Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Battle of Poison Spring
Battle of Poison Spring
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The Battle of Poison Spring was fought on April 18, 1864, as part of the Camden Expedition during the American Civil War. In support of the Red River campaign in Louisiana, a Union force commanded by Frederick Steele had moved from Little Rock, Arkansas, and occupied Camden, Arkansas. Short on supplies, Steele sent a detachment commanded by James M. Williams to forage for corn that was reported to be in the area. Confederate cavalry commanded by John S. Marmaduke and Samuel B. Maxey attacked the foraging party. Marmaduke's men formed a roadblock to the east, while Maxey's men attacked from the south. The first two Confederate attacks were unsuccessful, but the third broke the Union line. Williams's command was routed, losing its wagon train. African-American soldiers from the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment were massacred during and after the battle. The defeat at Poison Spring and another defeat at the battle of Marks' Mills led Steele to retreat to Little Rock. (Full article...)
- Most recent similar article(s): Steele's Greenville expedition is currently schedule for March 19. If only one can run this close together, the specific date connection for this article is much stronger.
- Main editors: Hog Farm
- Promoted: May 30, 2024
- Reasons for nomination: 161st anniversary of the subject matter. One historian has referred to this as the worst war crime in the history of Arkansas. The proposed image maybe isn't the most fitting, but I don't think the colored CWSAC would be a good TFA lead image, and I don't like the idea of picking out the leader of one side or the other for most battles, unless there's one figure strongly connected to the campaign more than others (like the Greenville expedition).
- Support as nominator. Hog Farm Talk 23:18, 9 February 2025 (UTC)