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Gen. Frederick Steele with 8000 troops moved out of Little Rock Arkansas in March 1864, on a mission to meet with General Banks coming up from Louisiana.
Together they were to defeat Gen. Kirby-Smith in a bid to lay Texas open.
Steele encountered resistance on March 23, and quickly moved to Camden Ark., Kirby-Smith's fortified base which had been left undefended when Kirby-Smith left to meet Banks.
Steele would remain there until word came from Banks, but in the meantime he was running low on supplies, so he sent a force to nearby Washington Ark. to take a supply of corn found there. A force of 1600 was sent to do this, but Sterling Price attacked it on the return at Poison Springs and destroyed it. Among the stores Price's men recovered was 60 wagons loaded with clothing, furniture, food, jewelry and other personal belongings that the federals had looted from civilians in the Washington area. These were returned to their owners. April 18.
Meanwhile Kirby-Smith had intercepted and defeated the Bobbin Boy of Massachusetts at Mansfield - Banks was in flight back the way he came.
Steele knew he had to escape before Kirby-Smith's return, but he sent a wagon train to occupied Pine Bluffs for supplies before doing so.
This force of 1200 federals was attacked by Fagan's cavalry at Mark's Mill and all 1200 killed or captured. It was found that the empty wagons contained personal property like that from Washington - these had been looted from civilians along the road from Camden, and it was returned as well. April 25.
Steele now made his dash to escape before Kirby-Smith, and just managed to elude destruction by getting across a swollen river ahead of Smith.
Kirby-Smith was delayed by the flood but caught up to Steele at Jenkins Ferry April 30. With a desperate rearguard action he held off Smith's Confederates just long enough to get across the river at Jenkins Ferry on a pontoon bridge, which he destroyed behind him, making his escape to Little Rock on May 1.
In a few weeks the Confederates had inflicted 4 defeats on two Union armies and captured large amounts of equipment. Had Kirby-Smith managed to catch and destroy Steele at Jenkins Ferry, the war in the west would have had a different outcome.
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
That's nice, but where in the public record did you find this story. Saying you got this from the 'public record' covers a lot of ground. Did you read this in a book, if so, what was the title and who was the author? Did you find this on the internet or are you simply remembering something you read years ago?
I'm sorry, but I've gotten fussy over the years about what one person claims is history and what history actually turns out to be.
Surely you could break down this once and give us a source for your first post. It would be appreciated.
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
That's nice, but where in the public record did you find this story. Saying you got this from the 'public record' covers a lot of ground. Did you read this in a book, if so, what was the title and who was the author? Did you find this on the internet or are you simply remembering something you read years ago?
I'm sorry, but I've gotten fussy over the years about what one person claims is history and what history actually turns out to be.
Surely you could break down this once and give us a source for your first post. It would be appreciated.
In case Suwanee doesn't oblige, here is the summary in General Grant's end-of-the-war report that covers this from a high level:
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXVI/1 [S# 67]
Operations In Southeastern Virginia And North Carolina.
May 1-June 12, 1864.
No. 1.--Reports of Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, U. S. Army, commanding Armies of the United States, including operations March, 1864-May, 1865.
On the 23d of March Major-General Steele left Little Rock with the Seventh Army Corps to co-operate with General Banks' expedition on Red River, and reached Arkadelphia on the 28th. On the 16th of April, after driving the enemy before him, he was joined near Elkin's Ferry, in Ouachita County, by General Thayer, who had marched from Fort Smith. After several severe skirmishes, in which the enemy was defeated, General Steele reached Camden, which he occupied about the middle of April. On learning the defeat and consequent retreat of General Banks on Red River and the loss of one of his own trains at Marks' Mills, in Dallas County, General Steele determined to fall back to the Arkansas River. He left Camden on the 26th of April and reached Little Rock on the 2d of May. On the 30th of April the enemy attacked him while crossing Saline River at Jenkins Ferry, but was repulsed with considerable loss. Our loss was about 600 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Major-General Canby, who had been assigned to the command of the Military Division of West Mississippi, was therefore directed to send the Nineteenth Army Corps to join the armies operating against Richmond, and to limit the remainder of his command to such operations as might be necessary to hold the positions and lines of communications he then occupied. Before starting General A. J. Smith's troops back to Sherman, General Canby sent a part of it to disperse a force of the enemy that was collecting near the Mississippi River. General Smith met and defeated this force near Lake Chicot on the 5th of June. Our loss was about 40 killed and 70 wounded. In the latter part of July General Canby sent Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, with such forces as he could collect, to co-operate with Admiral Farragut against the defenses of Mobile Bay. On the 8th of August Fort Gaines surrendered to the combined naval and land forces. Fort Powell was blown up and abandoned. On the 9th, Fort Morgan was invested, and after a severe bombardment surrendered on the 23d. The total captures amounted to 1,464 prisoners and 104 pieces of artillery.(*)
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIV/4 [S# 64]
UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI STATES AND TERRITORIES, FROM MAY 23, 1864, TO JUNE 30, 1864.--#13
HDQRS. DIST. OF THE FRONTIER, DEPT. OF ARK.,
Fort Smith, Ark., June [11], 1864.
Maj. Gen. S. R. CURTIS,
Commanding Department of Kansas:
SIR: Yesterday I started a train of 100 wagons for Fort Scott, via Gibson, for supplies. A large number of refugees accompanied the train to Kansas. I shall also send a lot of refugees to Little Rock by the next boats. The most of them are in a state of great destitution. If they remain here we are obliged to feed them, or they must starve. It is absolutely necessary to remove them to points where supplies are more plentiful than here. You have, of course, learned the result of our campaign to the Wa****a. Before I joined Steele he had not 8,000 fighting men. I had about 4,000. Price had about 13,000.
We first learned of the disasters to General Banks on Red River at Prairie De Ane, the other side of the Little Missouri, and 14 miles from Washington. We could, of course, advance no ****her toward Shreveport. We then moved east and occupied Camden; this was in accordance with Sherman's orders. Our train to Pine Bluff for supplies was captured. At that time we had but two and a half days' rations, and at the same time Kirby Smith, in person, re-enforced Price with four divisions of infantry. The enemy had also 7,000 well-mounted cavalry, which had wintered on Red River where forage was plenty. If the gun-boats had come up the Wa****a, as they could have done, convoying transports loaded with supplies, we could have held the Wa****a River; but they did not, and we were obliged to fall back to the Arkansas. Smith and Price, with whole force, followed us to the Saline and attacked just as we were about crossing.
We turned upon them and after a terrific fight of five hours we drove them from the field, but we could not remain. We received information direct from Kirby Smith's headquarters that their policy now is to harass our communications and cut off our supplies, and they aimed to operate on the White River below Devall's Bluff and on the Lower Arkansas; hence the raid of Shelby. As soon as I learned that he had taken Dardanelle and crossed the river, I dispatched a force down the north side of the Arkansas for the purpose of meeting him. On the force reaching Clarksville, Shelby, who was in the vicinity of Dover, moved hurriedly in the direction of Batesville. My cavalry, being so much inferior to his and he having so much the start, could not overtake him.
The two main forts are on the Texas road, and one on the Van Buren road, and a large lunette mounting three guns in front of the convent, and one lunette with one gun to the left of that, are now about finished, and are strong, excellent works, with the various appurtenances complete, quarters, magazine, water, &c. A line of rifle-pits extends from the Arkansas to the Poteau, with an extensive abatis in front. I can hold the place against the whole of Kirby Smith's army, if I have plenty of supplies. Can you not put on the route from Fort Scott to Gibson a lot of ox-team trains? I most urgently request you to do it. Making Fort Scott a large depot of supplies will certainly be a benefit to Kansas. I will furnish the escorts for the trains.
All is now quiet along the river above and below here.
Very respectfully, yours,
JOHN M. THAYER,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
...
Steele would remain there until word came from Banks, but in the meantime he was running low on supplies, so he sent a force to nearby Washington Ark. to take a supply of corn found there. A force of 1600 was sent to do this, but Sterling Price attacked it on the return at Poison Springs and destroyed it. Among the stores Price's men recovered was 60 wagons loaded with clothing, furniture, food, jewelry and other personal belongings that the federals had looted from civilians in the Washington area. These were returned to their owners. April 18.
The Confederate commander said he recovered about 170 wagons with another 30 burned on the field; captured four guns, and inflicted 650-700 casualties with an estimated 500 dead. He also estimated the Union force at 2500 men. He estimated he had 1800 men engaged.
The Union commander reported he had 1170 men engaged. He had 204 Killed and missing, with another 97 wounded. The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers had 117 killed and 65 wounded ("Many wounded men belonging to the First Kansas Colored Volunteers fell into the hands of the enemy, and I have the most positive assurances from eye-witnesses that they were murdered on the spot"). He said he lost 4 guns and 198 wagons. He estimated the Rebel force at 10,000 men.
I didn't see any mention of jewelry and such. Food and forage are only to be expected, since that was the entire object of the expedition.
Thank you for your efforts and giving the official sources for the action mentioned. It's nice to see all sides of an action or question. It helps to put it all in perspective.
Aren't the OR's online somewhere?
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
Thank you for your efforts and giving the official sources for the action mentioned. It's nice to see all sides of an action or question. It helps to put it all in perspective.
Aren't the OR's online somewhere?
Sincerely,
Unionblue
No problem. Yes, I think the ORs can be found online in more than one place. I have the Army set on CD (a Christmas present a few years back), so it is easier for me to look at that.
__________________ "In this great struggle, this form of Government and every form of human right is endangered if our enemies succeed. There is more involved in this contest than is realized by every one." Abraham Lincoln - August 18, 1864 Speech to the 164th Ohio Regiment
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Gen. Steele at Camden 
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