Fort Smith in Sebastian County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Confederate [and] Union Occupation of Fort Smith
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 17, 2016
1. Confederate Occupation of Fort Smith Marker (Side A)
Inscription.
Confederate [and] Union Occupation of Fort Smith. . On April 23, 1861, the U.S. garrison at Fort Smith abandoned the post as Confederate militiamen approached. Fort Smith became an important recruiting and training center for Confederate forces in west Arkansas. Troops from Fort Smith fought at Wilson's Creek, Mo., in 1861, and participated in the battle of Pea Ridge March 7-8, 1862. Confederate Gen. Thomas C. Hindman led an army from Fort Smith to the bloody combat at Prairie Grove on Dec. 7, 1862. The post remained under Confederate control until Union forces took Fort Smith Sept. 1, 1863., On Sept. 1, 1863, U.S. troops under Gen. James Blunt seized Ft. Smith. It remained a Union post for the duration of the war. Fort Smith became a haven for white war refugees and former slaves, many of whom joined the Union army. Fort Smith troops fought in the 1864 Camden Expedition, but most local fighting focused on guerrilla units infesting the area. In the summer of 1864, Union troops withstood a series of Confederate attacks from the Indian Territory. Soldiers and civilians faced a supply shortage until peace came in 1865.,
Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission , Preserve America, National Park Service, Department of the Interior , Fort Smith National Historic Site , Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club , Rotary Club of Fort Smith.
On April 23, 1861, the U.S. garrison at Fort Smith abandoned the post as Confederate militiamen approached. Fort Smith became an important recruiting and training center for Confederate forces in west Arkansas. Troops from Fort Smith fought at Wilson's Creek, Mo., in 1861, and participated in the battle of Pea Ridge March 7-8, 1862. Confederate Gen. Thomas C. Hindman led an army from Fort Smith to the bloody combat at Prairie Grove on Dec. 7, 1862. The post remained under Confederate control until Union forces took Fort Smith Sept. 1, 1863.
On Sept. 1, 1863, U.S. troops under Gen. James Blunt seized Ft. Smith. It remained a Union post for the duration of the war. Fort Smith became a haven for white war refugees and former slaves, many of whom joined the Union army. Fort Smith troops fought in the 1864 Camden Expedition, but most local fighting focused on guerrilla units infesting the area. In the summer of 1864, Union troops withstood a series of Confederate attacks from the Indian Territory. Soldiers and civilians faced a supply shortage until peace came in 1865.
Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission
Preserve America, National Park Service, Department of the Interior
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club
Rotary Club of Fort Smith
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Erected 2011 by Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission. (Marker Number 15.)
Location. 35° 23.281′ N, 94° 25.723′ W. Marker is in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in Sebastian County. Marker is on Rogers Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith AR 72901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 1,014 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on January 21, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 28, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.