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Let us now see what the Seventh Army Corps, under
General Steele, was doing in the way of co-operation with the
Red River expedition while it was in progress.
General Steele was at his Headquarters at
Little Rock when that expedition moved.
On the 23d of March
he started southward, on the military road, with about eight thousand troops, horse and foot, the former commanded by
General Carr.
On the previous day
General Thayer, commanding the Army of the Frontier, left
Fort Smith with about five thousand men, for the purpose of joining
Steele at
Arkadelphia; and
Colonel Clayton marched from
Pine Bluff with a small force to the left of
Steele, in the direction of
Camden, a place held and well fortified by the
Confederates.
That was
Steele's first objective, for
Sterling Price, with a considerable force, was holding a line from that place westward to
Washington, the capital of
Hempstead County.
It was necessary to dispose of this force before marching toward
Shreveport.
The roads were so wretched that the junction of forces could not be relied upon, and
Thayer failed to join
Steele at
Arkadelphia.
The latter had been compelled to skirmish at the crossings of streams all the way from
Benton, and his troops were somewhat worn by fatigue, but, after waiting two days for
Thayer, he pushed on in the direction of
Washington, for the purpose of flanking
Camden, and drawing
Price out of his fortifications there.
He encountered the cavalry of
Marmaduke and
Cabell at almost every step, and day after day skirmished, sometimes lightly and sometimes heavily, with them, until the 10th of April, when he found
Price in strong force across his path at Prairie d'anne, not far from
Washington, prepared to make a decided stand.
Steele had been joined by
Thayer, and he readily accepted battle.
An artillery fight ensued, which lasted until dark.
The Confederates made a desperate attempt in the darkness to capture
Steele's guns, but failed.
He pushed nearer their position the next day, and at the dawn of the 12th attempted to turn their flank, when they retreated to
Washington, pursued for several miles by cavalry.
Steele now heard of the disaster to the
Union troops at Sabine Cross Roads,
1 and, instead of pursuing
Price toward
Washington, turned sharply toward
Camden.
The Confederates quickly perceived his purpose, and, stimulated to stronger action by the news from
Western Louisiana, they made vigorous efforts to save
Camden from
Steele's grasp.
While his army was corduroying Bogue bottom, one of the worst in the
State, his rear, tinder
Thayer, was strongly attacked by
General Dockery.
The Confederates were repulsed, and the army moved on, but to find itself confronted by
Cabell and
Shelby.
These were driven from position to position, and on the evening of the 15th
the
National troops entered
Camden.
Although
Steele was in a strong place, and supplies could be easily obtained by way of the
Washita, he found
Camden to be an uncomfortable and dangerous post.
The Confederates were swarming thickly around him, for there was no occasion for their employment in the direction of the
Red River. Three days after his arrival they attacked and captured
a forage train, little more than a dozen miles from the
Union 
