title: Battle of Pine Bluff
text: The Battle of Pine Bluff, also known as the Action at Pine Bluff, was an engagement fought on October 25, 1863 in Jefferson County, Arkansas during the American Civil War. The Post of Pine Bluff, a United States garrison commanded by Colonel Powell Clayton, successfully defended the town against attacks led by Confederate Brigadier-General John S. Marmaduke's cavalry division. Much of the fighting took place near Jefferson Courthouse, which the Confederates tried unsuccessfully to set ablaze. The Union victory ensured Pine Bluff was occupied by U.S. forces until the end of the war.
  
  Background 
  
  After the capture of Little Rock on September 10, 1863, Union forces occupied several towns along the Arkansas. Confederate Brigadier-General John S. Marmaduke, commanding a cavalry division, decided to test their strength at Pine Bluff. On Sunday, October 25th, Marmaduke attacked the Post of Pine Bluff, a U.S. garrison commanded by Colonel Powell Clayton of the 5th Kansas Cavalry.
  
  Battle 
  At , Marmaduke's 2,000 Confederate cavalry approached Pine Bluff from three sides. The 550 Federal cavalrymen and Missouri militia, supported by 300 freedmen, barricaded the courthouse square with cotton-bales and positioned the cannon to command the adjacent streets. Marmaduke's Division made several attacks upon the square, then attempted to set the county courthouse on fire. They were unsuccessful and withdrew to Princeton, Arkansas.
  
  See also  
   List of American Civil War battles
   Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1863
  
  References
  
  Further reading
  
  External links 
  
   
   Battle of Pine Bluff at Historical Marker Database
  
   
  1863 in Arkansas
  1863 in the American Civil War
  Battles of the American Civil War in Arkansas
  Battles of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
  Cavalry raids of the American Civil War
  Battle of Pine Bluff
  October 1863 events
  Union victories of the American Civil War
  Pine Bluff