Elkin's Ferry

During the Camden Expedition of the American Civil War, forces clashed at Elkin's Ferry on April 3 and 4, 1864, a fight also called the Engagement at Elkin's Ferry. The action unfolded across Clark and Nevada counties in Arkansas.

Prelude

During the Camden expedition, Major-General Frederick Steele commanded the 3rd Division of the Seventh Army Corps along with two cavalry brigades, roughly 8,500 men in all. Facing him was Brigadier-General John Marmaduke, who led three cavalry brigades numbering about 7,500 men. Since every bridge proved impassable, Federal troops were forced to cross the Little Missouri River by fording it.

Battle

The destruction of every bridge over the river forced Steele to look for another way across, and on the afternoon of April 2, 1864, he directed Brigadier General Frederick Salomon, in command of the Third Division, to seize and hold Elkin's Ferry. The job fell to the 43rd Indiana, with the 36th Iowa Infantry and the 2nd Missouri Light Artillery providing support. After a hard march the Indiana regiment reached the crossing once darkness had fallen, pushed across the water, and dug in to await the rest of Steele's command.

Standing against this Federal push was Marmaduke's cavalry division, three brigades strong and numbering roughly 7500 men. Marmaduke instructed Brigadier General Joseph Shelby to strike the 43rd Indiana and drive it from the ford. Colonel William McLean later described how the fighting unfolded.

McLean recalled that on the day following his arrival, April 3, scattered shots along his picket lines and skirmishing out front left him convinced the enemy was watching his brigade, which formed the army's advance guard, and might even try to overwhelm and cut him off before help could cross the river. Early that morning he sent Major Norris of the 43rd Indiana forward with four companies to scout the enemy's position, spread his men out as skirmishers, and back up the cavalry pickets. Norris located the enemy's forward pickets and skirmishers and pushed them back over some distance, pressing so hard that sixteen men, unable to escape, came in and gave themselves up.

That evening, convinced the enemy was gathered in strength ahead and meant to strike during the night or the following morning, McLean ordered Lieutenant Colonel Drake of the 36th Iowa to take three companies from his own regiment along with three from the 43rd Indiana and move to the main road running from the ford directly in front of their position. Drake was to spread his men to either side of the road, keep watch on enemy movement, hold them off as long as it made sense to do so, and fall back on the reserves once the enemy pressed in force. A section of artillery under Lieutenant Peetz was positioned to cover the road and the approaches on both flanks completely.

At six in the morning on April 4 the enemy came on in strength and fell upon Drake's advance companies, who held their ground for close to two hours with able backing from Peetz's guns. McLean had nothing but praise for Drake, citing the remarkable courage and steady resolve he showed throughout the fight.

The capture that morning of a Confederate lieutenant, an aide de camp to General Marmaduke, left McLean certain that Marmaduke himself was nearby with a substantial part of his division. Nearly two hours of brisk skirmishing followed, until the enemy, having spotted the Federal battery, answered it hard with four guns of their own. This forced the pickets and forward skirmishers on the left back onto the infantry reserves, though the right held firm.

The attacking force, later identified as General Cabell's brigade of sixteen hundred men, surged forward with a yell against the left flank, aiming to turn the position and seize the battery. Their advance out of the timber was answered with courage by two or three well aimed volleys from the 36th Iowa. Just after this charge was thrown back, the reinforcements McLean had called for reached the field, the 29th Iowa Infantry and 9th Wisconsin Infantry from Brigadier General Rice's brigade. Yet before Rice could get them into line, the enemy pulled back, though not before a blast of grapeshot from the battery grazed the General's head. McLean noted with satisfaction that Rice recovered from the wound.

Aftermath

Casualties from the fighting at Elkin's Ferry proved minimal for both armies. Confederate ranks suffered 18 dead and 50 injured, while Union forces counted 30 men wounded. Shelby's brigade linked up with Marmaduke's troops on the night of April 4, and the combined force pulled back the next morning, covering 16 miles to reach Prairie D'Ane.