Battle of Mount Elba

Battle of Mount Elba
Part of the American Civil War
Date March 30, 1864 (1864-3-30) Location Near Mount Elba, Arkansas 33°51′04″N92°13′56″W / 33.8509855°N 92.232298°W / 33.8509855; -92.232298 Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Col. Powell Clayton	Brig. Gen. Thomas Dockery
Casualties and losses
4	130

The Battle of Mount Elba (March 30, 1864) was fought near Mount Elba, Arkansas, as part of the Camden Expedition, during the American Civil War.

Prelude

As a supporting effort to the Camden Expedition, to help fix Confederate forces at Monticello, Arkansas, and prevent them from opposing Steel's march to Camden, Arkansas, Colonel Powell Clayton conducted a raid on Longview, Arkansas, a port on the Saline, southwest of Monticello. Clayton's cavalry force crossed the Saline at Mount Elba, after sweeping aside a small guard force. ^[1]

Clayton divided his forces and sent part to establish a blocking position to the west near Marks Mill. One hundred picked men under lieutenants Greathouse and Young were then dispatched to destroy the Confederate pontoon bridge at Longview, Arkansas. ^[2] On March 29, the lieutenants surprised and captured approximately 250 soldiers belonging to Brigadier General Thomas P. Dockery's brigade at Longview. ^[3]

Battle

Confederate forces in the area were now alerted to the presence of Clayton's raiders and attempted to cut off Clayton's command by attacking their bridgehead at Mount Elba on March 30, 1864. Clayton was successful in re-crossing the Saline, defeating Confederate forces at the Battle of Mount Elba and returned to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with over 260 prisoners. ^[4] The Union's casualties throughout the expeditions were only two dead and eight missing. ^[5] The first Union action of the Union expedition was a complete success, but the rest of the expedition would not go as planned.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Mark K. Christ, "Action at Mount Elba", Encyclopedia of Arkansas, The Central Arkansas Library System, Accessed 4 February 2016, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=522
2. "Mount Elba Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
3. "The War in Arkansas.; The Rebels Defeated at Longview Destruction of a Bridge and Train Over Three Hundred Prisoners Captured Another Pitched Battle and the Rebels again Routed Operations of Gov. Murphy. Further Particulars". The New York Times . April 7, 1864. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
4. United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 34, In Four Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1892; (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146033/m1/808/?q=Mount Elba Long View: accessed May 27, 2016), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas.
5. Benson, Ned Harold (2011). The Ancestors and Descendants of John Lewis Benson and His Sisters and Brother: A Genealogy and Social History. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. p. 459. ISBN   978-1-4670-2442-6.