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47-578: Arkansas The Camden Expedition (March 23 – May 3, 1864) was the final campaign conducted by the Union Army in south Arkansas during the Civil War . The offensive was designed to cooperate with Major-General Nathaniel P. Banks ' movement against Shreveport . The U.S. War Department , under the direction of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton , had developed a very strategic goal to reassert Union control over Arkansas, Louisiana , and Texas . This

94-445: A pontoon bridge . Smith's Confederates arrived at Jenkins' Ferry on April 30 and repeatedly attacked the retreating Federals in windy and rainy conditions. Steele repulsed the attacks and finally crossed with what was left of his force, destroying the bridge to prevent Smith from following. He was compelled to abandon most of his remaining supply wagons in the swamp north of the river. A badly chagrined Steele finally reached his base at

141-555: A 1,200-man foraging party to gather corn that the Confederates had stored about twenty miles away. After loading the corn into over 200 wagons and proceeding about 5 miles on April 18, Col. James M. Williams 's party was savagely attacked by Marmaduke's and Brig. Gen. Samuel B. Maxey 's Confederates at the Poison Spring . Williams was forced to retreat northward into a marsh, where his men finally regrouped and fell back to Camden, minus

188-416: A combined services campaign conducted by land , naval , air , cyber, and space forces. 2. The purpose of a military campaign is to achieve a particular desired resolution of a military conflict as its strategic goal . This is constrained by resources, geography and/or season. A campaign is measured relative to the technology used by the belligerents to achieve goals, and while in the pre-industrial Europe

235-601: A cost, however. Resources might have been used more effectively against Porter and Banks while the Union fleet was delayed due to low water on the Red River. Instead, Porter's fleet was able to escape nearly intact. Nine nationally significant historic places in Clark , Cleveland , Grant , Hempstead , Nevada , Ouachita , and Pulaski counties, where events of the Union army's disastrous Camden Expedition occurred, are individually listed on

282-460: A navigable waterway from Camden, Arkansas to Jonesville, Louisiana , and when completed in 1924 included six locks and dams that were 84 feet wide and 600 feet in length, having from 3 to 5 tainter gates . Including the Black River the total navigable length is 351 miles. The Ouachita-Black Rivers Navigation Project has less than a million tons of shipping annually which has the likely prospect of

329-575: A part of the U.S. and the Dunbar and Hunter Expedition was commissioned to explore Arkansas which included the length of the Ouachita River from the mouth to Hot Springs . The Ouachita River was a route used in the Trail of Tears . Native Americans were transported along the river to Camden, Arkansas and from there they walked the rest of the way to Oklahoma . The river was an important factor in settling

376-582: A reservoir created by the Ouachita and Black River Project, just north of the Louisiana state line. The Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the Ouachita from the Saline River to Lake Jack Lee's mouth. Below Lake Jack Lee, the Ouachita continues south into Louisiana. The river flows generally south through the state, collecting the tributary waters of Bayou Bartholomew , Bayou de Loutre, Bayou d'Arbonne,

423-424: A single, specific, strategic objective or result in the war. A campaign may include a single battle, but more often it comprises a number of battles over a protracted period of time or a considerable distance, but within a single theatre of operations or delimited area. A campaign may last only a few weeks, but usually lasts several months or even a year". In premodern times, campaigns were usually interrupted during

470-483: A small guard force. Clayton divided his forces and sent part to establish a blocking position to the west near Marks Mill. One hundred picked men under Lieutenants Greathouse and Young were then dispatched to destroy the Confederate pontoon bridge at Longview. On March 29, the lieutenants surprised and captured approximately 250 soldiers belonging to Brig. Gen. Thomas P. Dockery 's brigade at Longview. Confederate forces in

517-678: A state in 1836. Steamboats operated on the Red River to Shreveport , Louisiana. In April 1815, Captain Henry Miller Shreve was the first person to bring a steamboat, the Enterprise, up the Red River. During the 1830s, farmers cultivated land for large cotton plantations; dependent on slave labor, cotton production supported new planter wealth in the ante-bellum years. Steamboats ran scheduled trips between Camden, Arkansas and New Orleans . A person could travel from any eastern city to

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564-725: Is a Choctaw phrase meaning "hunt big" or "good hunting grounds". Before the rise of the historic tribes, their indigenous ancestors had lived along the river for thousands of years. In the Lower Mississippi Valley, they began building monumental earthwork mounds in the Middle Archaic period (6000–2000 BC in Louisiana). The earliest construction was Watson Brake , an 11-mound complex built about 3500 BC by hunter gatherers in present-day Louisiana. The discovery and dating of several such early sites in northern Louisiana has changed

611-461: Is the French invasion of Russia by Napoleon (24 June – 14 December 1812). Therefore, army commanders sought to take into account the need to return their troops to their winter quarters, or establish new winter quarters in a secure location, well before the winter set in, so as to not leave their soldiers vulnerable to the enemy nor the elements. The success of a military campaign is evaluated based on

658-635: The Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana . It is the 25th-longest river in the United States (by main stem) . The Ouachita River begins in the Ouachita Mountains near Mena, Arkansas . It flows east into Lake Ouachita , a reservoir created by Blakely Mountain Dam. The North Fork and South Fork of the Ouachita flow into Lake Ouachita to join the main stream. Portions of the river in this region flow through

705-752: The Boeuf River , and the Tensas River . The Ouachita has five locks and dams along its length, located at Camden , Calion , and Felsenthal, Arkansas , and in Columbia and Jonesville, Louisiana . The river below the junction with the Tensas at 31°16′22″N 91°50′01″W  /  31.27278°N 91.83361°W  / 31.27278; -91.83361 is called the Black River and flows for 41.6 miles (66.9 km) in Catahoula and Concordia parishes until it joins

752-555: The Little Missouri as it moved toward Washington. As a supporting effort, to help fix Confederate forces at Monticello, Arkansas , prevent them from opposing Steele's march to Camden, Arkansas , Col. Powell Clayton conducted a raid on Longview, Arkansas, a port on the Saline , southwest of Monticello. Clayton's cavalry force crossed the Saline at Mount Elba, Arkansas, after sweeping aside

799-518: The Little Rock Arsenal on March 23, 1864, with the objective of joining forces with Maj. Gen. Banks at Shreveport . Confederate forces in Arkansas were directed from Washington , where the Confederate government of the state relocated after the fall of Little Rock . Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price ordered Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke to harry the Union column and to prevent it from crossing

846-501: The Ouachita National Forest . From the lake, the Ouachita flows south into Lake Hamilton , a reservoir created by Carpenter Dam, named after Flavius Josephus Carpenter . The city of Hot Springs lies on the north side of Lake Hamilton. Another reservoir, Lake Catherine , impounds the Ouachita just below Lake Hamilton. Below Lake Catherine, the river flows free through most of the rest of Arkansas. Just below Lake Catherine,

893-702: The Red River , which flows into both the Atchafalaya River and the Mississippi River, via the Old River Control Structure . The river is named for the Native American Ouachita tribe , one of several historic tribes who lived along it. Others included the Caddo , Osage Nation , Tensa , Chickasaw , and Choctaw . The historian Muriel Hazel Wright suggested that word Ouachita owa chito

940-409: The U.S. National Register of Historic Places . They were collectively designated a national historic landmark on April 19, 1994. Military campaign 1. A military campaign denotes the time during which a given military force conducts combat operations in a given area (often referred to as AO, area of operation ). A military campaign may be executed by either a single Armed Service , or as

987-533: The 'campaigning season' into winter in an attempt to catch the enemy off-guard. For example, in the Flanders campaign , French general Jean-Charles Pichegru unexpectedly crossed the frozen Great Rivers during the harsh winter of 1794–95, and conquered the Dutch Republic . But ill-prepared winter campaigns often had disastrous consequences due to high mortality amongst the soldiers; the most notorious example of this

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1034-570: The Little Rock Arsenal on May 3. The Camden Expedition was perhaps the greatest Federal military disaster in Arkansas throughout the war. Union forces suffered over 2,500 casualties, lost hundreds of wagons and failed to take Shreveport or Texas. Confederate forces freely roamed rural Arkansas, while the Federals stayed in their fortifications at Fort Smith , Pine Bluff, Helena , and Little Rock. Confederate success in Arkansas did not come without

1081-402: The Ouachita River without touching land, except to transfer from one steamboat to another. Trade using steamboats on the Ouachita River became an important part of the local economy and supported many of the communities along the river. In the late 1830s, the steamboats in rivers on the west side of the Mississippi River were a long, wide, shallow draft vessel, lightly built with an engine on

1128-470: The Union forces as they were trying to cross the river. The Federals were able to fend off both of these attacks and then cross the river. The outnumbered Confederates were forced to withdraw, and Maj. Gen. Price established a defensive position, lightly fortified by earthworks, on the road between Elkin's Ferry and Washington at the western edge of the sparsely-populated Prairie d'Ane, a roughly circular area of prairie surrounded by woodlands. After waiting for

1175-451: The area were now alerted to the presence of Clayton's raiders in the area and attempted to cut off Clayton's command by attacking their bridgehead at Mount Elba on March 30, 1864. Clayton was successful in re-crossing the Saline, defeating Confederate forces at the Battle of Mount Elba and returned to Pine Bluff, Arkansas , with over 260 prisoners. The first Union actions of the Union expedition

1222-568: The areas along the Ouachita Rivers along with many other rivers. In February 1932, the Ouachita River rose 1.5 feet higher than the May 4, 1927 flood. The annual high water mark on river gage readings were 48.6 in 1927 and 49.7 in 1932. The Ouachita River reached flood stage crest with a river gauge reading at Camden, Arkansas of 43.08 feet on May 17, 1968. The Ouachita River reached flood stage crest at 85.43 feet above sea level, about 20 feet above

1269-447: The arrival of reinforcements, Maj. Gen. Steele advanced on April 9, but was stopped at Prairie D'Ane , a series of encounters that ended on April 12. Price's Confederates returned to Prairie D'Ane on April 13, falling upon Steele's rearguard under Thayer. After a four-hour battle, Price disengaged, and Steele's column continued to Camden. Steele made a feint toward Washington, but then withdrew to Camden, in order to resupply his army, which

1316-519: The country's elaborate river steamboat network made it desirable. One of the investors from the east was Meriwether Lewis Randolph, the youngest grandson of Thomas Jefferson . He was building a home on the Ouachita River in what is now Clark County, Arkansas , when he died of malaria in 1837. He had been appointed Secretary of the Arkansas Territory by President Andrew Jackson in 1835, and had relinquished his commission when Arkansas became

1363-413: The deck. These newer steamboats could sail in just 20 inches of water. Contemporaries claimed that they could "run with a lot of heavy dew". In 1881 a snagboat was employed on the river and a boat for dredging in the shoals to the amount of $ 141,879.24. Earlier plans had called for the construction of locks and dams. A 337-mile-long "Ouachita–Black Rivers Navigation Project" began in 1902, to create

1410-445: The degree of achievement of planned goals and objectives through combat and noncombat operations. That is determined when one of the belligerent military forces defeats the opposing military force within the constraints of the planned resource, time and cost allocations. The manner in which a force terminates its operations often influences the public perception of the campaign's success. A campaign may end in conquest, and be followed by

1457-587: The fish for food. Fishing for rainbow trout is popular in the tailwaters of Lakes Ouachita, Hamilton and Catherine in and around Hot Springs, Arkansas . The river is commercially navigable from Camden, Arkansas , to its terminal point in Jonesville in Catahoula Parish in eastern Louisiana. Upstream of Camden, the river receives substantial recreational use. The Ouachita is lined for most of its length with deep woods, including substantial wetlands . It has

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1504-435: The future withdrawal of federal support. The project's system of dams and locks enhances the river's recreational use and regional water supply. The Ouachita River reached a historic flood stage crest with a river gauge reading at Camden, Arkansas of 46 feet on May 12, 1882. In Monroe, Louisiana during a flood on May 4, 1927 the high water mark on river gage reading was 48.6 feet. Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 flooded

1551-565: The hands of another speculator, former Vice President Aaron Burr . He saw potential for big profits in the event of a war with Spain following the Louisiana Purchase . Burr and many of his associates were arrested for treason, before their band of armed settlers reached the Ouachita. During the 1830s, the Ouachita River Valley attracted land speculators from New York and southeastern cities. Its rich soil and accessibility due to

1598-424: The late 20th century the metaphor of a quagmire was often applied, and " frozen conflict " in the 21st. Such a situation may arise of various factors such as: Ouachita River The Ouachita River ( / ˈ w ɑː ʃ ɪ t ɑː / WAH -shi-taw ) is a 605-mile-long (974 km) river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana , joining the Tensas River to form

1645-618: The normal water level of 65 feet at the Felsenthal lock and dam on March 11, 2018. The highest water level ever recorded at Felsenthal was 88.3 feet in 1945. The river continues to be utilized for commercial navigation on a smaller scale than during its " steamboat " days. It is fed by numerous small creeks containing endemic native fish such as killifish . Fishing remains popular in the river for black bass , white bass , bream , freshwater drum , and gar . Concerns about airborne mercury contamination in some areas discourage consumption of

1692-500: The region because it provided access to larger markets for cotton and other goods. Nowadays the river still transports goods however to a lesser extent than before and many of its natural areas are preserved. During the late 1700s, when the area was controlled by the Spanish and French, the river served as a route for early colonists, and for land speculators such as the self-styled Baron de Bastrop . The "Bastrop lands" later passed into

1739-597: The river bends south near Malvern , and collects the Caddo River near Arkadelphia . Downstream, the Little Missouri River joins the Ouachita. After passing the city of Camden , shortly downstream from where dredging for navigational purposes begins, the river collects the waters of Smackover Creek and later the Ouachita's main tributary, the Saline River . South of the Saline, the Ouachita flows into Lake Jack Lee,

1786-516: The traditional model, which associated mound building with sedentary, agricultural societies, but these cultures did not develop for thousands of years. The largest such prehistoric mound was destroyed in the 20th century during construction of a bridge at Jonesville, Louisiana . Likely built by the Mississippian culture , which rose about 1000 AD on the Mississippi and its tributaries, this mound

1833-473: The transition of military authority to a civil authority and the redeployment of forces, or a permanent installation of a military authority in the occupied area. Military campaigns, inside and outside defined wars, may exceed the original or even revised planning parameters of scope, time and cost. Such stalled campaigns, for example the western front in World War I, were formerly called " stalemates " but in

1880-448: The wagonloads of much needed corn. Steele was relieved on April 20 when a wagon train arrived from Pine Bluff with welcome supplies. One week later, the Battle of Marks' Mills resulted in the capture of 2,000 more of Steele's men and many more wagons. Steele decided to abandon Camden under the cover of darkness and retreated to Little Rock on April 26. Three days later, he reached the Saline River at Jenkins' Ferry and began constructing

1927-468: The winter season, during which the soldiers retreated into the winter quarters (or 'cantonments') to get through the coldest months with warmth and protection. For example, the ancient Romans had easily movable castra aestiva ('summer quarters', with leather tents) but more stationary castra hibera ('winter quarters', with wooden barracks). In favourable weather and with proper equipment and supplies, however, military campaigns could be extended from

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1974-640: Was a complete success, but the rest of the expedition would not go as planned. Steele's route was through a thinly populated wilderness with little provisions. He hoped to occupy Camden, a port city on the Ouachita to re-supply. As all the bridges on the Little Missouri were impassable, the Union troops had to ford the muddy river. Steele's men reached Elkin's Ferry before the Confederates, but on April 3, they were attacked by Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby 's cavalry. The following day, Marmaduke's cavalry also attacked

2021-745: Was part of a much larger effort to move simultaneously against Confederate forces in a number of theaters. Separate Union columns were to destroy the remaining Confederate troops in south Arkansas and northern Louisiana, then join for an all-out push into Texas, essentially ending the war in that region. The Arkansas phase of this Red River Campaign was entitled the Camden Expedition, an effort endorsed by Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant . The plan called for Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele 's force to march to Shreveport, Louisiana , where it would link up with an amphibious expedition led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Rear Admiral David D. Porter , whose force

2068-401: Was reported in use as late as 1540 by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto . On his expedition through this area, he encountered Indians occupying the site. A lightning strike destroyed the temple on the mound that year, which was seen as a bad omen by the tribe. They never rebuilt the temple, and were recorded as abandoning the site in 1736. After the Louisiana purchase, Arkansas became

2115-563: Was then on half-rations. Price had stripped Camden of personnel in order to defend Washington, and the Union forces occupied the city on April 15 against no significant opposition, but found no supplies awaiting him. After a two-day wait, Maj. Gen. Steele sent out foraging parties into the countryside and awaited news from Banks. However, Banks was in retreat, having been defeated at the Battle of Mansfield , and now more of Smith's forces were heading into Arkansas to intercept Steele. Dwindling supplies for his army at Camden forced Steele to send out

2162-515: Was to advance up the Red River Valley; once joined, the Union force was to strike into Texas . Steele would garrison Shreveport while Banks forged ahead into northeastern Texas. But the two pincers never converged, and Steele's columns suffered terrible losses in a series of battles with Confederate forces led by Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and Gen. E. Kirby Smith . Steele led a combined 8,500-man Union force of infantry, artillery and cavalry from

2209-411: Was understood to be that between the planting (late spring) and harvest times (late autumn), it has been shortened during the post-industrial period to a few weeks. However, due to the nature of campaign goals, usually campaigns last several months, or up to a year as defined by Trevor N. Dupuy . "A campaign is a phase of a war involving a series of operations related in time and space and aimed towards

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