Civil War battlefield in Arkansas sold, to be preserved

In 1864, Union and Confederate soldiers fought for their lives on the land of southwest Arkansas. More than 150 years later, that ground is being saved. In 2016, the Nevada County Depot and Museum, a nonprofit in Prescott, Arkansas, paid close to $1 million to buy about 448 acres of the battlefield along the Little Missouri River, with plans to turn it into a historic site with walking trails for visitors.

The Camden Expedition

In the spring of 1864, Union General Frederick Steele marched south from Little Rock with about 8,500 men. His plan was to join a much larger Union army moving up the Red River in Louisiana and capture Shreveport, the Confederate capital of Louisiana and a key Southern supply center. This campaign became known as the Camden Expedition.

Confederate cavalry under Generals John S. Marmaduke and Joseph O. Shelby fought Steele every step of the way. In early April 1864, they clashed with his army at the crossing of the Little Missouri River, on the ground that is now being preserved.

A Confederate Victory

Steele never reached Shreveport. After the Union army in Louisiana was turned back, Steele found himself deep in hostile country, short on food and harassed by Confederate cavalry. Southern troops won victories at Poison Spring and Marks’ Mills, capturing hundreds of wagons of supplies. Steele was forced to retreat to Little Rock, fighting his way across the Saline River at Jenkins’ Ferry at the end of April. The Camden Expedition was one of the most complete Union failures in the Trans-Mississippi.

Why Preservation Matters

Every year, Civil War battlefields across the country are lost to development. Once a battlefield is paved over, its history is gone for good. Saving land like this honors the brave men who fought and died there and gives students, families and history lovers a place to walk the ground and understand what happened.

Read more about Confederate soldiers of the Trans-Mississippi in The Most Dangerous Man in Arkansas, and browse our Confederate flag collection.

Source: Washington Times / AP: Civil War battlefield in Arkansas sold, to be preserved

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