Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke

Union General A.J. "Whiskey" Smith

The Battle at Ditch Bayou…

Was a Federal effort to drive Confederates away from the Mississippi River, where they had been harassing Union shipping.  On June 6, 1864 Confederate Colonel Colton Green and Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke successfully repelled the attack led by Union General A.J. Smith. Even though the Confederate were outnumbered four to one, they were able to inflict heavy damage to their enemy.

 Over 120 Union men were killed or wounded before Confederate troops ran low on ammunition.  With four soldiers dead and 33 wounded, Rebel forces made an orderly withdrawal and marched past Lake Village.

 That night Lake Village was looted and the town of Columbia was burned to the ground by the Union Army.  The next morning Union troops boarded steamers at Luna and Columbia, but not before Rebels stole the prized horse of one of the Yankee colonels.

Colonel Colton Greene

From the Reports of

Col. Colton Greene

Third Missouri Cavalry. (Confederate)

Commanding brigade

 Smith’s Plantation, 1 ½ miles above Sunnyside, May 30, 1864

 This morning at daylight I attacked a transport (Clara Eames) cut her escape-pipe, penetrated her boilers, putting in seventeen shots in all.  She surrendered and came to shore.  Her cargo was cotton. 

I sent you 13 to 15 prisoners; I am still engaging a gun-boat.  Four others have just appeared in sight.  I shall amuse them and then move rapidly to Columbia, 3 1.2 miles above.  By this move, I will concentrate the enemy’s fleet at this point, which is 18 miles by water to Columbia.

 I regret to inform you that the artillery ammunition is nearly exhausted.  There are only 12 rifle shell, 6 solid smooth-bore, and 30 shell for howitzers.  Of course it is impossible for me to do anything unless I am supplied at once.

In the Field, Jun 8, 1864

At daylight June 2, I engaged the marine-boat Adams, one gun-boat, and a transport.  They made no fight of consequence; were often struck but passed on.  Soon the iron-clad Benton, or Louisville (the Monarch) a formidable-looking craft, have in sight lashed broadside to a large transport.  I posted sharpshooters on the bank and at once opened fire on the transport.  The iron-clad fired but two shells when she was forced to close her ports by reason of the heavy fire of the sharpshooters.  She cut loose from the transport, fell back a mile and shelled us with 64-pounder rifles, doing no damage.  The transport was badly hurt.  On the 3d and 4^th no boats appeared.  The river was blockaded.

 In these actions I engaged 21 boats of all descriptions, of which 5 gun boats and marine boats were disabled, 5 transports badly damaged, 1 sunk, 2 burned, 3 captured.  These operations have demonstrated the practicability of blockading or seriously interrupting the navigation of the Mississippi River with field artillery.

Old Abe the War Eagle

Old Abe, a veteran of 37 battles and skirmishes, was present at the Battle of Ditch Bayou.  He was the mascot of the 8^th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.   

Eunice

Confederate guerrillas fired into several Union transports and gunboats from this small river town.  In retaliation, the town was shelled by the U.S.S. Pittsburg and a landing party destroyed the town, including the railroad depot, a locomotive, and rail car. The depot and rail line were part of the first railroad in Arkansas. 

Guerrillas attempted to burn Union coal barges and fired on the U.S.S. Marmora.  Even though landing parties destroyed Eunice, Confederates continued to use the town to attack Union steamers. 

Luna

A running skirmish started in Luna and continued to Gaines’ Landing.  The Union Army destroyed 20,000 bushels of corn, a mill, and a cotton gin.  Marmaduke’s men disabled two transports from the Sessions’ Plantation.  After the battle at Ditch Bayou, General Smith’s army boarded transports at Luna and headed for Memphis.

 Lake Village

The county seat was occupied by Union troops after the battle at Ditch Bayou. Some houses were looted, the town’s newspaper office was destroyed, several buildings were burned, and the livestock shot.

 Ditch Bayou

Ten thousand Union infantry and cavalry troops engaged 600 Confederates with six cannons.  Forty Union soldiers were killed and 70 wounded.  The Confederates lost four with 33 wounded.

 Matthew’s Bend

Federal troops cut the levee to flood plantations. 

Louisiana State Line

A Confederate force at Ashton Landing, Louisiana opened fire on the transport Clarabell.  Damaged, the Clarabell was able to get out of range and made it to Carolina Landing on the Mississippi shore.  The Rebels rushed to the head of Louisiana Bend, putting them in Chicot County, and began shelling the disabled boat.  The Clarabell burned.

 Island No. 82

The island was used as a wood yard for riverboat fuel.  Confederates attacked and burned the transport Sallie Wood.  Later, they fired into a group of five transports, but were driven away be the transport’s escort the U.S.S. Linden. 

Point Chicot

Confederates destroyed the steamer Minnesota and two barges.  Landing parties from two gunboats burned houses and other buildings used by the Rebels.

 Greenville, Mississippi

Commander of the U.S.S. Monarch reported he had to fire on Union Army troops that were looting homes of innocent civilians.  Later, landing parties destroyed the mansions, gins, barns, slave quarters, and 25,000 bushels of corn at two fine plantations above town.  After the battle at Ditch Bayou, several houses and the courthouse were burned.

 Columbia

This was the second county seat and the starting point of the first railroad in Arkansas, which led to Monticello.  From here Marmaduke’s men disabled four transports and two gunboats.  After the battle at Ditch Bayou, Columbia was burned and the Mississippi Marine Brigade boarded their transports for Memphis.

 Smith Plantation

Marmaduke’s men disabled a transport and then marched to Columbia and fired into it again.  The Union transport Clara Eames and her cargo of cotton were taken and burned here the next day.

 Sunnyside Landing

Twenty-one transports supported by seven gunboats landed 10,000 Union troops before the battle at Ditch Bayou. 

Civilian Steamships Went to War

The USS Black Hawk started life as a civilian cargo ship, but was bought by the Federal Government in 1862.  She served as the flagship for the Federal Mississippi Squadron.  After surviving most of the Civil War’s major conflicts on western rivers, she accidentally burned April 22, 1865.

 The USS Black Hawk is an example of a “tinclad” ship.

Photographs by www.ArkansasTies.com