In nominator HF's words, "This article tells the story of what one academic has described as the 'worst war crime ever committed on Arkansas soil'. On April 18, a Union wagon train was ambushed by Confederate cavalry. Despite the sounds of the battle being audible at the main Union camp, no assistance was sent. The battle then devolves into racially motivated butchery. While not as well-known as the Fort Pillow Massacre or the Lawrence Massacre, this is still one of the most infamous war crimes of the American Civil War."
HF's second FA of the month concerns a politician, lawyer and soldier who saw combat in the American Civil War, leading a militia unit into battle against the US Army while a sitting member of the United States House of Representatives. Unsurprisingly this led to his being expelled from the US Congress and moving to the Confederate States Senate. He was not nominated for a second Senate term due to allegations of alcoholism, mendacity, and womanizing but was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. After the defeat of the Confederacy Clark fled to Mexico and was arrested upon his return to Texas in late 1865. He was released after several months and practised law for the rest of his life.
In their nomination statement Hog Farm described this as "A fairly confusing ACW naval action". It covers a naval battle on the Mississippi River in Tennessee that took place on 10 May 1862. The Confederates launched a surprise attack against early riverine ironclads using "cottonclad" ramships. The plan worked because the Union vessels were largely unprepared. While two ironclads were sunk, the action accomplished nothing of long-term significance and the two ironclads were back in service in less than two months.
About The Bugle
First published in 2006, the Bugle is the monthly newsletter of the English Wikipedia's Military history WikiProject.