Saint Charles
Civil War Arkansas

American Civil War
June 17, 1862

On the morning of June 17, USS Mound City, St. Louis, Lexington, Conestoga, and transports proceeded up White River towards Saint Charles attempting to resupply Major General Samuel R. Curtis's army near Jacksonport.

A few miles below Saint Charles, the 46th Indiana Infantry under the command of Colonel Graham N. Fitch disembarked, formed a skirmish line, and proceeded upriver towards the Rebel batteries on Saint Charles bluffs, under the command of Capt. Joseph Fry, C.S.N.

At the same time, the Union gunboats went upriver to engage the Rebel batteries; Mound City was hit and her steam drum exploded scalding most of the crew to death.

More than 125 sailors from the Mound City were killed, but the other ship was towed to safety.

Colonel Fitch halted the gunboat activities to prevent further loss and then undertook an attack on the Confederate batteries with his infantry.

He turned the Rebel flank which ended the firing from the batteries and left Saint Charles open to Federal occupation.

Result(s): Union victory

Location: Arkansas County

Campaign: Operations on White River (1862)

Date(s): June 17, 1862

Principal Commanders: Colonel Graham N. Fitch and Cdr. Augustus H. Kilty [US]; Capt. Joseph Fry, C.S.N. [CS]

Forces Engaged: 46th Indiana and Union Gunboat [US]; fifty men and C.S. boats [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 290 total (US 135; CS 155)

Arkansas Civil War Book Title
With Fire and Sword: Arkansas, 1861-1874 (Histories of Arkansas)
Scholarly examination of just how the events of the Civil War and the Reconstruction so heavily devastated the state of Arkansas, its population and its economy
Rugged and Sublime: The Civil War in Arkansas
Arkansas was also the scene of bloody struggles, not only battles but smaller clashes involving guerillas as well. According to editor Mark Christ, the state of Arkansas saw "at least 771 Civil War military actions", a number which ranks the state fifth in total number of battles, actions, and skirmishes

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Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned 15 Inch Cast-Iron Skillet
Large Skillet with 2.25 inches in depth. This one is not for the standard home stove. Perfect for use on the Grill or over campfires when you are cooking for the "troops".

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American Civil War Book Titles

Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West
The 1862 battle of Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas was one of the largest Civil War engagements fought on the western frontier, and it dramatically altered the balance of power in the Trans-Mississippi. This study of the battle is based on research in archives from Connecticut to California and includes a pioneering study of the terrain of the sprawling battlefield

All Cut to Pieces and Gone to Hell
Union General Frederick Steele led 8,500 soldiers out of comfortable quarters in Little Rock and into the pine and scrub woodlands of southwest Arkansas. Steele's intended target was Shreveport, Louisiana. He planned to join another Union force coming from Fort Smith, bringing his projected complement to 12,500 troops
The Camden Expedition of 1864 and the Opportunity Lost by the Confederacy to Change the Civil War
The Confederacy had a great opportunity to turn the Civil War in its favor in 1864, but squandered this chance when it failed to finish off a Union army cornered in Louisiana because of concerns about another Union army coming south from Arkansas. The Confederates were so confused that they could not agree on a course of action to contend with both threats, thus the Union offensive advancing from Arkansas saved the one in Louisiana and became known to history as the Camden Expedition.
Civil War on the Western Border, 1854-1865
Fanatical politics of the western frontier, immigrant abolitionists with loaded Spencer rifles funded by mysterious personages back East, cut-throats, gin heads and horse thieves, colorful character descriptions

Red River Campaign: Politics and Cotton in the Civil War
Fought on the Red River throughout Central and Northwestern Louisiana, this campaign is a study in how partisan politics, economic need and personal profit determined military policy and operations in Louisiana and Arkansas during the spring of 1864.
Civil War Arkansas: Beyond Battles and Leaders
Written and first published in 1866 soon after the author's discharge from the Union army, A.F. Sperry's History of the 33rd Iowa Infantry is one of the classic regimental histories of the American Civil War. It is a detailed account of the regiment's movements and actions
A Stranger And a Sojourner: Peter Caulder, Free Black Frontiersman in Antebellum Arkansas
An illiterate free black man, defied all generalizations about race as he served with distinction as a marksman in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, repeatedly crossed the color line, and became an Arkansas yeoman farmer, thriving and respected by white neighbors until he fell victim of new discriminatory legislation on the eve of the Civil War
Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove: A Battlefield Guide, with a Section on Wire Road
three of the most important battles fought west of the Mississippi River during the Civil War. They influenced the course of the first half of the war in that region by shaping Union military efforts while significantly contributing to Confederate defeat. A history of each battle and an overview of the larger strategy and tactics of the military action in which these battles figured.
Rugged and Sublime: The Civil War in Arkansas
Arkansas was also the scene of bloody struggles, not only battles but smaller clashes involving guerillas as well. According to editor Mark Christ, the state of Arkansas saw "at least 771 Civil War military actions", a number which ranks the state fifth in total number of battles, actions, and skirmishes
Red River Campaign of 1864 and the Loss by the Confederacy of the Civil War
The Union Army's Red River Campaign began on March 12, 1864, with a two-pronged attack aimed at gaining control of Shreveport, Louisiana. The Union's main effort came up from Berwick's Bay via the Red River, while a supporting force moved south from Little Rock, Arkansas. It lasted until May 22, 1864, when, after suffering significant casualties, the Union army retreated back to Simmesport, Louisiana.
Union River Ironclad 1861-65
At the start of the American Civil War, neither side had warships on the Mississippi River. In what would prove the vital naval campaign of the war, both sides fought for control of the river. While the Confederates relied on field fortifications and small gunboats, the Union built a series of revolutionary river ironclads
Things Grew Beautifully Worse : The Wartime Experiences of Captain John O'Brien, 30th Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A.
The story of an Irish immigrant to Arkansas who became a soldier, officer and prisoner during the Civil War. Captured during the Battle of Murfreesboro, Captain John O'Brien was ultimately transferred to Johnson's Island military prison in Ohio. While imprisoned, O'Brien kept a diary in which he recounts his military service and capture in addition to his daily life in the prison. Through it all, Captain O'Brien is able to maintain his sense of humanity--and even a bit of his native Irish wit and humor.

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