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1863 battle of the American Civil War
The
Battle of Pine Bluff
, also known as the
Action at Pine Bluff
, was an engagement fought on October 25, 1863 in
Jefferson County, Arkansas
during the
American Civil War
. The Post of Pine Bluff, a
United States
garrison
commanded by Colonel
Powell Clayton
, successfully defended the town against attacks led by
Confederate
Brigadier-General
John S. Marmaduke
's cavalry division. Much of the fighting took place near
Jefferson Courthouse
, which the Confederates tried unsuccessfully to set ablaze. The
Union
victory ensured
Pine Bluff
was
occupied
by U.S. forces until the end of the war.
[1]
Background
[
edit
]
Map of Pine Bluff Battlefield core and study areas by the
American Battlefield Protection Program
.
After the capture of
Little Rock
on September 10, 1863, Union forces
occupied
several towns along the
Arkansas
. Confederate Brigadier-General John S. Marmaduke, commanding a cavalry division, decided to test their strength at Pine Bluff. On Sunday, October 25, Marmaduke attacked the Post of Pine Bluff, a U.S. garrison commanded by Colonel Powell Clayton of the
5th Kansas Cavalry
.
[1]
Battle
[
edit
]
At
8
a.m.
, Marmaduke's 2,000 Confederate cavalry approached Pine Bluff from three sides. The 550 Federal cavalrymen and
Missouri militia
, supported by 300
freedmen
, barricaded the
courthouse square
with cotton-bales and positioned the
cannon
to command the adjacent streets. Marmaduke's Division made several attacks upon the square, then attempted to set the county courthouse on fire. They were unsuccessful and withdrew to
Princeton, Arkansas
.
[1]
[2]
See also
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]
References
[
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]
Further reading
[
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]
External links
[
edit
]
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Combatants
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Campaigns
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Battles
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Aftermath
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- Reconstruction
- Cemeteries
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