58 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



two steamboats placed side by side, with 

 their bows Inshed firmly together. "A plank 

 bridge was theu laid across the bows of each, 

 connecting them together, and forming a solid 

 bridge across the stream, which was no sooner 

 finished than it was covered with teams, and 

 there was a constant stream of wagons, caval- 

 ,ry, and men, until the night of the 20th, when 

 the last of Gen. Smith's division crossed over, 

 and the bridge in five minntes was endowed 

 with life, and broke into fragments and pro- 

 ceeded up the river." 



Thence the army proceeded toward the Mis- 

 ^issippi, encountering on the way a considera- 

 ble force of the enemy, with whom a sharp 

 skirmish ensued. It finally returned to Xew 

 Orleans, and the fleet resumed its station on 

 the Mississippi. This withdrawal of Gen. Banks 

 left the enemy at liberty to move into Arkan- 

 sas and operate against Gen. Steele, Avho was 

 moving toward Shreveport. 



It was expected that Gen. Steele, in com- 

 mand of the 7th army corps, at Little 

 Rock, in Arkansas, would cooperate with Gen. 

 Banks on his approach to Shreveport. Tor 

 this purpose he left Little Rock, March 23d, 

 with twelve thousand infantry and three thou- 

 sand cavalry, under Gen. Carr. On the previ- 

 ous day Gen. Thayer, in command of the Army 

 of the Frontier, left Fort Smith, with nearly 

 five thousand men, to join Gen. Steele. About 

 the same time Col. Clayton, with a small force, 

 left Pine Bluffs on an expedition. Camden was 

 the point of junction for the three commands. 

 It was 120 miles distant from Little Rock, 

 about 180 miles from Fort Smith, and 80 miles 

 from Pine Bluffs. 



It was known that a force of the enemy, 

 about twelve thousand men, under command 

 of Gen. Price, was in southwestern Arkansas, 

 and occupied a line from Camden, at the head 

 of navigation on the Washita River, west to 

 Washington, in Hampstead County. Camden 

 is an important position for all movements look- 

 ing to the occupation of the Red River and con- 

 fluent streams. Forage and subsistence were 

 abundant in the region, and the army of the 

 enemy Avas well clothed and in goo'd spirits. 



Camden was known to be well fortified. 

 Gen. Steele, therefore, directed his march tow- 

 ard Washington, evidently with the design of 

 flanking Camden and drawing out of the forti- 

 fications what forces might be there. On the 

 14th of April, having advanced one hundred 

 and ten miles in twenty -two days, he first en- 

 countered a strong cavalry division under Gen. 

 Marmaduke. This was at the Little Missouri 

 River, sixteen miles west of Camden. Heavy 

 skirmishing ensued. On the 16th Gen. Thayer 

 arrived with his force. Crossing the Little 

 Missouri at a point menacing Shreveport, Wash- 

 ington, or Camden, Gen. Steele concealed the 

 red destination of the expedition, which was 

 Camden, and marched beyond the junction of 

 tl\v roads, thus deluding the enemy into the be- 

 lief that he intended to attack Shreveport. Act- 



ing upon this c pinion, they withdrew and tocrt 

 a fortified position. From this they were driv- 

 en by a flank movement of Gen. Steele, whj 

 pursued, _ apparently with vigor, and captured 

 some prisoners, and then ii.oving in a direct 

 line to Camden. The enemy, having discovered 

 his error, concentrated his cavalry, and attack 

 ed in front, flank, and rear, hoping to embarrass 

 Gen. Steele, so that his own infantry might 

 have time to regain the works at Camden. 

 Their efforts were in vain, and Gen. Steelo 

 took possession of the town. 



Col. Clayton, in advancing from Pine Bluffs, 

 captured a pontoon bridge over the Saline, and 

 attacked and dispersed a cavalry force and took 

 a number of prisoners. He thus reported his 

 movement : 



PINE BLTFF, AEK., March 31, 1864. 

 Major Greene, A. A. Gen. : 



r lhe expedition to Mount Elba and Longview hag 

 just returned. We destroyed the pontoon bridge at 

 Longview; burned a train of thirty-five wagons, 

 loaded with camp and garrison equipments, ammu- 

 nition, quartermaster stores, &c. ; captured three 

 hundred and twenty prisoners ; engaged in battle at 

 Mount Elba, yesterday morning, Gen. Docking's di- 

 vision, of about twelve hundred men, from Monticel- 

 lo ; routed him, and pursued him ten miles, with a 

 loss on his side of over one hundred killed and 

 wounded ; captured a large quantity of small arms, 

 two stands of colors, many wagons, and over three 

 hundred horses and mules. Our loss will not exceed 

 fifteen in killed, wounded, and missing. We brought 

 in several hundred contrabands. The expedition 

 was a complete success, the details of which will be 

 furnished in my official report, which will be for- 

 warded in a few days. 



POWELL CLAYTOX, Col. Commanding. 



It was soon known that Gen. Banks had fail- 

 ed in his object on the Red River. This, to 

 some extent, endangered the command of Gen. 

 Steele. The force bf the enemy, estimated to 

 reach twenty-five thousand men, could now, in 

 part, be moved against Gen. Steele. As it was 

 not his plan to act alone, but in conjunction 

 with Gen. Banks, he now prepared to fall back. 

 In addition to these circumstances, iis commu- 

 nications were interrupted and Little Rock 

 threatened. On the day following the occupa- 

 tion of Camden, the enemy appeared in force 

 about six miles to the south. A pontoon bridge 

 was put across the Washita River thirty miles 

 east of Camden, -by which a force of the ene- 

 my's cavalry crossed and cut off the supplies. 

 Trees were also felled into the stream, and oth- 

 er obstructions made to the navigation. On 

 the 21st, a foraging party, with one hundred 

 and fifty wagons and an escort of nearly a 

 thousand men, were sent to a point sixteen 

 miles west. On the return, at Poison Springs. 

 twelve miles west of Camden, the command 

 was attacked by a strong force of the enemy. 

 After a severe struggle of some hours, the force 

 reached Camden, with a loss of two hundred 

 and fifty men, four guns, and the trains, with a 

 number of arms. 



On the 23d Gen. Steele started a train of 

 two hundred and fifty wagons, six ambulances, 

 and an escort of two hundred cavalry and 



