Battle of Poison Spring

Overview

• Date & Location: April 18, 1864, Ouachita County, Arkansas
• Result: Confederate victory
• Also Known As: Poison Spring massacre
• Part of: Camden Expedition, American Civil War

Belligerents

• Confederate States, including the Choctaw Nation
  • Commanders: Samuel B. Maxey, John S. Marmaduke
  • Troop Strength: 3,621
  • Casualties: 114
• United States (Union)
  • Commander: James M. Williams
  • Troop Strength: 1,169
  • Casualties: 301

Background

• The Union aimed to support Major General Nathaniel Banks's movement along the Red River.
• Objective: Secure Shreveport, Louisiana.
• Union forces, led by Major General Frederick Steele, occupied Camden, Arkansas.
• Short on supplies, Steele sent Colonel James M. Williams to forage for corn.
• Confederate forces, led by Marmaduke and Maxey, coordinated an attack on the foraging party.

Prelude

• Union Position: Steele’s troops were short on supplies; reduced rations.
• Confederate Forces: Led by Marmaduke with reinforcements from Fagan and Maxey; around 4,700 troops.
• Foraging Expedition: Led by Colonel James M. Williams to gather 5,000 bushels of corn.

Battle

• Initial Contact: Union forces encountered Confederate roadblock.
• Confederate Strategy: Marmaduke formed a roadblock; Maxey attacked flank.
• Initial Attacks: Confederate attacks broke Union lines on the third attempt.
• Union Retreat: Williams ordered a retreat to save men; lost wagons and artillery.

Massacre

• Members of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment were massacred by Confederate soldiers.
• Confederate troops shot wounded Union soldiers and engaged in acts of brutality against African-American soldiers.
• The aftermath was described as a "massacre," with Confederate troops making games of running over dead bodies.

Aftermath

• Steele’s forces suffered further defeats and eventually retreated to Little Rock.
• Poison Spring marked a low point for Union forces in Arkansas.
• Retaliatory actions followed at Jenkins' Ferry, with Union troops executing Confederate prisoners.

Historical Significance

• Considered one of the worst massacres in Arkansas history.
• Poison Springs Battleground State Park preserves the site today.

References and Further Reading

• Poison Springs remains a significant historical site, shedding light on racial atrocities during the Civil War.
• The event exemplifies the racial tensions and brutalities of the Civil War era.