When the Action at Bayou Meto is mentioned by Arkansas historians, they're not talking about duck season at the world-famous George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area. No, they're talking about a Civil War battle (sometimes referred to as the Action at Reed's Bridge) that took place Aug. 27, 1863.

Confederate troops tried to hinder the advance of Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele's Union Army toward Little Rock.

"Steele had advanced steadily across eastern Arkansas during August with a combined force of infantry from Helena and cavalry that had come down Crowley's Ridge from Missouri," writes Arkansas historian Mark Christ. "Though they were harassed by Confederate cavalry and partisans, the Union troops encountered little opposition, with the exception of a sharp clash around Brownsville (north of present-day Lonoke) on Aug. 25.

"A Union probe toward the Confederate works on Bayou Meto (at present-day Jacksonville) was turned back on Aug. 26. On Aug. 27, Brig. Gen. John Davidson's cavalry division advanced on the Confederate defenses on the bayou. Superior Union numbers quickly pushed back advanced Confederate skirmishers. Davidson hurried the Confederate retreat by ordering drums to be beaten to convince Confederates that they were facing Union infantry as well as cavalry.

"After the bulk of the Confederate force fell back across Reed's Bridge over Bayou Meto, the bridge was set on fire. Davidson ordered the First Iowa Cavalry Regiment of the Army of Arkansas to charge the burning bridge. Brig. Gen. John Marmaduke's defenders hit Union horsemen with a barrage of small arms and artillery fire, ending the charge and causing the majority of the Yankee casualties for the day."

Confederate and Union forces were spread out along the bayou's banks and fired at each other from time to time, though the remainder of the battle consisted mostly of artillery fire. There were 45 Union casualties. Confederate losses weren't reported.

"A Union shellburst........

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