OPERATIONS IN ARKANSAS—CAPTURE OF LITTLE ROCK.
On the 1st of July 1863, General Steele arrived at Helena, and reported to General Hurlbut, the commander of the Sixteenth Army corps, in order to receive instructions as to an expedition planned by General Grant, against Little Rock, in that State. All of the troops then in Helena, together with a cavalry division, operating in various parts of the State at that time, and led by Brigadier-General Davidson, were immediately placed under General Steele’s command. But the climate of Helena, which was unfavorable to the troops, had weakened a large number who were either sick or convalescent from sickness. The number mustered at this point for the expedition, was about six thousand. The artillery consisted of three six-gun batteries, one four-gun battery, and six ten-pound Parrot guns. The cavalry numbered less than five hundred men fit for duty, and consisted of the First Indiana and the Fifth Kansas regiments. General Davidson’s cavalry division consisted of six thousand men. On taking command at Helena, General Steele proceeded to organize his forces, and to establish camps for the sick. This done, he commenced an advance movement. General Davidson pushed on to Clarendon, a point on White river, where corduroying two miles of bottom, he threw a bridge over Rock Roe Bayou. Another division advanced toward the same point, under command of General Rice, and still another under command of Colonel W. E. McClean. The entire force was congregated, on the 17th of August, at Clarendon. Beyond the river lay the enemy. General Steele’s design, now, was to establish an Hospital at Duvall’s Bluff, a healthy point on the river, and thence to advance against Little Rock, the capital of the State, and the headquarters of the rebels, situated on the west bank of the Arkansas river. This plan was pursued with equal energy and success. As early as the 23rd July, the Hospital was established; and, on the 25th, General Davidson, still advancing, skirmished with the rebel General Marmaduke’s cavalry, which he finally drove into their intrenchments at Bayou Meton. On the 27th he again attacked the enemy, and drove them from their intrenchments; but the rebels burned their bridges in returning, and thus, for a time, succeeded in checking the Union advance. General Davidson then concentrated his forces at Brownsville, where he remained until the end of the month. On the 30th of August General Steele was reinforced, by True’s brigade, from Memphis, and on the 14th of September he commenced a general advance against the rebels beyond Bayou Meton. At first he resolved to endeavor to turn the left flank of the rebel forces, and for this purpose he sent out General Davidson to reconnoitre. This reconnoissance, made by way of Austin, lasted two days. At the end of that time, however, General Steele was in possession of such information concerning the roads and the disposition of the foe, as determined him to advance on the right. On the 6th of September, therefore, the general advance was resumed, True’s brigade, and Ritter’s cavalry being left to guard the sick at Brownsville. On the 7th the advance reached the Arkansas river, at or near Ashley’s Mills, a point above Little Rock. General Steele’s plans were now laid with equal boldness and skill. General Davidson was directed to cross the Arkansas with a considerable force, and to move down the south bank of the river directly against the capital. General Steele meantime marched down the south bank, and threatened the city in front. The passage of the river was effected by means of a pontoon bridge, on the 10th, and General Davidson advanced to Bayou Fourche before encountering any opposition. At this place, however, he was met by a Confederate force, in regular line of battle, consisting of Fagan’s and Tappan’s brigades and Marmaduke’s cavalry. A brisk engagement ensued, but the rebels, galled by artillery fire from the other side of the river, and steadily pushed by the gallant troops of Davidson, were speedily compelled to retreat. The Union advance meanwhile was continued—simultaneously upon both sides of the stream. In a short time, volumes of smoke and clouds of dust, in the direction of Little Rock, made it evident that the rebels were retreating from the city, burning the bridges as they passed over. Marmaduke’s cavalry was thus found to be the only obstacle to the Union occupation of the capital. A bold push soon swept that foe away, and on the night of September 10th, Little Rock was formally surrendered. The forces, however, were too weary to continue the pursuit, until the next day, when Merrill’s and Clayton’s cavalry followed the flying foe for twenty miles, taking a number of prisoners and causing the destruction of a part of the rebel baggage train. The Union loss in this battle did not exceed one hundred; the rebel loss was at least five times as great, including prisoners. So ended a campaign of forty-five days, which resulted in substantially freeing the State of Arkansas from the clutches of rebellion.
The capture of Little Rock, however, was succeeded by a variety of incidents, which deserve to be summed up in a brief statement, as marking the close of the war in Arkansas.
On the 28th of October a portion of the retreating troops of the discomfited rebel General Price, having eluded pursuit, attacked Pine Bluff, hoping, if successful, to recapture Little Rock, and enfeeble the Union troops by cutting off their line of communication with the Mississippi. But the Unionists repulsed this attack, and on the same day captured Arkadelphia, forcing the Confederates to retreat towards the Red river.
Thus, at the close of the year 1863, the entire State of Arkansas, excepting a small part in the Southwest, and another small part in the Northwest, infested by guerrillas, was restored to the authority of the United States Government.