On October 4, 1862 the Confederate Army of West Tennessee commanded by Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn retreated northwest from Corinth. The following morning, a combined Union force commanded by Maj. Gen. Edward Ord drove Van Dorn’s advance guard back to the Hatchie River and across Davis’ Bridge. Ord was wounded and Maj. Gen. Stephen Hurlbut assumed command. While the advance guard was engaged by Ord’s force, Van Dorn’s scouts found another crossing of the Hatchie River. Van Dorn quickly took this way out and fell back to Holly Springs. Ord had forced Price to retreat, but the Confederates escaped capture or destruction. Rosecrans had the opportunity, but he’d failed to capture or destroy Van Dorn’s force between his men and Ord’s.
Strawberry Plains
On January 21, 1864 Union scouts with Brig. Gen. James Spears reported that Confederate forces advancing from Blain’s Crossroads had