Battle of Whitney's Lane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Whitney's Lane Action at Whitney's Lane
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
Date May 19, 1862 Location White County, Arkansas 35°14′46″N 91°40′33″W / 35.24607547°N 91.67576911°W / 35.24607547; -91.67576911 Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Samuel R. Curtis Frederick Steele Henry W. Halleck Peter J. Osterhaus	John Selden Roane
Strength
30,000	1,200
Casualties and losses
51	10

The Battle of Whitney's Lane was a small but important land battle during the American Civil War. It happened on May 19, 1862, in north-central Arkansas. Even though it was a small fight, it had a big impact on how people felt.

Why was this battle important?

The Union's plan

In early 1862, Union General Samuel Ryan Curtis led his troops into northwest Arkansas. They won a big battle at Pea Ridge. After this, most Confederate soldiers left Arkansas. This left the state almost unprotected. General Curtis wanted to keep moving forward. His goal was to reach Little Rock, the state capital. He hoped to take control of Arkansas and remove it from the war.

The Confederate's challenge

The Confederate side faced big problems in the spring of 1862. Most of their soldiers had left Arkansas. There was no experienced general left to lead the troops. General John Selden Roane was put in charge of the remaining Confederate forces in Arkansas. He had a tough job ahead of him.

Moving toward the fight

Union troops on the move

General Curtis started his journey from northwest Arkansas in early April. He led his army of 17,000 soldiers back into Missouri. This was to use better travel routes. He set up his main supply base in Rolla, Missouri. By April 29, Curtis reached West Plains, Missouri. Then, he turned south into Arkansas. He also got 5,000 more soldiers led by General Frederick Steele.

In early May, Curtis and Steele faced many problems getting supplies. Bad weather, tough land, and not enough supplies slowed them down. But by May 9, Curtis's large army reached Searcy. They were ready to push deep into central Arkansas. Their goal was to capture Little Rock. While at Searcy, Curtis talked with General Henry Halleck about taking over Little Rock.

Confederate troops get ready

Confederate General Roane quickly started building a defense. He needed to stop the Union Army. Roane ordered some Texas cavalry (soldiers on horseback) to turn back. They were on their way to other battle areas. He also tried to get local people to join the army. But not many people volunteered.

On May 10, Roane sent Texas cavalry scouts to find the Union Army. The scouts met many people running away from the Union soldiers. These people said the Union army had about 30,000 soldiers. Most of them were immigrants from Germany. General Roane had only about 1,200 Texas horsemen to face this huge force. He ordered cotton supplies near Searcy to be burned. Governor Henry Massey Rector got government offices ready to be moved. Meanwhile, small groups of Union soldiers fought with the Texas scouts. These fights happened between Searcy and Little Rock. A few Union soldiers were hurt.

By May 19, some Texas cavalry companies reached Searcy Landing. They were waiting for a chance to attack the much larger Union army.

The battle begins

Union General Curtis was still worried about getting supplies. His supply lines could not bring enough food and equipment for his army. He ordered Colonel Peter Joseph Osterhaus to send a group to find food. This group was made up of seven companies of soldiers. They were from the 17th Missouri Infantry and the 4th Missouri Cavalry. The group crossed the Little Red River. They went to two farms along Whitney's Lane.

Scouts told Colonel Emory Rogers about the Union soldiers' movements. Rogers commanded about 150 Texas cavalrymen and local volunteers. About 300 more Confederate soldiers were on their way. But Rogers decided to attack even though he had fewer men. He split his forces into two groups of Texans and one group of Arkansans. He ordered a charge on horseback down the lane.

The first charge quickly defeated Company H of the 17th Missouri. They ran away toward Company F. Company F was trying to set up a defense in a line of trees. The combined companies fought bravely for a few minutes. More Confederates arrived to push them. The Texans and local volunteers were not well-trained. They attacked fiercely. Some even seemed to ignore Union soldiers trying to surrender. Soon, Company F was also defeated.

Meanwhile, Company G of the 17th and some Union cavalry moved forward. They exchanged gunfire with the Confederate horsemen. Major Eugen Kielmansegge of the 4th Missouri Cavalry ordered the rest of the Union cavalry to charge. Company C of the 4th Missouri Cavalry crashed into the attackers. They managed to push them back into the woods. More Union cavalry kept arriving. Kielmansegge gathered his forces. He set up a defensive position. They kept fighting the Confederates as they got ready for another attack.

Other companies of the 17th Missouri heard the gunfire from their main camp. It was across the Little Red River. They marched out to help the foraging party. Confederate Major Rogers ordered his men to retreat. Most of them did. But the Arkansans and some Texans stayed. They attacked the Union relief column before leaving. The 300 Confederate reinforcements arrived just after the retreat order. They joined in the withdrawal.

What happened next?

The battle at Whitney's Lane lasted only one hour. The Union side had 51 men killed or wounded. The Confederates had about 10 casualties. The 17th Missouri Infantry lost only 68 men during the entire war. Nearly one-third of those losses happened at Whitney's Lane.

This battle was just a small fight. But its effects on people's feelings and the war strategy were much bigger. For both Confederate soldiers and people in Arkansas, the battle gave them a huge boost. Newspapers in Arkansas celebrated the battle. They praised the soldiers who fought. These articles helped lift the sadness that had taken over the state. They gave the Confederates new hope.

Even though the Union's losses were small, the battle was discouraging for them. Union troops were suffering from a lack of supplies. Some soldiers reportedly lost trust in their leaders. Within a few days, Confederate cavalry started bothering the Union supply lines. This made the Union's supply problems even worse. The Confederate commander, Hindman, also spread false information. He wanted to make the Union forces believe that many new Confederate units were arriving in Little Rock.

By May 31, General Curtis started to rethink his position. On June 2, Curtis held a meeting with his commanders. They agreed to retreat toward the Ozark foothills. By the end of June, Curtis completely gave up his plan to attack Little Rock. He moved his army to Helena, Arkansas. There, he set up a new supply line on the Mississippi River.