A Union force commanded by Major General Frederick Steele had begun an advance from Helena, Arkansas, west towards Little Rock in August.

The campaign met light resistance aside from the Battle of Bayou Meto, while Confederate troops under Major General Sterling Price built fortifications on the other side of the Arkansas River from Little Rock.

Dobbins's men fell back to a body of water named Bayou Fourche, where Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke took command of the Confederate forces.

[3] The Confederates rebuilt a significant fighting force in Arkansas,[4] but were defeated at the Battle of Prairie Grove in December.

[12][13] The fall of Vicksburg freed up Union troops for an offensive against the Arkansas River Valley and Little Rock,[14] the state capital.

[16] Expecting an assault, Price repositioned his forces and began building fortifications across the Arkansas River from Little Rock.

Price believed that he could only defend Little Rock against greater Union numbers if his fortifications were directly attacked, but this was unlikely as the Arkansas River was readily crossable at several points in the area.

[19] Another Union force, composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, left Helena on August 11, under the command of Major General Frederick Steele.

[22] The Union units suffered badly from disease,[23] but met only minor resistance with the exception of the August 27 Battle of Bayou Meto.

Davidson feinted at another crossing about 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream, and drove the sharpshooters away with two infantry regiments and artillery fire.

The terrain north of the bayou was wooded and was defended by three regiments and a battalion from Marmaduke's division under the command of Colonel William Jeffers.

[39] Newton's force was a mixture of Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana troops[27] and were positioned behind the bayou's west levee.

[40] The 7th Missouri Cavalry Regiment of Merrill's brigade was detached to support an artillery battery and did not participate in the battle.

[27] Glover sent the 10th Illinois forward, along with Lovejoy's Missouri Battery, but the Federal cavalry was repulsed after driving back Confederate skirmishers.

[41] Glover changed his tactics and had the 10th Illinois and 3rd Missouri Cavalry Regiment fight dismounted, and he also had the 1st Iowa brought over from the Union left.

[42] While Glover slowly pushed Jeffers back,[24] Merrill advanced his men but came under fire from Pratt's battery.

[45] Confederate infantry reinforcements also arrived, but the effect of Steele's artillery fire prevented a counterattack from occurring.

If the remaining unprotected portions of the American Civil War battlefield are to be preserved, immediate coordination is needed among local, state, and national advocates and heritage tourism proponents.