At Reed's Bridge on Bayou Meto, Confederate troops fell back from the August 25, 1863, Brownsville skirmish to establish a strong position against the Union advance on Little Rock. Early on the morning of August 27, Confederate skirmishers and sharpshooters engaged Union troops advancing from Brownsville along the old military road until Confederate artillery opened fire. In the fighting, Confederate forces withdrew across the bayou, tarred and burned the bridge, and fired on the advancing Federals as they neared it, while Union cavalry charged in an effort to save the bridge and Union artillery was brought forward to answer the Confederate guns. Both sides claimed victory, with the Confederates retiring to Little Rock and the Federals to Brownsville.