The Battle of Marks' Mills (sometimes referred to as the Battle of Marks' Mill) occurred on April 25, 1864, in Cleveland County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition of the American Civil War. Confederate troops under Major General James F. Fagan overwhelmed a small Union detachment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Francis Drake, leading to Union abandonment of their position in Camden, Arkansas. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Cleveland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery (until 29 May 1861) Richmond (29 May 1861–2 April 1865) Danville (from 3 April 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government Confederate Republic President Jefferson... Battle of Elkin’s Ferry Conflict American Civil War Date April 3-4, 1864 Place Clark County and Nevada County, Arkansas Result Union victory The Battle of Elkin’s Ferry was a land battle of the American Civil War that took place on April 3-4, 1864. ... The Battle of Prairie DAne was fought April 9–13, 1864, in Nevada County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition of the American Civil War. ... The Battle of Poison Spring was fought during the American Civil War on April 18, 1864, in Ouachita County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Frederick Steele Edmund Kirby Smith Strength Department of Arkansas Army of Arkansas Casualties 521 443 The Battle of Jenkins Ferry was fought April 30, 1864, in Grant County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition of the American Civil War. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Cleveland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... This article is in need of attention. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Camden is a city located in Ouachita County, Arkansas. ...

The battle

Following the brutal Union defeat at the Battle of Poison Spring on April 18, 1864, Union Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele retained possession of Camden, Arkansas, while Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price continued his ad hoc siege upon Camden from the countryside. As the Federal provisions diminished, the arrival of much-needed supplies from Pine Bluff convinced Steele that more could be obtained using the Camden-Pine Bluff Road. Steele ordered Lt. Col. Francis Drake with over 1,400 infantrymen, artillery and cavalry support, and 240 wagons to obtain supplies from Pine Bluff. Reinforced on the morning of April 25, 1864, by some 350 additional troops, Drake’s command contained approximately 1,800 combatants. Additionally, an unidentified number of white civilians and approximately three hundred African Americans accompanied the column. The Battle of Poison Spring was fought during the American Civil War on April 18, 1864, in Ouachita County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Frederick Steele (January 14, 1819, Delhi, New York – January 19, 1868, San Mateo, California), American Civil War Union Major General. ... Camden is a city located in Ouachita County, Arkansas. ... General Price Sterling Old Pap Price (September 20, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was an antebellum politician from the U.S. state of Missouri and a Confederate major general during the American Civil War. ... Ad hoc is a Latin phrase which means for this [purpose]. It generally signifies a solution that has been tailored to a specific purpose, such as a tailor-made suit, a handcrafted network protocol, and specific-purpose equation and things like that. ... A siege is a military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ... Coordinates: Country United States State Arkansas County Jefferson Founded 1832 Incorporated 1839 Mayor Carl Redus Area    - City 121. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... Historically, artillery (from French artillerie) refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat are commonly known as cavalry (from French cavalerie). ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ...

James Fagan detected the movement and positioned four thousand cavalrymen along the intersection of the Camden-Pine Bluff Road and Warren Road to ambush Drake’s column. Confederate Brigadier General William L. Cabell’s division opened the attack, stopping Drake’s advance, while Brig. Gen. Jo Shelby’s division launched a crushing assault on the Union left. The overwhelming Confederate numbers forced Drake, who had been seriously wounded in the fighting, to capitulate. The Confederates captured all of the empty Federal supply wagons. An ambush is a long established military tactic in which an ambushing force uses concealment to attack an enemy that passes its position. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... William Lewis Cabell William Lewis Cabell (January 1, 1827 – February 21, 1911) was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and later served as Mayor of Dallas, Texas. ... Joseph O. Shelby Joseph Orville (Jo) Shelby (December 12, 1830 – February 13, 1897) was a Confederate cavalry general in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. ... Surrender is when soldiers give up fighting and become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. ...

Aftermath

The Confederates estimated 41 killed, 108 wounded, and 144 missing. The Federal numbers are more difficult to determine because approximations range from 1,133 to 1,600, as the entire column was captured. Additionally, the Confederates seized 150 African Americans and were accused of killing at least 100 others during the assault.

The loss of additional men and wagons as well as the further depletion of Union supplies in Camden seriously challenged Steele's position. Coupled with the increasing number of Confederates near Camden (due to the arrival of Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith’s command), Steele abandoned Camden on April 26, 1864, and marched northward toward Little Rock. Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Portrait of Edmund Kirby Smith during the Civil War Edmund Kirby Smith (May 16, 1824 – March 28, 1893) was a career U.S. Army officer, an educator, and a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Nickname: Rocktown, The Rock, Capital City Coordinates: Country United States State Arkansas County Pulaski Founded 1821 Incorporated 1831 Mayor Jim Dailey Mayor-Elect: Mark Stodola [1] Area    - City 302. ...

A portion of the original battlefield is preserved as Marks' Mills State Park in Cleveland County near New Edinburg, Arkansas.

External links

• Mark's Mills State Park website
• Account of the battle from the 36th Iowa Infantry perspective
• Battles of Arkansas, Civil War timeline
• National Park Service battle description