iuka scenario in the HPS Corinth game that includes all the forces asked about in my first post, with regimental strengths. I should have checked over there sooner.

While I can't verify the accuracy of the OOB, it seems to fit in with what I do know, and I have used other OOBs at this site and found them to be pretty accurate. The "full" OOB for Iuka appears to be essentially the 2nd Corinth OOB with some new commanders, with the losses from Iuka added back.

From reading it seems that Ord was a reliablely effective commander, who kept getting severely wounded in combat and so missed a lot of the famous battles that would have put his name to history. The mond boggles at how many of those types there probably were.

Thank goodness for game sites.


Tacloban

[Kerflumoxed]

As I look at Battles and Leaders, Volume 2, it shows the opposing forces at Iuka, Miss., as the Army of the Mississippi commanded by M/G Wm. Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of the West commanded by Sterling Price. In a commentary at the end of this section, Rosecrans says (in the ORs, VOL XVII, Pt. I, p. 74) that "we moved from Jacinto at 5 am. with 9,000 men on Price's forces at Iuka. After a march of 18 miles attacked them at 4:30 pm...with less than half our forces in action." Meanwhile, the command of General E.O.C. Ord comprising the divisions of Davies, Ross, McArthur, numbering about 8,000 men, was marching from Corinth directly on Iuka, and was within 4 or 5 miles of the battlefield on the 19th. The entire Union force near Iuka, including Ord, was about 17,000 men" Battles & Leaders, p. 736.

Hopefully this will give you a more precise location of Ord's forces.

J

[Hancock the Superb]

Again - if you ever decide you want Dyer's and Official Records, combined, just send me a message and I'll compile an OOB with all known information about the units. (I can fairly accurately depict their quality, too.)

It is rather fun for me... I'm working on trying to make a historically correct Sigel scenario for TC2M, and I have to go through all the reports in the Official Records, look in Battles and Leaders, look up countless possible OOBs, find out what units where where, cross-reference them...

I hope to see that Iuka and Corinth Mod or whatever come a long ways - it has always been my second favorite campaign of the entire war, because of its unknowness, Westness, and the variety of commanders that were in it.

[Tacloban]

Hancock,
I enjoy this stuff too. That's why making OOBs is almost the only modding I've done for TC2M. Like, now, where in the blazes was the 56th Illinois? It was at the seige of Corinth in the summer, then the battle of Corinth in October, but didn't seem to be at Iuka with everybody else in mid-September.

I use the online ORs at Cornell and Ohio State, plus some of the adjutant general's histories are great too, for some states. I'm getting a couple of the commanders confused (e.g., Buford/Sanborn) between Corinth and Iuka, so any free advcie would be welcome.

Thanks

[Hancock the Superb]

Ask away. Like I said, my computer civil war stuff copy has every OOB needed - along with what dates regiments were in certain brigades, and the brigade commanding officers at certain times.

I tell you what: I'm interested in helping out a lot in this, so I'll compile an OOB of the West Tennessee District/Army from the start of the campaign in September to the end of the campaign in October. It'll be several sheets long, and don't expect it too soon. :laugh:

If you need any information right away, I'm always willing to help.