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Bayou Fourche Battlefield

Arkansas Heritage Trails SystemArkansas Register of Historic PlacesBattle of Bayou FourcheBattlefields of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil WarGeography of Pulaski County, Arkansas
Tourist attractions in Little Rock, ArkansasTourist attractions in North Little Rock, ArkansasUse American English from December 2024Use mdy dates from December 2024
Bayou Fourche Monument, Little Rock, Arkansas, 2024 08 31, TJ 01
Bayou Fourche Monument, Little Rock, Arkansas, 2024 08 31, TJ 01

The Bayou Fourche Battlefield, also known as the Fourche Bayou Battlefield, is an American Civil War battlefield in Little Rock and North Little Rock, Arkansas. A city park located within its boundaries, and maintained by Little Rock Parks and Recreation, commemorates the Battle of Bayou Fourche fought on September 10, 1863. The Union victory over Confederate forces in central Arkansas resulted in a fourth Confederate state capital falling into Union hands and creating conditions to establish a loyal Unionist government. The Confederate army fell back into southwest Arkansas, where it effectively remained for the duration of the Civil War. The capture of Little Rock, combined with other Union victories at Fort Smith and in the Indian Territory, led to nominal Federal control of the Arkansas River valley for the rest of the war.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bayou Fourche Battlefield (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bayou Fourche Battlefield
Fourche Dam Pike, Little Rock

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Wikipedia: Bayou Fourche BattlefieldContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 34.721972222222 ° E -92.2015 °
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Address

Fourche Dam Pike 6312
72206 Little Rock
Arkansas, United States
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Bayou Fourche Monument, Little Rock, Arkansas, 2024 08 31, TJ 01
Bayou Fourche Monument, Little Rock, Arkansas, 2024 08 31, TJ 01
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Little Rock campaign

The Little Rock Campaign (August 1 – September 14, 1863), officially known as Advance of the Union forces upon Little Rock, Arkansas, was a campaign conducted by the Union Army in Arkansas during the American Civil War. The offensive was designed to capture Little Rock. Union forces led by Major-General Frederick Steele advanced from Helena, Arkansas, beginning on August 1, before joining cavalry commanded by Brigadier-General John W. Davidson at Clarendon on August 15. Steele sent Davidson to move against the Confederates, while he pulled his infantry to establish a base at DeValls Bluff. Davidson's men fought with Confederate cavalry commanded by brigadiers-general Lucius M. Walker and John S. Marmaduke at Brownsville on August 25 and Bayou Meto on August 27 before the Confederates withdrew closer to Little Rock. The overall Confederate commander, Major-General Sterling Price, aligned most of his 8,000-man army in fortifications north of the Arkansas River, while some cavalry defended river crossings south of Little Rock. Meanwhile, Steele, who had received reinforcements that brought the total Union strength to about 15,000, arrived at Brownsville with his infantry on September 2. Marmaduke killed Walker in a duel on September 6, and Davidson's men drove Confederate cavalry commanded by Robert C. Newton across the Arkansas River in a skirmish at Ashley's Mills. On September 10, Davidson's men crossed the Arkansas River while the Union infantry moved along the north bank of the river. While Marmaduke and Davidson fought the Battle of Bayou Fourche later that day, Price had Little Rock abandoned; the Confederates were out of the city by 5:00 pm. With the fall of Little Rock, the Union controlled most of Arkansas. The failed Camden Expedition in March 1864 was the last major Union offensive in Arkansas, and Price's Missouri Expedition in late 1864 was the last major campaign in the region. Confederate troops in the Trans-Mississippi Department surrendered on June 2, 1865.