The 1864
Camden Expedition was part of a two-pronged strategy by the
Union Army to drive
Confederate resistance out of southwestern Arkansas and northern
Louisiana, and penetrated into Confederate
Texas. Union Major General
Frederick Steele led a Union force from
Little Rock on March 23, 1864, with the objective of joining forces with Major General
Nathaniel Prentice Banks at
Shreveport, Louisiana. Confederate forces in Arkansas were directed from
Washington, where the Confederate government of the state relocated after the fall of Little Rock. Confederate Major General
Sterling Price ordered Brigadier General
John S. Marmaduke to harry the Union column and to prevent it from crossing the
Little 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 the
Battle of Elkin's Ferry. The outnumbered Confederates were forced to withdraw, and 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'Ane, a roughly circular area of prairie surrounded by woodlands. General Steele delayed his advance toward Washington until April 9, awaiting the arrival of addition troops from
Fort Smith. The leading edge of Steele's force began skirmishing with Price's force on April 10, and both sides brought up reinforcements, but the Union advance was halted by fighting that lasted into the night. The next day Union forces advance across the prairie in a battle line in the afternoon, but the lateness of the march meant no general engagement took place, and the Union forces ended up returning to their camps. That night Price withdrew most of his force further down the Washington road, leaving a small guard in the entrenchments on the prairie. The Union again advanced on the 12th, prompting this rearguard to also withdraw, with Union cavalry giving chase for a time. At this point, Steele, whose forces were on half-rations, decided it was necessary to resupply his army. Instead of advancing further toward Washington, he turned toward
Camden, a Confederate-held town whose defenses Price had stripped to defend Washington. Price advanced troops in pursuit of the Union army, engaging them in a rearguard skirmish near the hamlet of
Moscow (now part of
Prescott). Due to difficulties resupplying is force while in Camden, Steele ended up withdrawing all the way back to Little Rock. ==Battlefield==