Hot Afternoon - Midway: July 1st

Infantry from both armies had their sights set on Midway Junction on July 1^st. The question was who would arrive there first. Divisions were converging on Midway from as far away as Wiggs, Lawrence, Rockport, Arkadelphia and Raymond. By the early afternoon, forces were in the vicinity and starting to approach the junction. Two Federal Divisions were approaching up the Rockport Pike from the east and a Confederate Division had arrived on the same road from the west and was making its way around the southern slopes of Cole Hill.

The Federals had a solid plan for taking Midway Junction if they found it occupied. The Federal 4^th Division under Brigadier General Benjamin Piatt, would advance on the junction up the Rockport Pike from the southeast. The 1^st Division, under Major General William Mallory, would branch off to the north at Crossley Hill Road and go as far as the Harley Farm. It would then move east through the Harley Woods towards Cole Hill and wheel left to face south towards the junction. As Major General Piatt turned a corner in the road and could see the junction, he could also see several Confederate officers congregating there.

Midway Junction is the junction of the Hot Spring – Springs Arkadelphia Road and the Rockport Pike. It is actually two junctions in the form of a “dog leg.”  The southern portion of the junction is where the Rockport Pike joins from the east and the direction of Saginaw, Social Hill and Rockport. The northern portion of junction has the Rockport Pike leading west towards Lambert, Beaton and Raymond. The “two junctions” are only separated by about 50 yards and thus are known collectively as “Midway Junction.”  The junction is at the southeast slopes of Cole Hill and Major General Piatt found the slope towards the junction to be quite steep as he deployed his division with one brigade on each side of the road and a third brigade in reserve across the road. His batteries looked for firing positions to support an advance.

As Piatt waited for a signal from Mallory’s 1^st Division that it was in position, enemy units began joining their officers at the junction, first a Missouri Brigade that deployed near the northern junction and then a Florida Battery that deployed just south of the southern junction. As the enemy was arriving, Piatt heard the sound of firing to his northwest, in the direction of Mallory’s position. The 4^th Division launched forward in an attempt to take the junction while the enemy was still deploying. His men moved out in double line formation and started their ascent up the hill leading to Midway Junction.

As the 4^th Division advanced, Major General Clinton Swain was bringing his Confederate division (3^rd Division) into position to meet the attack. Black’s Missouri Brigade opened fire on the advancing Federal right, which was entering a patch of woods north of Rockport Pike. The Federal left had no cover and soon came under canister fire from the St. Petersburg Battery of six 12lb Napoleons. The battery was supported by Brevet Brigadier General Frank Rector’s Kentucky Brigade, a hard-luck brigade that had suffered heavily in failed attacks at both Tulip Creek and White Fox Tavern. It was grateful to be on the defending side of the fight, firing down the hill at the approaching enemy. Rector was, however, greatly outnumbered by the brigade to his front, which continued to advance and appeared to be gathering momentum.

Major General Swain saw that his left was secure, but was concerned about the continued advance against his right. He committed Schuyler’s Florida Brigade to help defend the St. Petersburg Battery. Schuyler had been re-enforced by two Arkansas Battalions that had been raised during the lull immediately after the Tulip Creek Campaign. They had their first taste of action at White Fox Tavern, where Schuyler and Black wrestled with Major General Edward Stanley’s Division in the trenches near the tavern. By the time the Floridians were getting into position, however, the Federals had already decided to call off the assault. Schuyler’s men only fired a few rounds and then gave cheers with the rest of Swain’s Division as Piatt’s men withdrew. With the exception of one regiment, however, Piatt’s men fell back in good order on their own terms and reformed in a threatening position only a few hundred yards away.

North of Midway Junction, Major General Mallory’s men had come out of the Harley Woods near the DeLisle Junction, just north of the northeast slopes of Cole Hill. As soon as they emerged from the woods, they came under fire from a brigade of cavalry which Mallory identified as Dibble’s Brigade (formerly Holcomb’s Brigade), with which he had been engaged during previous campaigns. Mallory deployed Pease’s Brigade and Hollosetter’s Brigade to drive back the cavalry, who retreated shortly after engaging. Dibble’s men did not go far, however. As Mallory attempted to form his division to move south on Midway Junction, Dibble attacked again and Mallory was forced to engage, delaying his arrival at the junction to his south and causing him to be unable to support Piatt’s attack. Dibble retreated slightly to the northwest of DeLisle Junction and Mallory left Woods Brigade across the Hot Springs – Arkadelphia Road south of DeLisle Junction, with Burke’s Battery in support across the road on an elevated position to its rear. Pease’s and Hollosetter’s Brigades then faced south and began to advance on Midway Junction.

When Dibble had done all that he could to delay Mallory, he sent word to Major General Swain that his right flank was threatened. With Piatt still assuming a menacing posture to his front, Swain had no option to withdraw. His men left Midway Junction and marched in good order to Kelly Hill, leaving the junction to the Army of the Arkansas 1^st and 4^th Divisions.  Piatt’s men began moving into position at the junction by around 4:00 p.m., as additional Federal Divisions began to arrive from the north.

Brigadier General Louis M. Nagle’s Division (5^th Division) had spent the night at Wiggs and was under orders to proceed to Midway. At 6:00 a.m. it started its march eastward to Army Headquarters at Hot Springs and then south towards Midway. It was soon joined by Brigadier General Johnson B. Rooney’s Division (3^rd Division), which was coming from Lambert and also heading to Midway. The two divisions marched with the 5^th Division in the lead, crossing Still Creek and arriving at the Taylor House around 4:00 p.m.  They had already received word that there was cavalry across the Hot Springs – Arkadelphia Road, and they were met by Colonel Neal of the 20^th Ohio Cavalry at Taylor. He said that Martin’s Brigade was deployed at the Blakely Creek Road Junction to the immediate south. Rooney halted the 3^rd Division to rest in columns, as Nagle deployed his men and advanced to the Blakely Creek Junction to push aside Martin’s Brigade.

Brigadier General Benjamin Martin is not easy to push aside. His brigade of Arkansas cavalry (later joined by the 19^th Missouri) joined Major General Cyrus Hackett’s cavalry division as its 3^rd Brigade during the Tulip Creek Campaign. Martin’s men were completely green with no experience whatsoever in the field. After weeks of skirmishing with Col. Marple’s Brigade of the Army of the Arkansas cavalry division, Martin’s men had become formidable soldiers of excellent quality. By the beginning of July 1864, there are some who would argue that Martin’s cavalry brigade is the best brigade in either army in the campaign theatre. Martin had his men deployed and engaged with Col. Dennis Bradley’s Brigade of the 5^th Division at the junction.

Bradley had expected the cavalry to give way as soon as his first line struck them, but Martin’s men held their positions. Bradley extended his line with his rear rank regiments to increase the volume of fire on the southern horsemen, but Martin still held, extracting a heavy toll on Bradley’s infantry. Col. Potts moved his brigade through a patch of woods to the east of the Hot Springs – Arkadelphia Road until he reached Blakely Creek Road and then moved on Martin’s right flank. Martin started to fall back, shirting his line to the west to avoid Potts and continue to engage Bradley in some copses of trees west of the road.

Part of Martin’s Brigade was driven back, but then moved on Bradley’s right and right rear through the Fenton Farm, where there was a field of hay. Ocker’s Brigade, which had been the 5^th Division reserve on the Hot Springs Road was committed and advanced at the double quick into the Fenton Hayfield and fought with two of Martin’s regiments, driving them back. Martin and Dibble had both been assigned to delay Federal advances down the Hot Springs – Arkadelphia Road, and Martin had done his job and started withdrawing towards Cole Hill, maintaining his brigade’s reputation as seasoned veterans.

Because Martin was obviously still a threat, Nagle ordered the 5^th Division to continue pursuit of the cavalry. Having cleared the road, the 3^rd Division was able to resume its march southward toward Midway Junction, which was already in Federal hands. Before Rooney’s men had reached the DeLisle Road Junction, however, they were surprised by a Confederate cavalry regiment dashing out of the woods on the east side of the road and 180^th Indiana. It was the 19^th Missouri, which had been separated from the brigade and cut off by Potts Brigade as Potts advanced to the southwest. The 19^th and 180^th fought very briefly and then the 19^th disappeared back into the woods to the east, never to be seen again during the day. As Rooney reached the northeast slope of Cole Hill, he found Woods Brigade and Burke’s Battery still in position as the 1^st Division rear guard. Colonel Woods stated that he was reluctant to rejoin his division because of the cavalry action he had been witnessing to the north. As they spoke, fire erupted to their immediate northwest along the DeLisle Road, but Brigadier General Rooney assured the colonel that Nagle would have the situation under control and Woods’ Brigade and Captain Burke’s Battery joined the 3^rd Division over the eastern slopes of Cole Hill to the junction.

Meanwhile, Nagle’s Division was engaged again against Martin, who had set up a line along the wood line on the northern slopes of Cole Hill with its left at the Stuart house. Bradley’s Brigade led the attack for the second time, struggling up the woods on the lower slopes of the hill and then opening fire across the DeLisle Road against Martin’s men on the other side. Again, Bradley had to extend his line and increase the level of fire against the cavalrymen to push them back. Potts crossed the DeLisle Road on Martin’s right and then began to move onto his flank. It was almost dusk and dark in the woods, so Martin decided to retire for the day. He withdrew in good order and took his brigade (less the 19^th Missouri which was still separated), across Cole Hill and the Yeagher Farm to a position on the Confederate left.

Following Martin over Cole Hill, Major General Nagle stopped the 5^th Division at the wood line at the southern slopes of the hill near the Yeagher Farm. It was almost dart and he deployed, throwing out skirmishers to the farm and the woods to his left front. He had inadvertently come into position on the far right of the Union line. His skirmishers joined with skirmishers from the 1^st Division on his left. The 1^st and 4^th Division had deployed at the junction, with the 3^rd Division arriving before dark. The two sides shelled each other until darkness set in, with the Confederate line running through the woods south of Yeagher, across the Kelly Hill Road and up to the Kelly House at the crest of the hill. Major General Thomas Bowden’s 8^th Division had arrived in the late afternoon and extended the line down to at least as far as the Hot Springs Arkadelphia Road.

As both sides were preparing count their losses and cease hostilities for the night, a brigade of Federal infantry drove in a Georgia regiment that had been on the skirmish line and broke through the woods northeast of Kelly. The Federals struck at Swain’s Missouri and Kentucky Brigades, opened fire, turned around and marched back in the direction from which they came, leaving the Confederates perplexed as to its intentions. Night then settled in and both sides gathered information to determine what had happened, where everyone was in position and what they should do the next morning…