Key Facts
- Duration
- August 1 – September 14, 1863
- Union force strength
- ~15,000 troops
- Confederate force strength
- ~8,000 troops
- Little Rock abandoned
- September 10, 1863, by 5:00 pm
- Union advance origin
- Helena, Arkansas
Strategic Narrative Overview
Steele's infantry advanced from Helena on August 1, linking with Brigadier General John W. Davidson's cavalry at Clarendon on August 15. Confederate cavalry under Walker and Marmaduke clashed with Davidson at Brownsville and Bayou Meto before falling back. A duel between Confederate generals Walker and Marmaduke on September 6 killed Walker. On September 10, Davidson crossed the Arkansas River, fought the Battle of Bayou Fourche, and Price ordered Little Rock evacuated the same day.
01 / The Origins
By mid-1863, the Union sought to extend its control across the Trans-Mississippi theater and sever Confederate resources in Arkansas. Little Rock, the state capital, was a key strategic objective. Union Major General Frederick Steele was tasked with advancing from Helena westward to capture the city, coordinating infantry and cavalry forces to outmaneuver Confederate defenses commanded by Major General Sterling Price.
03 / The Outcome
Little Rock fell to Union forces on September 10, 1863, with Confederate troops clearing the city by 5:00 pm. The Union subsequently controlled most of Arkansas. Confederate efforts to reverse the situation, including the failed Camden Expedition in March 1864 and Price's Missouri Expedition in late 1864, proved unsuccessful. Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department formally surrendered on June 2, 1865.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Major General Frederick Steele, Brigadier General John W. Davidson.
Side B
1 belligerent
Major General Sterling Price, Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke, Brigadier General Lucius M. Walker, Brigadier General Robert C. Newton.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.