Bragg expected Price to prevent the Union forces of Ulysses S. Grant and William Rosecrans in western Tennessee from reinforcing the Union forces in Kentucky, and expected Van Dorn to cooperate with Price.

Price by this time had decided not to wait for Van Dorn but moved against Iuka, capturing the town on September 14.

Two Union columns, commanded by Grant and Rosecrans, converged on Iuka on September 19; Price attacked Rosecrans' force and due to poor communications and an acoustic shadow Grant failed to attack in concert.

Price's army was redesignated as Price's Corps; the other parts of Van Dorn's army were the forces of his District of the Mississippi, Mansfield Lovell's infantry division and a small cavalry brigade commanded by Colonel W. H. Jackson (this force reported directly to Van Dorn).

Although several officers, including Price and Lovell, were opposed to the plan, they still followed Van Dorn's orders.

Price had to halt his attacks close to dusk due to increasing disorganization in his divisions and to Lovell's inactivity.