Battle of Fitzhugh's Woods
The Battle of Fitzhugh's Woods, also called the Action at Fitzhugh's Woods, the Battle of Fitzhugh's Farm, or the Battle of Fitzhugh's Plantation, was fought on April 1, 1864 near Augusta, Arkansas as part of the Western theater of the American Civil War. The battle was fought between the combined irregular cavalry and mounted infantry forces under Brigadier General Dandridge McRae against a detachment led by Colonel Christopher Columbus Andrews forces of the 3rd Minnesota Infantry Regiment and the 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment. The battle derives its name from the nearby plantation owned by Virginia planter and slaveowner Rufus King Fitzhugh.
Background
During the spring of 1864 Union Major General Frederick Steele marched through southwest Arkansas with the rest of the VII Corps and the Department of Arkansas during what was known as the Camden Expedition. The Camden Expedition was an offensive which was designed to cooperate with the Red River campaign and the subsequent capture of Shreveport, Louisiana.During this time Colonel Christopher Columbus Andrews of the 3rd Minnesota Infantry Regiment was tasked with stopping Brigadier General Dandridge McRae from conscripting Confederate irregular and partisan guerilla forces in the region, along with stopping guerrilla warfare attacks along the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad.
Opposing Forces
Confederate
McRae had been given command of all Confederate forces between the White River and the Mississippi River in Arkansas. At the time McRae's force consisted of various companies of Confederate irregular cavalry and some infantry forces including:- 35 men of Company D, 37th Arkansas Infantry Regiment - Captain John Bland †
- Roughly 400 Missourians from Freeman's Regiment of Missouri Cavalry - Col. Thomas R. Freeman
- 60 Arkansas Partisans of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry - Captain George Wherry Rutherford
- 30 men of the Independent "Popcorn Company", later part of the 28th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment - Captain Samuel Jordan McGuffin
- 50 men under Captain Jesse Tracy
- 20 men under Captain Reynolds
Union
Andrew's detachment consisted of two infantry battalions and roughly a half-company of 45 cavalry troopers.- Roughly 186 men from companies B, C, E, G, H, and I of the 3rd Minnesota Infantry Regiment - Col. Christopher Columbus Andrews and Maj. Everett W. Foster
- 45 cavalry troopers of the 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment - Captain Luther J. Matthews
Battle
On March 31, 1864 Colonel Andrews' detachment of the 3rd Minnesota along with Captain Matthew's 8th Missouri Cavalry left DeValls Bluff, Arkansas and boarded the riverboat Dove with an escort from the gunboat Covington and proceeded up the Mississippi River towards a ford known as Gregory's Landing. While at Gregory's Landing Andrews questioned several civilians and later ascertained that there were Confederate guerillas within the region commanded by McRea. Andrews' sent a portion of his cavalry to reconnoiter in the direction of Straight Lake just south of Augusta, Arkansas.The next day on April 1, 1864 Andrews' detachment had learned through its cavalry detachment that McRea's main encampment was roughly 7–8 miles north of Augusta. Andrews' detachment had not gone far on the road outside of Augusta when they encountered McRae's cavalry pickets which rushed back to the main body. Andrews' cavalry pursued the fleeing pickets and captured two of them. As Major Foster's infantry of the 3rd Minnesota linked up with Captain Matthews 8th Missouri Cavalry Andrews' detachment was abruptly attacked by Confederate Captain George Wherry Rutherford. Major Foster with three companies of the 3rd Minnesota and repulsed Rutherford's cavalry charge. In the meantime, Colonel Andrews deployed several companies on a flanking maneuver along the Jacksonport Road where he encountered McRea himself watering his horse in the vicinity of the nearby Antony farm. McRea fled towards the McCoy's residence to the east, seeing McRea's unit fleeing Andrews decided to not pursue. Andrews' men made use of captured Confederate wagons at McRea's abandoned camp which were filled with ham.
Andrew's column rested at the nearby Fitzhugh plantation owned by a planter by the name of Rufus King Fitzhugh. Just when the 3rd Minnesota began to eat their rations for lunch they were charged by McRae's cavalrymen. Andrew's force put up a brief skirmish with McRae's force before retreating towards the woods near the Fitzhugh plantation, there they were attacked from three sides in a double envelopment. Despite McRae's overwhelming cavalry force of roughly 545 men Andrews did not retreat. For roughly three hours both sides traded small arms fire with one another before Andrews was able to successfully cross a bayou to the south and withdrawal from the field. McRae was not able to pursue Andrews' troops as they were only armed with revolvers and were extremely low on ammunition from the three hour-long battle.
According to Minnesota historian and author Joseph C. Fitzharris, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, Colonel Willis Ponder of the 12th Missouri Infantry Regiment later remarked that the 3rd Minnesotans were “the hardest lot of men…that he ever ran against".