Battle of Massard Prairie

Battle of Massard Prairie
Part of the American Civil War
DateJuly 27, 1864 (160 years ago) (1864-07-27)
Location
Sebastian County, Arkansas
35°18′41.0″N 94°22′52.6″W / 35.311389°N 94.381278°W / 35.311389; -94.381278
Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
 Confederate States  United States (Union)
Commanders and leaders
Confederate States of America Richard M. Gano United States David Mefford Surrendered
Units involved
District of the Indian Territory 6th Kansas Cavalry
Strength
~600 cavalry ~200 cavalry
Casualties and losses
7 dead,
27 wounded or missing		 10 killed
15 wounded
127 captured
Massard Prairie is located in Arkansas
Massard Prairie
Massard Prairie
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Location within Arkansas

The Battle of Massard Prairie was fought on July 27, 1864 in Sebastian County, Arkansas during the American Civil War.[1] Confederate troops led by Brigadier-General Richard M. Gano successfully launched a surprise attack on a Union camp held by four companies of the 6th Kansas Cavalry, capturing prisoners and equipment.[2]

The battle exemplified the hit-and-run nature of the Civil War in Arkansas on the western border: this was a war of raids and ambushes involving small forces, not drawn-out, large-scale battles. As a Confederate victory, it also demonstrated the difficulty faced by Union units attempting to exert control over the state during the war's later stages.[3]

  1. ^ "Battle At Massard Prairie Re-Enacted 150 Years Later". swtimes.com. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  2. ^ Cox, Dale. "The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas - In Depth". www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference EAHC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).