Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
| Battle of Jenkins' Ferry | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| United States (Union) | Confederate States | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Frederick Steele | |||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Department of Arkansas and 7th Army Corps | Army of Arkansas | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 12,000 | 10,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 700 | 1,000 | ||||||
The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, also known as the Engagement at Jenkins' Ferry, was fought on April 30, 1864, in Hot Spring and Saline counties (present-day Grant County), Arkansas, during the American Civil War. Ending in a tactical Union victory, the Confederacy saw it as a strategic success as they prevented Frederick Steele from holding southwest Arkansas. Due to the chaotic nature of the battle, casualty figures vary.
Jenkins' Ferry was the decisive engagement of Steele's Camden Expedition (a part of the Red River Campaign) and E. Kirby Smith's last. As a result of the battle, Federal forces could complete a retreat from a precarious position at Camden to their defenses at Little Rock.
The battlefield has largely been preserved as a unit within the Arkansas State Park System.