Stood Their Ground Through Three Charges

The 11^th United States Colored Infantry was in action on January 24^th 1865 at Boggs’ Mill in Arkansas.

The 11^th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops was recruited in the autumn of 1863 in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  It was made up mostly of former slaves that lived in the area, as well as a few slaves from the Choctaw Nation.  They were attached to the 2^nd Brigade of the District of the Frontier in the 7^th Corps of the Union Department of Arkansas.  The unit was at first assigned to garrison duty at Fort Smith.

Their first action came in the summer of 1864 when the 265 effectives of the 11^th were sent into the Indian Territory to guard stock and hay at Gunther’s Prairie.  On August 24^th 1864 the 11^th were attacked by about 350 Confederate Cavalry.  There was a hard fight that lasted over two hours with the Confederates making three charges, before they were forced to retreat.  The 11^th lost 3 men killed and 14 missing or wounded.

Returning to Fort Smith until November 1864 when they were ordered east into Conway County, Arkansas.  On January 24^th 1864 they confronted a detachment of the 10^th Arkansas Cavalry at Boggs’ Mill.  The Confederates under the command of Colonel Robert C Newton had taken the mill a few miles from Dardanelle, Arkansas.  The 11^th surprised the Confederates, capturing 18 horses, arms and Newton’s official papers.

After this the 11^th was placed on garrison duty in both Little Rock and Lewisburg, Arkansas through April 1865.  As the Civil War was wrapping up the 11^th was merged with the 112^th and 113^th becoming the 113^th United States Colored Infantry on April 22^nd 1865.

The Last Challenge in Arkansas

The action at Dardanelle fought January 14th 1865 along the Arkansas River was a last shot by the Confederacy to break up the Union dominance in the area.

Confederate Colonel William H Brooks led a force of about 1,500 made up of his own cavalry and cavalry of Colonels Ras Stirman and Robert C Newton to the Arkansas River on January 14^th 1865.  The point being to gage the strength of the Union troops garrisoned along the river.  On that same day a Union detachment of 276 men from the 1^st Iowa and 3^rd Wisconsin Cavalry under the command of Major J D Jenks disembarked from Union steamboats to occupy the earthworks at Dardanelle.

At about 2 pm Brooks made an attack against Jenks force at Dardanelle.  Jenks used the two pieces of artillery in the stockade and concentrated his men.  The Brooks’ cavalry with only one piece of artillery engaged the Union troops for four hours before withdrawing.

The Union side reported about 29 casualties, and the Confederated listing about 81.  Union Sergeant William Ellis of the 3^rd was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service at Dardanelle.  This marked the last serious Confederate challenge in the Arkansas River area of Union control.