Little Rock campaign facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Little Rock campaign
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
Date August 10 – September 11, 1863 Location Between Helena, Arkansas and Little Rock, Arkansas Result Union victory
Belligerents
USA (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Steele	Sterling Price
Strength
15,000	8,000
Casualties and losses
137	At least 64

The Little Rock campaign was an important event during the American Civil War. In August and September 1863, soldiers from the Union army worked to capture the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. This city was the capital of Arkansas, a state that had joined the Confederacy.

Union forces were led by General Frederick Steele. They started their journey from Helena, Arkansas, on August 10. Along the way, they met up with cavalry (soldiers on horseback) led by General John Wynn Davidson. The Confederate forces defending Little Rock were commanded by General Sterling Price. After several smaller battles and movements, the Union army successfully took control of Little Rock on September 10, 1863. This victory gave the Union control over most of Arkansas.

Why Little Rock Was Important

The American Civil War began in 1861. Arkansas left the Union and joined the Confederacy in May 1861. Early in the war, Union soldiers moved into northern Arkansas. They won a big battle called the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862.

After this, Union General Samuel Ryan Curtis marched his troops across Arkansas. He even threatened Little Rock for a while. But his soldiers ran out of supplies. So, they moved east and captured Helena, Arkansas, in July 1862.

Confederate Defenses and Union Plans

In July 1863, Confederate forces tried to attack Helena but were pushed back. Around the same time, more Union troops became available. General Frederick Steele was sent to Helena to lead the Union soldiers there. Another Union general, John Wynn Davidson, brought his cavalry troops south from Missouri.

By late July, General Steele had about 7,000 infantry (foot soldiers) and cavalry in Helena. General Davidson had 6,000 cavalry. The Confederate commander, General Sterling Price, had about 8,000 soldiers ready to defend Little Rock. He ordered strong defenses to be built along the Arkansas River. Price knew that if the Union attacked his defenses head-on, he might have a chance. But there were other places the Union could cross the river.

Price also sent his cavalry, led by Generals Lucius M. Walker and John S. Marmaduke, to watch the Union movements. They were told to avoid a big battle too far from Little Rock.

The Campaign Begins

General Steele's Union soldiers left Helena on August 10 and 11. One main goal of the campaign was to set up a new pro-Union government in Little Rock. On August 12, Union ships and soldiers went on a mission. They gathered information, destroyed a Confederate telegraph station, and captured two Confederate ships.

The first small fight happened the next day. Union soldiers captured the ships, but Confederate cavalry attacked them. Two Union soldiers were killed and six were wounded. The Confederates had seven or eight wounded.

Marching Towards Little Rock

Steele's soldiers had a tough march to Clarendon. It was very hot, dusty, and the water was bad. By August 17, over a thousand of Steele's men were sick.

On August 22, Steele sent General Davidson and his cavalry ahead towards Little Rock. Steele and his infantry moved to DeValls Bluff to set up a healthier base. Meanwhile, the Confederate generals Walker and Marmaduke were put in charge of their cavalry together. However, they didn't get along well, which caused problems later.

Key Battles and Movements

Brownsville and Bayou Meto

General Sterling Price

The first major fight of the campaign was the Battle of Brownsville on August 25. General Marmaduke's Confederate cavalry, with about 1,300 men, fought against General Davidson's Union cavalry. Marmaduke's men were greatly outnumbered and had to retreat. General Walker's men, who were supposed to help, never joined the fight. This made the bad feelings between Walker and Marmaduke even worse.

The Confederates pulled back to Bayou Meto. Davidson's men stayed at Brownsville, waiting for Steele's infantry to arrive. General Price started to think he might not be able to defend Little Rock. He began moving supplies out of the city.

On August 27, the Battle of Bayou Meto took place. Davidson's cavalry attacked the Confederate position at Reed's Bridge, about 12 miles from Little Rock. Union troops pushed the Confederate skirmishers back. The Confederates then burned Reed's Bridge, which was the only nearby crossing. Most of the fighting became an artillery duel, where cannons fired at each other. One Confederate artillery unit was badly damaged. That night, the Union troops went back to Brownsville. The Confederates moved closer to Little Rock.

Crossing the Arkansas River

General John W. Davidson

For the next few days, there wasn't much fighting. General Steele received more soldiers, bringing his total Union strength to about 15,000 men. Steele arrived at Brownsville with his infantry on September 2. General Price now had less than 8,000 men to defend Little Rock. Most of them were in strong defenses north of the Arkansas River.

On September 6, Union troops crossed Bayou Meto at a shallow spot. They began moving towards Ashley's Mills to cross the Arkansas River there. This route would go around Price's main defenses. On the same day, the bad feelings between Marmaduke and Walker led to a duel, and General Walker was killed. Command of his division went to Archibald S. Dobbins.

The next day, Steele's men pushed Confederate cavalry across the river at Ashley's Mills. Steele then made a plan for September 9. Davidson's cavalry would cross the Arkansas River and go around the Confederate defenses. The infantry would move along the north bank of the river. On the morning of September 10, Davidson's artillery silenced Confederate guns, and his troops crossed the river easily at Terry's Ferry.

Little Rock Falls

With Union troops now across the river, General Price realized his army could be trapped. He decided to pull his men out of the defenses north of the Arkansas River and leave Little Rock. He wanted to avoid being surrounded like the Confederate defenders of Vicksburg had been earlier that year.

Price sent Marmaduke's cavalry to help Dobbins's men. Dobbins's troops fought as they retreated about 5 miles back to Bayou Fourche. Marmaduke took command of the Confederate forces there, but Dobbins refused to take orders from him because of Walker's death. Marmaduke had Dobbins arrested, but Price quickly released him.

The Battle of Bayou Fourche

The Battle of Bayou Fourche was the heaviest fighting of the campaign. As Davidson's Union troops advanced, they were split into two groups by the bayou. On the Union right, one cavalry unit was pushed back, and a Union artillery battery was briefly captured by a Confederate attack. The Union soldiers regrouped and fought back.

The Union and Confederate forces fired cannons at each other. The Union artillery on the far side of the river was also able to fire into the Confederate positions. This made it very difficult for the Confederates to hold their ground.

The fighting at Bayou Fourche resulted in seven Union soldiers killed and sixty-four wounded. No fighting happened north of the Arkansas River. Price's men burned bridges, railroad equipment, and a Confederate gunboat before leaving the city. The last Confederate soldiers were out of Little Rock by 5:00 pm. Two hours later, the city's leaders surrendered Little Rock to the Union army.

After the Battle

Union troops captured five cannons, a lot of gunpowder, and many cartridges in the city. Steele's army lost 18 men killed, 118 wounded, and one missing. The Confederates reported 12 killed, 34 wounded, and 18 captured or missing, but the true number was likely higher. Many Confederate soldiers left the army during the retreat.

What Happened Next

Historians say that General Steele achieved a great victory by capturing Little Rock. This campaign gave the Union control of about three-quarters of Arkansas. It also made it harder for the Confederacy to get new soldiers from Missouri and the Indian Territory.

After taking Little Rock, Steele put Davidson in charge of defending the city. He also had a new pro-Union governor appointed for Arkansas. Arkansas's Confederate government moved to Washington.

Later in 1863, Confederate cavalry launched a raid into Missouri, but it didn't achieve much. Union forces also took control of other towns along the Arkansas River. In late 1863, Confederate troops began to build defenses at Camden in southern Arkansas.

In March 1864, Steele led another Union campaign called the Camden Expedition. He tried to avoid Camden's defenses, but problems with supplies forced him to go there. After occupying Camden, his men had to withdraw and returned to Little Rock in May 1864. This was the last major Union attack in Arkansas.

In September 1864, General Price led a large expedition into Missouri, but it ended in a big defeat for the Confederates. This was the last major military operation in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the war. Confederate forces in the region finally surrendered on June 2, 1865, ending the fighting in that area.

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