Battle of Poison Spring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Poison Spring |
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| Part of the Camden Expedition of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War |
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 Poison Spring Battlefield |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Confederate States |
 United States |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Brig. Gen. Samuel B. Maxey Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke |
 Col. James M. Williams |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 3,500 | 1,100 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 114 | 301 | ||||||
The Battle of Poison Spring was a fight during the American Civil War. It happened on April 18, 1864, in Ouachita County, Arkansas. This battle was part of a bigger plan called the Camden Expedition.
A Union army, led by Major General Frederick Steele, was trying to march from Little Rock, Arkansas to Shreveport, Louisiana. Their goal was to help another Union general, Nathaniel P. Banks, who was moving along the Red River. But General Banks' army was defeated in two battles, Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. This left General Steele's army all alone in Arkansas.
Steele's soldiers were running low on food and other supplies. So, he sent a group of about 1,100 men, led by Colonel James Monroe Williams, to find supplies. This group was attacked by Confederate troops. The Confederates were led by Brigadier Generals John S. Marmaduke and Samuel B. Maxey.
After a tough fight, Colonel Williams' group was defeated. They lost their wagons full of supplies and four cannons. This loss, along with another defeat a week later at the Battle of Marks' Mills, made General Steele decide to go back to Little Rock. The Battle of Poison Spring is also remembered because many African-American Union soldiers from the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry were killed during the battle. Today, Poison Springs Battleground State Park protects part of the battlefield.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In late 1863, Union leaders wanted to attack the Confederate state of Texas. Major General Nathaniel P. Banks started planning an attack from the Gulf of Mexico. But the Union's top general, Henry Halleck, wanted to attack along the Red River instead. General Halleck outranked Banks, so Banks had to follow Halleck's plan.
The plan was for Banks to lead an army up the Red River. At the same time, Major General Frederick Steele would move south through Arkansas. The two armies were supposed to meet up. The Confederate forces in this area were led by Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith. His headquarters were in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Banks' advance up the Red River was met by Confederate forces led by Major General Richard Taylor. Taylor attacked and defeated Banks at the Battle of Mansfield on April 8, 1864. The next day, Taylor attacked Banks again at the Battle of Pleasant Hill. Banks' army fought back and won that battle. But even though they won, Banks decided to give up his campaign and retreat. This left General Steele's army in Arkansas on its own.
General Steele had worried about this mission from the start. It was hard to get supplies while moving through Arkansas. Two Union forces were part of his plan. One was 3,600 men led by Brigadier General John Milton Thayer from Fort Smith, Arkansas. The other was Steele's main force of 6,800 men from Little Rock, Arkansas.
Many Confederate soldiers in Arkansas had been moved south to fight Banks. The remaining Confederates in Arkansas were led by Major General Sterling Price. Price tried to slow Steele's march. He hoped that Smith could defeat Banks while Price kept Steele busy. In one fight, the Battle of Elkin's Ferry, Confederate cavalry attacked Steele's army. But the Confederates were pushed back. On April 9, 1864, General Thayer's Union group finally joined Steele's army.
Steele's combined army started having big supply problems, especially a lack of food. Steele had to ask for a supply train to be sent from Little Rock. Despite the supply issues, Steele moved forward to Prairie D'Ane on April 10. He defeated Price at the Battle of Prairie D'Ane. However, the lack of supplies forced Steele's Union army to turn east towards Camden, Arkansas.
Meanwhile, Price's army got stronger on April 13. They were joined by a division led by Brigadier General Samuel B. Maxey. This group included a brigade of Confederate-sympathizing Native Americans led by Colonel Tandy Walker. By April 15, Steele's Union forces had taken over Camden. But supplies were still a big problem. So, on April 17, Steele sent about 1,100 men under Colonel James Monroe Williams to find food.
The Fight Itself
Colonel Williams' group included the 1st Kansas Infantry (Colored), the 18th Iowa Infantry, four cannons, and parts of several cavalry groups. The Confederates found out about the supply train. They sent a force led by Marmaduke's cavalry and Brigadier General William L. Cabell's brigade. Later, Maxey's Confederate division joined them. This gave the Confederates about 3,500 soldiers.
Marmaduke was in charge at first. But since Maxey was a higher-ranking general, Maxey took overall command. The Confederate plan was to block the wagon train with Marmaduke and Cabell's troops. Then, Maxey's division would attack the stopped train from the side.
On April 18, Williams' Union group was indeed blocked by Marmaduke and Cabell. Maxey's division then attacked the side of Williams' column. Maxey's group included Texans led by Colonel Charles DeMorse and Walker's Native Americans. Maxey's first attack was stopped by the 1st Kansas (Colored) soldiers. The next Confederate attack was better planned. Both Marmaduke and Maxey attacked the Union force at the same time.
After about an hour of fighting, Maxey's men had to retreat again. But the Union soldiers started running low on ammunition. A third Confederate attack broke through the side of the Union position. The 1st Kansas (Colored) had to leave their spot. The 18th Iowa tried to form a new line, but they were quickly pushed back by the Confederate attack.
The African-American soldiers of the 1st Kansas (Colored) fought bravely. Many of them who were captured by the Confederates were killed. Colonel Williams' Union group lost 301 men in total. The 1st Kansas (Colored) lost 182 men out of 438 who fought. An unusually high number, 117 of those 182, were killed. In comparison, the Confederates lost 114 men. The Confederates also captured four cannons and 175 wagons. Inside the wagons, they found 5,000 bushels of corn. They also found non-military items like furniture and civilian clothes.
What Happened Next and Preserving the Site
A week later, on April 25, another Union wagon train was captured at the Battle of Marks' Mills. General Steele's army was running out of supplies, especially food. So, he decided to give up his campaign and leave Camden. Some of the Confederate forces that had gone south to fight Banks were sent back to Arkansas.
The now stronger Confederate army chased Steele. They caught up with the Union soldiers as they tried to cross the Saline River. On April 30, the Confederates attacked Steele's position near the river in the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry. Steele's forces fought back and stopped the Confederate attacks. This allowed the Union soldiers to cross the river. Steele's retreat ended on May 2 when his army reached Little Rock. Steele's army traveled about 275 miles during the whole campaign.
The place where the battle happened is now protected. It is part of Poison Springs Battleground State Park. This park is also part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark. The state park is about 12 miles (19 km) from Camden, Arkansas. It includes 84 acres (34 hectares) of the battlefield. The Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark includes the Poison Spring battleground and other places from Steele's campaign. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
See also
