Made The Union Position Untenable

The Battle of Mark’s Mills was fought on April 25^th 1864 in Cleveland County, Arkansas and was part of the Camden Expedition.

Union troops were defeated April 18^th 1864 at the Battle of Poison Springs, but it still left Union Major General Frederick Steele in possession of Camden, Arkansas.  Confederate Major General Sterling Price set up a siege on the surrounding Camden countryside.  Union supplies were running low when Steele ordered Union Lieutenant Colonel Francis M Drake to use the Camden Pine Bluff Road to bring in provisions.

On the morning of April 25^th 1864 Drake’s command of about 1,800 with additional 300 or so African Americans were attacked near the intersection of the Camden Pine Bluff Road and Warren Road.  Confederate Brigadier General William L Cabell stopped Drake’s movement as Confederate Brigadier General Joseph Shelby launched an assault on the Union left.  Drake was seriously wounded, and finding himself facing overwhelming numbers he was forced to surrender his entire column.

Following this battle Steele’s position in Camden became untenable.  He left Camden on April 26^th 1864 and marched north toward Little Rock, Arkansas.

Another place on the web where you find more is Battle of Mark’s Mill (A History)