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

Maj.-Gen. Frederick Steele, who had been assigned to command of the Seventh army corps and the Federal district of Arkansas, had suggested a demonstration, rather than a determined movement, from Little Rock in cooperation with Banks' Red river expedition; but General Grant, who had lately come into command of the United States armies, instructed him to ‘make a real move from Arkansas.’ General Banks left New Orleans to lead the expedition up the Red river March 22d, and on the next day Steele started out from Little Rock toward Arkadelphia. Leaving a force of 2,500 at Pine Bluff, under Col. Powell Clayton, which cooperated with him from that point, he took Salomon's infantry division, 5,127 strong, Carr's cavalry division, 3,428, and 30 pieces of artillery. On the march, April 9th, he was joined by Gen. John M. Thayer, from Fort Smith, with about 5,000 infantry and cavalry.

Price's infantry division, reported as about 5,000 present for duty, was ordered to Louisiana to reinforce Taylor, and Fagan's brigade was soon called from Camden to the same field. Thus Price was left for the time with only the cavalry of Marmaduke's division—Greene's and Shelby's Missouri brigades and Cabell's Arkansas brigade, numbering 3,200 effectives—reinforced, about the time that Thayer arrived, by Brig.-Gen. Samuel B. Maxey from Indian Territory, with his division—Gano's Texas brigade and Col. Tandy Walker's Indian brigade.

If a column of the enemy had moved southwesterly from Little Rock and marched about 30 miles a day, it could have camped the first night near Benton on the Saline river; the second at Rockport on the Ouachita; thence following down that river on either bank, the third night at Arkadelphia on the same stream; the fourth at Okolona, near the junction of the Little Missouri and Antoine creek; the fifth near Washington, in the rolling