Battle of Van Buren

Battle of Van Buren Skirmish at Dripping Springs
Part of the American Civil War
Date December 28, 1862 Location Van Buren, Arkansas Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
James G. Blunt Francis J. Herron	Thomas C. Hindman
Units involved
Army of the Frontier	First Corps, Trans-Mississippi Army
Strength
7,000	4,000
Casualties and losses
1 killed, 5 wounded	Unknown

The Battle of Van Buren (also known as the Skirmish at Dripping Springs) was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 28, 1862, that resulted in a Union victory that secured northwest Arkansas for the Union.

Following the Battle of Prairie Grove, on 7 December 1862, the victorious Union Generals James G. Blunt and Francis Herron pressed their prusuit of Major General Thomas C. Hindman's 1st Corps, Army of the Trans-Mississippi across the Boston Mountains to the Arkansas River port city of Van Buren, in Crawford County, Arkansas.

Following the Battle of Prairie Grove, December 7, 1862, General Thomas C. Hindman withdrew under cover of darkness back towards Van Buren, Arkansas. The Confederates reached Van Buren on 10 December, demoralized, footsore, and ragged. Hindman immediately began reorganizing his forces. Hindman found it impossible to forage General John S. Marmaduke’s Cavalry Division in Northwest Arkansas, and so Marmaduke was ordered to move his command to Lewisburg, 100 miles (160 km) below Van Buren. Hindman's force was thus reduced and continuing to diminish in strength daily due to desertions and a frightful increase of sickness, the latter caused by unprecedented hardships that the men were exposed during the retreat from Prairie Grove. Hindman decided that it was inadvisable to keep the main body of his army on the north side of the Arkansas River and moved it to the south side, with most going into camp in the vicinity of Fort Smith, Arkansas. One infantry regiment from General Fagan's brigade with a section of West's Arkansas Artillery, remained at Van Buren, and one regiment of cavalry, under Lieut. Col. R.P. Crump, was posted at Dripping Springs, 9 miles (14 km) to the north of Van Buren. Crumps force was instructed to picket at Oliver’s 19 miles (31 km) north, and at corresponding points on all other roads leading toward the Northwest.

On December 28, at 10 a.m., Lieutenant-Colonel Crump reported by courier that Union forces were advancing on the Cove Creek road in heavy force of cavalry, infantry and artillery. A few minutes afterward, Brigadier General Cooper, who was at Scullyville, in the Choctaw Nation, 15 miles (24 km) from Fort Smith, reported by courier that a Federal cavalry force of three or four regiments, with artillery, under Colonel Phillips, had crossed to the south side of the river, at Fort Gibson, the preceding day. Immediately after, information was received by telegraph from a detachment of cavalry posted at Borland’s, 35 miles (56 km) below Van Buren, on the north side of the Arkansas River, covering the roads from Fayetteville to Ozark and Clarksville, that a regiment of Federal cavalry was within 20 miles (32 km) of that position, moving south. General Fagan’s brigade was on the march 25 miles (40 km) below Van Buren. Colonel Frost’s was 10 miles (16 km) below Van Buren and Colonel Shaver’s brigade, less than 1,000 strong, with one battery, was in camp 2 miles (3.2 km) below Van Buren.

...
Wikipedia