Saturday, April 06, 2013

Arkansas: The Camden Expedition


Camden Expedition map at Steele's headquarters, Camden, Arkansas.

Prairie D'Ane (near Prescott), site of skirmishing and noisy "demonstrations," April 9-13, 1864.

Poison Springs, site of sharp engagement and massacre of African American troops (referenced in the movie Lincoln), April 18, 1864. Marker for First Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment.

Mark's Mills -- site of ambush and engagement, April 25, 1864. Jeremiah C. France (my great great grandfather Samuel France's younger brother), 43rd Indiana, fought here. His regiment was virtually destroyed and many African Americans massacred by Confederates in the wake of chaotic fighting. Somehow Jeremiah survived and made it back to the main Union army, only to die of disease in January, 1865. He's buried in Indianapolis.

Markers for unknown dead soldiers on the battleground, Union and Confederate. There is no marker yet for the unknown dead civilians who had come into Union lines to escape the Confederacy, killed by Confederate cavalrymen.


Jenkins Ferry -- site of the final battle of the Camden Expedition, April 30, 1864. Here, Steele's Union army escaped and eventually made it back to Little Rock, from whence they'd begun that March. What was left of the 43rd Indiana was consolidated into the "Casual Detachment." San Antonio Bill had two Wisconson ancestors here, including Frederick "Fritz" Vorpahl, 27th Wisconsin. Overall casualties here, about 1700. Also referenced in the movie Lincoln.

Today's Rune: Breakthrough.  

1 comment:

Charles Gramlich said...

Peaceful looking now.