Randolph County Civil War Timeline

Randolph County Civil War Timeline. . , 1861 , . July 22 General William J. Hardee, commander of all 6,000 available troops in Arkansas, established headquarters and training at Pitman's Ferry and mustering at Camp Shaver in Pocahontas. , 1862 , . February March General Earl Van Dorn, Commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederate Army, established headquarters with 16,000 troops at Pocahontas. , . April 1 Skirmish at Pitman's Ferry with: 5th Illinois Cavalry, 21st Illinois Infantry, 38th Illinois Infantry, 16th Ohio Ind. Light Artillery; against Confederate unidentified forces. , . April 21 Skirmish at Pocahontas with Illinois 5th Cavalry; against Confederate unidentified forces. , . October 27 Action at Pitman's Ferry with: Iowa 23rd Infantry, 1st Missouri Cavalry, Missouri 12th State Militia Cavalry, 24th Missouri Cavalry, 25th Missouri Cavalry, Strang's Battery Light Artillery; against Confederate forces under Colonel Burbridge's command. Excerpt from a report by Col. Dewey, Commanding, 2nd Missouri State Militia Cavalry, Cape Giradeau, MO., , . November 2, 1862: "I was now 17 miles from Pitman's Ferry and it was important to make a rapid march and gain possession of the boat. I accordingly detailed 40 picked men to move rapidly forward with the cavalry and gain possession of the ferry. They started at 1 o'clock on the morning of October 27th, 1862, and at 2, I followed with the reserve body. Ten miles this side of the ferry, the advance guard surprised a scouting party of the enemy and captured a captain and thirteen men. They pushed rapidly forward and succeeded in surprising the guards at the ferry, which were dispersed by a volley. Pvt. Richard Lloyd swam the river and brought the boat over to this side. When a mile from the river, a messenger brought me word that the enemy was forming in line of battle on the other side. Lt. Poser, commanding the artillery, informed me that the enemy were planting a battery on the other side. I ordered him to open up on them immediately, which he promptly did, and after a few rounds the enemy scattered and dispersed. I then ordered Lt. Miller to cross the river with his company and deploy them as skirmishers, and follow the enemy as far as practicable; and, to guard his retreat, I ordered Captain Houston to form his company on the river bank near the ferry, leaving the rest of the command in line of battle. At 12 M, Lt. Miller returned and reported the enemy retreating. I reluctantly ordered the men to camp. The next morning, the 28th, I sent a company up the river, and a company down, both on this side, to explore the country and ascertain the position of the various fords. About 11 o'clock, on the morning of the 29th I crossed the artillery over the river, and marched towards Pocahontas, and formed a junction with Colonel Lazare at Bolinger's Mill, 15 miles from the ferry. I ordered a detachment of 50 cavalry to march to Pocahontas to search for horses and contraband goods." , . November 25 Skirmish at Pitman's Ferry with Iowa 23rd Infantry; against Confederate unidentified forces.

1863 , . August 22-23 Actions at Pocahontas with Union Arkansas 2nd Cavalry and Missouri 2nd State Militia Cavalry; against Confederate forces under General Thompson's command. Thompson and his staff are captured at the St. Charles Hotel in Pocahontas. , . August 24 Skirmish at Pocahontas with Missouri 1st Cavalry; against Confederate unidentified forces. , . November The town of Pocahontas, including most of the buildings and many homes, was burned during a Union raid. , 1864 , . January 10 Skirmish at Pocahontas with Nebraska 1st Cavalry; against Confederate unidentified forces. , . March 20 Skirmish at Pocahontas with 3rd Missouri State Militia Cavalry; against Confederate unidentified conscripting party (bushwackers). , . May 8 Skirmish at Cherokee Bay with 3rd Missouri State Militia Cavalry; against Confederate unidentified forces. , . September 13-19 General Sterling Price arrived in Pocahontas with 12,000 troops, and on September 17, The Invasion of Missouri began. , 1865 , . January 24-February 22 Expeditions with Missouri 2nd State Militia Cavalry. , Excerpt from a report by Colonel J.B. Rogers, Commanding, Missouri State Militia Cavalry, Cape Giradeau, MO., February 27, 1865: "With the balance of the troops I pushed on as far as the vicinity of Eleven Point River, some ten miles below Pocahontas. We found the country almost entirely destitute of forage. We killed several guerrillas in that vicinity. Being unable to hear of any force of the enemy, and finding it nearly impossible to subsist either men or horses, I returned to Cherokee Bay, thoroughly scouting the country in pursuit of the guerrilla bands of Reeves and Bowles. 19 guerrillas were killed, and 1 captured. I found that country infested by small bands of guerillas, who will not stand and fight, but subsist by plundering the inhabitants, and the swamps, and the canebreaks of the region afford them secure shelter, rendering it extremely difficult to find and destroy them. I think a post at either Doniphan or Pocahontas would soon dispose of them. I find the sentiment of the people of Northern Arkansas friendly to the United States Government, much more so than in Missouri, and I think it but needs fostering and protection to revive their affection for the old flag. The oppression and wrongs suffered by them from the usurped authority imposed on them serves but to render their remembrance of the olden time, the more to be valued by them. I think a local force could be raised there, loyal and true, sufficiently strong to guard themselves, if arms were furnished them and an opportunity given them to organize."

Civil War River Walk Memorial Design, Research, and Text by Gary D. Gazaway for The 2006 Pocahontas Sesquicentennial Committe, Linda Oakley Bowlin, Chairman. Benches designed and constructed by Mr. Jim Hagar and his Agri. students at Pocahontas Jr. High.