Casualties at Iuka

[Saruman]

I've noticed that the casualty figures for Iuka are quite variable when it comes to the Confederate losses. Some sources say Price suffered 1,516 casualties, others only 700, and others as low as 525. Is there any recent research that supports a particular figure as the most accurate?

Union losses seem to be more stable, ranging from 782 to 825.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Regarding the Battle of Iuka.

Total Union casualty estimates viewed are fairly consistent at between 782 and 790, with the official consensus estimate being 790. (See 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 78, and the NPS link at https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=ms001 ).

In contrast, total Confederate casualty estimates seem to vary widely between 594 and 1,516. Am inclined to accept, with reasonable confidence, the official Confederate casualty returns for the division, comprising 1st brigade (Gates), 2nd brigade (Hebert), 3rd brigade (Green) and the 4th brigade (Martin). Division casualties returned by Hebert (who replaced the fallen Little) totaled 493, excluding any missing/captured. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part I, at page 126).

In relation to brigade casualty returns showing additional counts of any missing/captured.

The 1st. brigade (Gates) did not participate in the battle and had no casualties. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 127).

The 2nd. Brigade (Hebert) casualties return showed the additional count of 40 missing (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 127).

The 3rd brigade (Green) did not appear to submit a return showing any missing/captured.

The 4th. Brigade (Martin) showed no missing/captured in its casualties return. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part I, at page 133).

The aggregate of these reported Confederate casualties is therefore, 533 (i.e. 493 + 40). This accords approximately with the current NPS estimate of 594 (refer to NPS link above). Both these estimates are substantially below some of the secondary sources seen quoting estimates of total Confederate losses in the battle.

 

[Saruman]

Regarding the Battle of Iuka.

Total Union casualty estimates viewed are fairly consistent at between 782 and 790, with the official consensus estimate being 790. (See 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 78, and the NPS link at https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=ms001 ).

In contrast, total Confederate casualty estimates seem to vary widely between 594 and 1,516. Am inclined to accept, with reasonable confidence, the official Confederate casualty returns for the division, comprising 1st brigade (Gates), 2nd brigade (Hebert), 3rd brigade (Green) and the 4th brigade (Martin). Division casualties returned by Hebert (who replaced the fallen Little) totaled 493, excluding any missing/captured. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part I, at page 126).

In relation to brigade casualty returns showing additional counts of any missing/captured.

The 1st. brigade (Gates) did not participate in the battle and had no casualties. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 127).

The 2nd. Brigade (Hebert) casualties return showed the additional count of 40 missing (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 127).

The 3rd brigade (Green) did not appear to submit a return showing any missing/captured.

The 4th. Brigade (Martin) showed no missing/captured in its casualties return. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part I, at page 133).

The aggregate of these reported Confederate casualties is therefore, 533 (i.e. 493 + 40). This accords approximately with the current NPS estimate of 594 (refer to NPS link above). Both these estimates are substantially below some of the secondary sources seen quoting estimates of total Confederate losses in the battle.

Thanks, that's very helpful!

 

[Nathan Towne]

Regarding the Battle of Iuka.

Total Union casualty estimates viewed are fairly consistent at between 782 and 790, with the official consensus estimate being 790. (See 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 78, and the NPS link at https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=ms001 ).

In contrast, total Confederate casualty estimates seem to vary widely between 594 and 1,516. Am inclined to accept, with reasonable confidence, the official Confederate casualty returns for the division, comprising 1st brigade (Gates), 2nd brigade (Hebert), 3rd brigade (Green) and the 4th brigade (Martin). Division casualties returned by Hebert (who replaced the fallen Little) totaled 493, excluding any missing/captured. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part I, at page 126).

In relation to brigade casualty returns showing additional counts of any missing/captured.

The 1st. brigade (Gates) did not participate in the battle and had no casualties. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 127).

The 2nd. Brigade (Hebert) casualties return showed the additional count of 40 missing (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part 1, at page 127).

The 3rd brigade (Green) did not appear to submit a return showing any missing/captured.

The 4th. Brigade (Martin) showed no missing/captured in its casualties return. (see 'OR': Vol. XVII, Part I, at page 133).

The aggregate of these reported Confederate casualties is therefore, 533 (i.e. 493 + 40). This accords approximately with the current NPS estimate of 594 (refer to NPS link above). Both these estimates are substantially below some of the secondary sources seen quoting estimates of total Confederate losses in the battle.

Thanks, that's very helpful!

Hi guys,

I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. @Nathan Stuart above, albeit with one tiny caveat regarding the official returns. The brigade level returns for Herbert's brigade (17 OR 1: 127) showed two additional wounded that the cumulative casualty return for the Division for killed and wounded (found at 17 OR 1: 126). This would be 305 men wounded in the brigade, as compared to 303.

 

[maverickdd69]

Hi guys,

I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. @Nathan Stuart above, albeit with one tiny caveat regarding the official returns. The brigade level returns for Herbert's brigade (17 OR 1: 127) showed two additional wounded that the cumulative casualty return for the Division for killed and wounded (found at 17 OR 1: 126). This would be 305 men wounded in the brigade, as compared to 303.

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Which book do you have pictured here by chance?

 

[Nathan Towne]

Which book do you have pictured here by chance?

Kitchens-Iuka-1987.

 

[Qvist]

U.S. casualties in the Iuka operation are fairly straightforward. They can be found at 17 OR 1: 77-78. The U.S/ Army sustained 790 reported casualties total in the operation.

The losses for Hebert's brigade can be found at 17 OR 1: 127 and came to 63 men killed, 305 wounded and 40 missing/captured. The missing total was not reported in the previous returns on the preceding page and the final count of wounded was two persons higher in the final tally than in the preceding one. In John Martin's brigade the total can be found at 17 OR 1: 126 and is restated at 17 OR 1: 133. The brigade sustained 22 men killed and 95 men wounded for a total of 117 casualties in the brigade, per their reports. Peter Cozzens, in The Darkest Days of the War, accidentally took the total figure and thought that it represented missing/captured and hence double counted the casualties from the brigade. Along with Henry Little's death that results in a total of 526 reported Confederate casualties.

Of course, the Confederate figures are in some dispute based on what was certified in U.S. reports. William Wiles, the Federal Provost Marshal in the Army of the Mississippi, certified that 265 Confederates were buried on the field and Rosecrans stated that he counted 162 deceased Confederates behind the Methodist Church and counted another 99 in addition on the battlefield. It is difficult to say for certain, but there is simply no actually substance in the Confederate reports for some of the types of casualty figures which you may see in some places online, such as on Wikipedia.

 

[DixieRifles]

Kitchens-Iuka-1987.

I picked up Douglas Hale's book "The Third Texas Cavalry in the Civil War", and the numbers he gave match the photo of the open book posted above.

3rd Texas Cavalry Out of 338 men, they had 22 KIA and 74 WIA. That is approx 1 of every 4 men fell during the battle.