Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[550] troops which Blunt had driven beyond the Canadian River at the. close of 1863, before taking possession of Fort Smith, had remained in the Indian Territory near the border of Texas, and formed two brigades of cavalry which under General Maxey covered the frontier against all direct attack.

For this campaign, which he was unwillingly undertaking, Steele had the choice of several routes. We have said that he had at the very first dismissed as impracticable the plan which would have produced the most certain results in assuring his junction with Banks near Alexandria, and which consisted in descending the Washita. After having proposed to gain the banks of the upper Red River in Arkansas, going by way of Washington in order to descend the river, and to approach Shreveport from the other side, he wound up by joining in the opinion which Sherman, with his usual sagacity, had given him at the very start, and had decided to march by way of Camden and Overton. The possession of the first of these two lines assured him easy communications with Pine Bluff. In going by way of the second he could assist Banks before Shreveport without having to traverse the marshy flats intersected by the lakes and bayous into which Red River spreads out above this city. But, informed of the fortification of Camden, he resolved, instead of marching directly on this place, to reduce it by drawing away Price's forces on the other side; he wished, moreover, to avoid following the course of the Washita, the valley of which, inundated by the winter's rains, was almost impracticable. He chose the Washington road, and, not having any news of Thayer, whom the condition of the roads had obliged to change his course, he left Arkadelphia on April 1st. On the very next day he found in front of him Marmaduke, who had reunited his division by recalling Cabell. The Confederates were able to harass the Union army and retard its advance, but not to stop it. They tried in vain to dispute with it the marshy banks of the Little Missouri, an affluent of the Washita: Steele, after a feint of wishing to cross this river on the Washington road, turned suddenly to the left and took possession of the crossing called Elkins' Ferry while Marmaduke was waiting for him farther up with the bulk of his troops. Seeing himself deceived, the Southern general sent Shelby, who had remained on the north