Good to hear from you. As a matter of course most battles are more often won by manuvering rather than fighting. The Army that can manuver usually will win. This is why Lee did not want to get pin into the trenches at Petersburg. Price's Army was the one pin into the trenches and that is not a slam on Price.

It is just in this case I don't believe that Steele's manuvering was even intended to force Price out of his trenches.

I believe that Steele was headed to Pine Bluff to link up with Smith's Division out of Vicksburg. But the Battle of Fouche Bayou happen and the Confederate Army collapsed and there Little Rock was wide open for Steele to march in. One reason I believe this is, why didn't Steele follow the retreating Confederates immediately? Why did he give them time to withdraw, even if the Confederate did do that in a hurry, to burn boats, and other things.

There certainly wasn't anyone to oppose him was there?