Thayer's Route from Fort Smith

[Frank Watson]

Does anybody know the route Thayer's Frontier Division took from Fort Smith to join Steele at Arkadelphia?

I've looked through the OR and can find several references to him changing his route from the original, but nothing on what either route was, except that he eventually arrives around Rockport. (The quartermaster justifiably complains Thayer has brought 300 wagons with him for his three brigades.)

 

[1stMS-Arty]

I don't know exactly but here is a link to a period Federal map at LOC....

It appears to show roads.

https://www.loc.gov/item/99447188/

 

[Frank Watson]

I don't know exactly but here is a link to a period Federal map at LOC....

It appears to show roads.

https://www.loc.gov/item/99447188/

We're thinking alike. I looked at the same map this morning, but I can't figure out the two different routes he could have taken -- and there aren't that many roads to choose from back then.

 

[1stMS-Arty]

I've been looking through the OR's and can't find anything other than he changed his route which caused Steele's messengers not to be able to communicate with him...

One of the other things that I wonder about is Steele mentions sending and receiving messages from Banks on the Red River and my question is how? If it was done by riders they would have been entirely in enemy territory most of the time and if it was done by water it would have had to be through the Mississippi and Red Rivers...by dispatch boat and then overland to find commanders in the field...which certainly would take several days to accomplish...

 

[Frank Watson]

I've been looking through the OR's and can't find anything other than he changed his route which caused Steele's messengers not to be able to communicate with him...

Yeah, that's when I came here.

I have assumed Banks and Steele communicated by boat. When Banks moved upriver Confederate cavalry (Crawford's regiment?) still held Monticello, Arkansas, and Dockery's brigade was at Mt. Elba, AR. Polignac's infantry brigade was at Trinity, La and there was cavalry in Monroe (and I would suppose other folks around). I doubt you send a dispatch rider with your communications through that (but what do I know?).

 

[1stMS-Arty]

Yeah, that's when I came here.

I have assumed Banks and Steele communicated by boat. When Banks moved upriver Confederate cavalry (Crawford's regiment?) still held Monticello, Arkansas, and Dockery's brigade was at Mt. Elba, AR. Polignac's infantry brigade was at Trinity, La and there was cavalry in Monroe (and I would suppose other folks around). I doubt you send a dispatch rider with your communications through that (but what do I know?).

True...it must have been by boat.

 

[5fish]

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=7612

Thayer was given command of the District of the Frontier on February 22, 1864, and made his headquarters at Fort Smith (Sebastian County). Less than one month later, Thayer was ordered by Steele, now commander of the Department of Arkansas, to join him at Arkadelphia (Clark County) on April 1. Part of the Red River Campaign, this push was called the Camden Expedition and was designed to help a Federal force on the Red River in Louisiana capture Shreveport, Louisiana.

Thayer and his command did not meet Steele and his men until several days after the April 1 deadline and were almost out of food by that time. Thayer's command, known as the Frontier Division, participated in the remainder of the expedition, fighting at Prairie D'Ane, Poison Spring, and Jenkins' Ferry.

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=3005

A military road from what I know is a road the army makes itself while on the march through woods...

Waiting three days in Arkadelphia for Thayer, Steele continued southwest without him on April 1. Using the Military Road to march toward the new state capital at Washington (Hempstead County), Federal troops reached the Little Missouri River on April 3. With provisions dwindling, no contact from Thayer, and a growing Confederate force in his front, continuing to Shreveport appeared doubtful. Undeterred, Steele marched forward, searching for a better tactical position and hoping to find Thayer. Flanking the Confederates off the riverbank on the Little Missouri via Elkins's Ford and continuing forward, Steele made contact with Thayer on April 5. Since leaving Little Rock, Steele's men had been on half rations, and Thayer's force further stressed the supplies. Continuing to Shreveport appeared impossible. Viewing the map, Steele saw an opportunity in Price's position. Believing Steele's objective was Washington, Price had his men working on a trap at Prairie D'Ane, placing most of the Confederates in the region across Steele's front. On April 10, Steele shoved Price southward at Prairie D'Ane, opening the Washington-Camden Road to the east. Thinking Federal troops were falling for the trap, Price did not fully suspect the possibilities of Steele's directional shift and failed to block it. Using the Washington-Camden Road, on April 16, Federal troops easily seized the fortified town of Camden (Ouachita County), where Steele believed he could resupply his army before continuing south to support Banks.

 

[Frank Watson]

I'm pretty sure the military road they're talking about there is the road from SE Missouri through Little Rock to Texas that dated from the 1830s or 40s.

 

[5fish]

Little Rock to Texas

On April 6th Thayer was in Hot Springs... This should help you...

file:///C:/Users/DavidandSharon/Downloads/Red_River_Campaign.pdf

On April 6, the Yanks finally received word of the approach of Thayer's column from Hot Springs, and Steele decided to await their arrival on the Cornelius farm, a short distance south of the Little Missouri. A heavy rain fell that evening, flooding the bottomlands and washing away bridges. Working parties were sent to repair the damage and construct a new pontoon bridge across the Little Missouri in preparation for the passage of Thayer's wagon train. By the time Thayer's Frontier Division arrived on April 9, the troops were destitute of supplies, while Steele's decision to delay his advance by three days had further diminished the Union rations; the Federals no longer had sufficient supplies to carry them to Shreveport, and Steele was forced to send word to Little Rock to dispatch a supply train with 30 days' half-rations for 15,000 men. The arrival of Thayer's column increased Steele's effective fighting force to 10,400.x

This is an interesting find...

https://books.google.com/books?id=t...meets General Steel on April 5th 1864&f=false

 

[Frank Watson]

Interesting looking book. "The Reluctant Cannoneer." I haven't run across it before.

 

[Frank Watson]

From Edwin C. Bearss, "Federal Generals Squabble over Fort Smith" from Arkansas Historical Quarterly summer 1970.

"Having learned from his scouts that the countryside to beyond Waldron was stripped of forage, Thayer had determined to march by way of Booneville, Mt. Ida and Caddo Gap. Though this route was longer, it was one on which his animals could be guaranteed a supply of corn."

But this doesn't make 100% sense, because O. R. says that Thayer comes out of the mountains at Rockport, near Hot Springs, quite a distance in Steele's rear. Ed Bearss included a map that seems to show Thayer going straight from Caddo Gap to Arkadelphia, which would be many miles shorter than going Caddo Gap to Rockport.

Bearss could be wrong because he's not focusing on Thayer or the Camden Expedition, he's writing, as the title says, about Curtis / Blung vs Thayer / Steele in a tantrum over Fort Smith. I'm guessing that's his original route but he changes on the way which is why Steele's folks can't find him.

Map resolution is bad. That's how it downloaded from JSTOR.

 

[5fish]

But this doesn't make 100% sense, because O. R. says that Thayer comes out of the mountains at Rockport, near Hot Springs, quite a distance in Steele's rear. Ed Bearss included a map that seems to show Thayer going straight from Caddo Gap to Arkadelphia, which would be many miles shorter than going Caddo Gap to Rockport.

I suggest look at the Dates: Thayer makes contact with Steel on April 6th but does not catch up with Steel until April 9th. Where would Thayer have to be located to be three march from Steel's location?

 

[Frank Watson]

Ok, I finally have my own answer from piecing things together.

Bearss says Thayer went Booneville to Mt. Ida to Caddo Gap to Arkadelphia, but we know he didn't do that -- he went to Hot Springs / Rockport.

Steele says Thayer changed his route so his messengers couldn't find him and that his new route was 12 miles longer.

Route 1: Thayer originally wants to go directly through Waldron, across the Ouachita Mtns and through Caddo gap. This is the shortest route. He learns there is no forage along that route so he changes to Route 2 (before his departure).

Route 2: Thayer starts on the route Ft. Smith Booneville, Danville, Mt. Ida, right to Caddo Gap and to Arkadelphia. En route, he changes his mind a second time, whether for better forage, or better plunder along Route 3. Bearss did not know of the change and recounted his proposed route 1 in 1970.

Route 3: Instead of turning right at Mt. Ida and going through Caddo Gap, Thayer turns left and goes to Hot Springs and meets Steele's rear area forces at Rockport. This looks somewhat longer than Route 2 and might seem to justify the comment "12 mles longer" in the OR, although I haven't taken a string and measured it on the maps.

 

[Aconfed]

Does anybody know the route Thayer's Frontier Division took from Fort Smith to join Steele at Arkadelphia?

I've looked through the OR and can find several references to him changing his route from the original, but nothing on what either route was, except that he eventually arrives around Rockport. (The quartermaster justifiably complains Thayer has brought 300 wagons with him for his three brigades.)

I am familiar with it and it did veer more east and skirt north and east of Hot Springs...I know where two of their camps were on Saline River. There is an account, day by day, in a diary that lists their camps but now I have lost contact with the person that has that info. If I ever find it will pass it on as I am sure it will give how they traveled in order to link up with Steele.