During the late summer of 1862, Confederate forces attempted a
three-pronged strategic advance into the North. The outcome of this
offensive--the only coordinated Confederate attempt to carry the
conflict to the enemy--was disastrous. The results at Antietam and in
Kentucky are well known; the third offensive, the northern Mississippi
campaign, led to the devastating and little-studied defeats at Iuka and
Corinth, defeats that would open the way for Grant's attack on
Vicksburg.
Peter Cozzens presents here the first book-length study of these two
complex and vicious battles. Drawing on extensive primary research, he
details the tactical stories of Iuka--where nearly one-third of those
engaged fell--and Corinth--fought under brutally oppressive
conditions--analyzing troop movements down to the regimental level. He
also provides compelling portraits of Generals Grant, Rosecrans, Van
Dorn, and Price, exposing the ways in which their clashing ambitions and
antipathies affected the outcome of the campaign. Finally, he draws out
the larger, strategic implications of the battles of Iuka and Corinth,
exploring their impact on the fate of the northern Mississippi campaign,
and by extension, the fate of the Confederacy.
During the late summer of 1862, Confederate forces attempted a
three-pronged strategic advance into the North. The outcome of this
offensive--the only coordinated Confederate attempt to carry the
conflict to the enemy--was disastrous. The results at Antietam and in
Kentucky are well known; the third offensive, the northern Mississippi
campaign, led to the devastating and little-studied defeats at Iuka and
Corinth, defeats that would open the way for Grant's attack on
Vicksburg. Peter Cozzens details the tactical stories of Iuka and
Corinth, analyzing troop movements down to the regimental level and
providing compelling portraits of Generals Grant, Rosecrans, Van Dorn,
and Price. He also draws out the larger, strategic implications of the
battles, exploring their impact on the fate of the northern Mississippi
campaign, and by extension, the fate of the Confederacy.
