Battle of Bayou Fourche

Dates:

September 10, 1863

Other Names:

Little Rock

Location:

Bayou Fourche, Arkansas

Key Individuals Involved in the Battle of Bayou Fourche:

Union: Brigadier General John W. Davidson
Confederate: Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke

Outcome:

Union Victory. Total casualties unknown 72 Union soldiers; unknown confederate soldiers

Overview of the Battle :

On September 10, 1863, Maj. Gen. Fred Steele, Army of Arkansas commander, sent Brig. Gen. John W. Davidson’s cavalry division across the Arkansas River to move on Little Rock, while he took other troops to attack Confederates entrenched on the north side. In his thrust toward Little Rock, Davidson ran into Confederate troops at Bayou Fourche. Aided by Union artillery fire from the north side of the river, Davidson forced them out of their position and sent them fleeing back to Little Rock, which fell to Union troops that evening. Bayou Fourche sealed Little Rock’s fate. The fall of Little Rock further helped to contain the Confederate Trans-Mississippi theater, isolating it from the rest of the South.
Source: CWSAC Battle Summaries