Battle of Pine Bluff

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates The Battle of Pine Bluff was fought on October 25, 1863, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. The Post of Pine Bluff, a U.S. 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 the Jefferson County Courthouse, which the Confederates tried unsuccessfully to set ablaze. The Union victory ensured Pine Bluff was occupied by Federal troops until the end of the Civil War.

Background

File:Pine Bluff Battlefield Arkansas.jpg

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, Federal troops 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.

Battle

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 court-house 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 court-house on fire. They were unsuccessful and withdrew to Princeton, Arkansas.

See also

• List of American Civil War battles
• Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1863

External links

• Template:Sister-inline
• Battle of Pine Bluff at the Historical Marker Database