hesitant to attempt the movement towards Shreveport due to the difficulty of maintaining a supply line while moving through Arkansas. Two Union forces were intended to partake in the advance: a 3,600-man force commanded by Brigadier-General John M. Thayer, which was located at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Steele's main 6,800-man force, which had been camped at Little Rock, Arkansas. Many of the Confederate troops in the area had been moved south by Smith to oppose Banks' advance. The Confederate units that remained in Arkansas were under the command of Major General Sterling Price. Price attempted to slow Steele's march through delaying tactics, as Smith hoped to defeat Banks' column while Price kept Steele occupied. In one such delaying action, the Battle of Elkin's Ferry, Confederate cavalry under brigadiers-general John S. Marmaduke and Joseph O. Shelby attacked Steele's column while it was still separated from Thayer's, but were repulsed. On April 9, 1864, Thayer's Union column joined Steele. Steele's combined force began to have supply issues, especially the lack of food. This forced Steele to request that a supply train be sent to his army from Little Rock. Despite the supply issues, Steele advanced to Prairie D'Ane on April 10 and defeated Price at the Battle of Prairie D'Ane. However, lack of supplies forced Steele's Union force to head east towards Camden, Arkansas after Prairie D'Ane. Meanwhile, Price was reinforced on April 13 by a division commanded by Brigadier-General Samuel B. Maxey, which included a brigade of Confederate-sympathizing Native Americans under Colonel Tandy Walker. By April 15, Steele's Union forces had occupied Camden. Lack of supplies continued to be an issue for the Union forces; Steele dispatched approximately 1,100 men under the command of Colonel James M. Williams on April 17 to search for food. Battle Williams' command consisted of the 1st Kansas Infantry (Colored), the 18th Iowa Infantry, four cannons, and elements of several cavalry regiments. The Confederates learned of the supply train and sent a force composed of Marmaduke's cavalry and a brigade commanded by Brigadier General William L. Cabell. This force was later augmented by Maxey's Confederate division, giving the Confederates a total strength of about 3,500 available men. Marmaduke had been in command of the force, but as Maxey had seniority over Marmaduke, Maxey took overall command. The Confederate plan of battle was to block the path of the wagon train with Marmaduke and Cabell's troops, and