Camden Expedition Sites | |
         | |
  Camden | |
| Location | Clark,Cleveland,Grant,Hempstead,Nevada,Ouachita, andPulaski counties,Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Camden, Arkansas |
| Coordinates | 33°35′04.4″N92°50′03.6″W / 33.584556°N 92.834333°W /33.584556; -92.834333 |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001182 |
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1994 |
TheCamden Expedition Sites is anational historic landmark consisting of nine nationally significant historic places in southwestArkansas where events of theUnion army's disastrousCamden Expedition of 1864 occurred during theAmerican Civil War. The Union was attempting to take overShreveport, Louisiana. Each of the sites are individually listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. It was designated a national historic landmark on April 19, 1994.[1]
TheNational Park Service (NPS) nomination refers to nine sites, yet only eight of them are listed by name.[1] The nomination fully describes the eight sites.[2] The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program website includes theOld U.S. Arsenal inLittle Rock, where the expedition started, in the designation. The photos accompanying the NPS nomination include images of the arsenal as well as the other eight sites.[3]
The Camden Expedition of 1864 was part of a two-pronged strategy by theUnion to driveConfederate resistance from southwestern Arkansas and northernLouisiana, and to penetrate into ConfederateTexas. Major-GeneralFrederick Steele led a Union force fromLittle Rock on March 23, 1864, with the objective of joining forces with Union Major-GeneralNathaniel P. Banks atShreveport, Louisiana.
Confederate forces in Arkansas were directed fromWashington, Arkansas, where the state Confederate government had relocated after the fall of Little Rock to the Union. Confederate Major-GeneralSterling Price ordered Brigadier GeneralJohn S. Marmaduke to harry the Union column and to prevent it from crossing theLittle Missouri River as it moved toward Washington. Advance Union forces established a beachhead on the south side of the Little Missouri on April 3, and clashed with Confederate defenders in theBattle of Elkin's Ferry. The outnumbered Confederates were forced to withdraw. General 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'Âne, a roughly circular area of prairie surrounded by woodlands.[2]
After waiting for the arrival of reinforcements, General Steele advanced on April 9, but was stopped in theBattle of Prairie D'Ane, a series of encounters that ended on April 12. Steele withdrew toCamden in order to resupply his army, which was then on half-rations. Price had stripped Camden of personnel in order to defend Washington, and the Union forces occupied the city facing no significant opposition. Operations to resupply the Union army at Camden were frustrated by theBattle of Poison Spring (April 18) and theBattle of Marks' Mills (April 25). The latter battle was particularly devastating, as the Confederates captured most of the supply column, numbering some 1,400 troops and more than 200 supply wagons. Steele abandoned Camden and retreated toward Little Rock. The pursuing Confederate forces caught up with him at Jenkins' Ferry, where they foughta largely indecisive but bloody battle on April 30.[2]
The Camden Expedition sites are in seven Arkansas counties:
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help) andAccompanying 62 photos, from 1992-1993: Old U.S. Arsenal (6 photos), Confederate State Capitol (5 photos), Prairie de Ann Battlefield (7 photos), Jenkins' Ferry Battlefield (4 photos), Marks' Mills Battlefield (10 photos), Fort Southerland (5 photos), Poison Spring Battlefield (7 photos), Fort Lookout (9 photos), Elkin's Ferry Battlefield (9 photos) (16.2 MB)
Articles related to Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
