Col. John M. Harrell, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

On March 22d Cabell's brigade marched to Tate's bluff, at the meeting of the Little Missouri and Ouachita rivers, to which place General Marmaduke marched with Greene's brigade and a section of Blocher's battery, under Lieutenant Zimmerman. Cabell and Greene were ordered to operate against the enemy's front, while Shelby marched directly in his rear. Harassed by detachments of cavalry sent against him by Marmaduke,¹ Steele reached Arkadelphia before Cabell and Shelby got into the positions assigned them. April 1st, Steele, after waiting at Arkadelphia a few days, marched on the old military road toward Washington, and Shelby entered Arkadelphia the same evening, capturing some stragglers. Cabell had moved to Antoine creek, 18 miles west of Arkadelphia, and in several fights with the detachments of the enemy seeking forage, drove them back on his main body. Shelby encamped the night of April 1st at Arkadelphia in Steele's rear, Cabell on Antoine creek in his front. Before daylight on the morning of the 2d, Marmaduke, with Greene's column, formed a junction with Cabell's brigade on the military road to Washington, three miles south of the Little Missouri, at Cottingham's store in Spoonville. West of Arkadelphia is a good road which turns to the right, leading north from the military road to Okolona and Elkin's ferry, across the Little Missouri. Fearing the enemy might take that road and occupy Elkin's ferry, General Marmaduke stationed Monroe's regiment, Fayth's battalion and a section of Hughey's battery of Cabell's brigade at the Antoine as a rear-guard, and withdrew the other commands of Cabell's brigade to Cottingham's, where they could reinforce Monroe or prevent the crossing of the Little Missouri at any of the fords below the military road. It was Colonel Salomon's regiment (Ninth Wisconsin) and Benton's