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III. Steele's Dilemma
Frederick Steele had been born in the state of New York in 1819 and graduated from the military academy of West Point in 1843. He served bravely in the Mexican-American War and the Yuma War but quickly rose through the ranks after the beginning of the Civil War. He was promoted to major general of vulunteers in march 1863 and invaded Confederate-held Arkansas in the late summer of the same year. In September 1863 Steele skillfully outmaneuvered Sterlin Price and captured Little Rock with his Army of Arkansas. Subsequently he was given command of the VII Corps in the Department of Arkansas.
During the military operation in late march 1864 styled the 'Camden Expedition', Steele was obliged to march to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he would link up with an amphibious expedition led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Rear Admiral David D. Porter, whose force was to advance up the Red River Valley; once joined, the Union force was to strike into Texas. Steele was expected to garrison Shreveport while Banks would forge ahead into northeastern Texas. The Union army clashed with Confederate troops under Kirby Smith and Price at Mount Elba, Elkin's Ferry, Prairie D'Ane, Poison Spring and Marks' Mills and suffered terrible losses. At the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry however Steele was able to extradite the remains of his army via a pontoon bridge across the Saline River. After having lost most of his supply wagons and over 2,500 men, he returned to Little Rock on May 3rd without ever coming close to reaching Shreveport or the state of Texas.
Steele's command was in a miserable condition, low on supplies, morale and human resources. In and around Little Rock he was only able to muster about 10,400 men and three batteries of artillery.
His army fielded six brigades of infantry in two divisions under Brigadier-Generals Frederick C. Salomon and John M. Thayer as well as three brigades of cavalry commanded by Brigadier-General Eugene A. Carr.
These were the troops that formed the only obstacle on Sterling Price's way towards Missouri. Now, as Steele heard of the Confederate advance on June 29th, 1864, he was faced with a dilemma: Should he meet his old adversary Price in the field or settle down to be besieged?
VII. Corps, Department of Arkansas, Major-General Frederick Steele
3rd Division, Brigadier-General Frederick C. Salomon, 3.700 men
1st Brigade, Colonel Charles E. Salomon, 1.700 men
50th Indiana, 29th, 33rd Iowa, 9th Wisconsin Infantry
2nd Brigade, Colonel Wiliam E. McLean, 1.100 men
43rd Indiana, 36th Iowa, 77th Ohio Infantry
3rd Brigade, Colonel Adolph Engelmann, 900 men
43rd Illinois, 40th Iowa, 27th Wisconsin Infantry
Frontier Division, Brigadier-General John M. Thayer, 3.400 men
1st Brigade, Colonel John Edwards, 1.100 men
1st, 2nd Arkansas, 18th Iowa Infantry
2nd Brigade, Colonel Charles W. Adams, 1.200 men
1st, 2nd Kansas (Colored), 12th Kansas Infantry
3rd Brigade, Colonel Owen Bassett, 1.100 men
2nd, 6th, 14th Kansas Cavalry
Cavalry Division, Brigadier-General Eugene A. Carr, 3.300 men
1st Brigade, Colonel John F. Ritter, 800 men
1st, 2nd Missouri Cavalry
3rd Brigade, Colonel Daniel Anderson, 1.000 men
10th Illinois, 1st Iowa, 3rd Missouri Cavalry
Independent Brigade, Colonel Powell Clayton, 1.500 men
1st Indiana, 5th Kansas, 7th Missouri Cavalry, 18th Illinois, 28th Wisconsin Infantry
III. Steele's Dilemma:
Frederick Steele had been born in the state of New York in 1819 and graduated from the military academy of West Point in 1843. He served bravely in the Mexican-American War and the Yuma War but quickly rose through the ranks after the beginning of the Civil War. He was promoted to major general of vulunteers in march 1863 and invaded Confederate-held Arkansas in the late summer of the same year. In September 1863 Steele skillfully outmaneuvered Sterlin Price and captured Little Rock with his Army of Arkansas. Subsequently he was given command of the VII Corps in the Department of Arkansas.
During the military operation in late march 1864 styled the 'Camden Expedition', Steele was obliged to march to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he would link up with an amphibious expedition led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Rear Admiral David D. Porter, whose force was to advance up the Red River Valley; once joined, the Union force was to strike into Texas. Steele was expected to garrison Shreveport while Banks would forge ahead into northeastern Texas. The Union army clashed with Confederate troops under Kirby Smith and Price at Mount Elba, Elkin's Ferry, Prairie D'Ane, Poison Spring and Marks' Mills and suffered terrible losses. At the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry however Steele was able to extradite the remains of his army via a pontoon bridge across the Saline River. After having lost most of his supply wagons and over 2,500 men, he returned to Little Rock on May 3rd without ever coming close to reaching Shreveport or the state of Texas.
Steele's command was in a miserable condition, low on supplies, morale and human resources. In and around Little Rock he was only able to muster about 10,400 men and three batteries of artillery.
His army fielded six brigades of infantry in two divisions under Brigadier-Generals Frederick C. Salomon and John M. Thayer as well as three brigades of cavalry commanded by Brigadier-General Eugene A. Carr.
These were the troops that formed the only obstacle on Sterling Price's way towards Missouri. Now, as Steele heard of the Confederate advance on June 29th, 1864, he was faced with a dilemma: Should he meet his old adversary Price in the field or settle down to be besieged?
VII. Corps, Department of Arkansas, Major-General Frederick Steele
3rd Division, Brigadier-General Frederick C. Salomon, 3.700 men
1st Brigade, Colonel Charles E. Salomon, 1.700 men
50th Indiana, 29th, 33rd Iowa, 9th Wisconsin Infantry
2nd Brigade, Colonel Wiliam E. McLean, 1.100 men
43rd Indiana, 36th Iowa, 77th Ohio Infantry
3rd Brigade, Colonel Adolph Engelmann, 900 men
43rd Illinois, 40th Iowa, 27th Wisconsin Infantry
Frontier Division, Brigadier-General John M. Thayer, 3.400 men
1st Brigade, Colonel John Edwards, 1.100 men
1st, 2nd Arkansas, 18th Iowa Infantry
2nd Brigade, Colonel Charles W. Adams, 1.200 men
1st, 2nd Kansas (Colored), 12th Kansas Infantry
3rd Brigade, Colonel Owen Bassett, 1.100 men
2nd, 6th, 14th Kansas Cavalry
Cavalry Division, Brigadier-General Eugene A. Carr, 3.300 men
1st Brigade, Colonel John F. Ritter, 800 men
1st, 2nd Missouri Cavalry
3rd Brigade, Colonel Daniel Anderson, 1.000 men
10th Illinois, 1st Iowa, 3rd Missouri Cavalry
Independent Brigade, Colonel Powell Clayton, 1.500 men
1st Indiana, 5th Kansas, 7th Missouri Cavalry, 18th Illinois, 28th Wisconsin Infantry
- Lothar
- Word Count: 560