Battle of Massard Prairie
| Battle of Massard Prairie | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Confederate States | United States (Union) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Richard M. Gano | David Mefford | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| District of the Indian Territory | 6th Kansas Cavalry | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~600 cavalry | ~200 cavalry | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
7 dead, 27 wounded or missing |
10 killed 15 wounded 127 captured | ||||||
The Battle of Massard Prairie was fought on July 27, 1864 in Sebastian County, Arkansas during the American Civil War. Confederate troops led by Brigadier-General Richard M. Gano successfully launched a surprise attack on a Union camp held by four companies of the 6th Kansas Cavalry, capturing prisoners and equipment.
The battle exemplified the hit-and-run nature of the Civil War in Arkansas on the western border: this was a war of raids and ambushes involving small forces, not drawn-out, large-scale battles. As a Confederate victory, it also demonstrated the difficulty faced by Union units attempting to exert control over the state during the war's later stages.