Battle of Bayou Fourche

Battle of Bayou Fourche
Part of the American Civil War
DateSeptember 10, 1863 (1863-09-10)
LocationPulaski County, Arkansas
Result United States victory
Belligerents
 United States  Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Steele Sterling Price
Units involved
Army of Arkansas District of Arkansas
Strength
12,000 7,700
Casualties and losses
72 64
Sketch of Engagement at Bayou Fourche, Ark.

The Battle of Bayou Fourche (September 10, 1863), also known as the Battle of Little Rock, was the most decisive battle of the Little Rock Campaign.

Background

The Battle of Bayou Forche was the culmination of a campaign launched by Major-General Fred Steele on August 1, 1863 to capture Little Rock, Arkansas.[1] The Little Rock Campaign included engagements at West Point,[2] Harrison's Landing, Brownsville, Reed's Bridge, and Ashley's Mills (or Ferry Landing).[3]

Opposing forces

Confederate

Further information: Confederate order of battle

Battle

On September 10, 1863, Steele sent Brigadier-General John Davidson's division of United States Cavalry across the Arkansas River to advance on Little Rock while he moved against Confederate States forces entrenched on the north side of the river. In his thrust toward the state capitol, Davidson ran into Brigadier-General Marsh Walker's division of cavalry, commanded by Colonel Archibald Dobbins, at Bayou Fourche. Aided by field artillery from the north side of the river, Davidson forced Dobbins out of his position and sent the defenders fleeing back to Little Rock, which fell to the U.S. Army that afternoon.[4]

Aftermath

Major-General Sterling Price, commanding at Little Rock, fell back to Arkadelphia on the 14th, and eventually reestablished his command at Camp Bragg, Arkansas. Governor Harris Flanagin relocated the state capitol to Washington, Arkansas, where it remained for the rest of the war.[5] The fall of Little Rock sealed Arkansas' fate and helped to further demoralize Confederate citizens west of the Mississippi River, further isolating them from the rest of the South.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1888; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154600/m1/471/?q=Etter : accessed July 26, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas.
  2. Miller,Adam, "Engagement at West Point", The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, accessed 2 January 2015, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6702
  3. United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1888; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154600/m1/471/?q=Clarendon : accessed July 17, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas.
  4. National Park Service, American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), Battle Summary
  5. "Historic Washington State Park". Arkansas State Parks Guide, 2011. Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. p. 32. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  6. United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1888; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154600/m1/471/?q=Clarendon : accessed July 17, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas.

References

https://books.google.com/books?id=ET6CDfczq9gC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=battle+of+bayou+fourche+12,000&source=bl&ots=MOULkM1-xB&sig=Q5haFvHf4n9c1iMtjrb7CaIS0uY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEYQ6AEwB2oVChMI4Ij_hsaOyAIVlVqICh3LGwdU#v=onepage&q=battle%20of%20bayou%20fourche%2012%2C000& http://www.kennesaw.edu/civilwarera/sesq_1863.shtml

External links

Coordinates: 34°42′55″N 92°07′44″W / 34.7154°N 92.129°W / 34.7154; -92.129

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