Pine Bluff in Jefferson County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Boone-Murphy House
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Union Strategy and Pine Bluff

Boone-Murphy House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, July 5, 2026

1. Boone-Murphy House Marker

Inscription.
Boone-Murphy House Following the Union capture of Little Rock on Sept. 10, 1863, citizens of Pine Bluff asked that a Union garrison be stationed there for their protection. Gen. Frederick Steele sent the veteran 5th Kansas Cavalry and 1st Indiana Cavalry to establish a post. Union commander Col. Powell Clayton set up his headquarters and home in the Boone-Murphy House, which was then located at 702 W. Second Ave. Claytons troops, aided by former slaves from nearby refugee camps, fought off Confederate attackers Oct. 25, 1863, and retained control of Pine Bluff.

Union Strategy and Pine Bluff Beginning with a January 1863 victory at Arkansas Post, Union strategists sought to gain control of the Arkansas River valley. Control of the region would both divide the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy and help to return a secessionist capital to the Union. U.S. forces captured Little Rock and Fort Smith in September 1863, winning effective dominance of the river valley. A permanent garrison at Pine Bluff both cemented Union power over the lower Arkansas River and command of a vital crossroads, but also made a tempting target for Confederates.

Erected 2012

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by Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Pine Bluff Advertising and Tourist Promotion Commission, Pine Bluff Historic District Commission, Heckatoo Heritage Foundation, Jefferson County Civil War Sesquicentennial Collaborative, Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council. (Marker Number 29.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1863.

Location. 34° 13.556′ N, 92° 0.625′ W. Marker is in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in Jefferson County. It is on West 4th Avenue east of South Oak Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 714 W 4th Ave, Pine Bluff AR 71601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas Delta

and in the Quapaw Homeland.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself

Union Strategy and Pine Bluff Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, July 5, 2026

2. Union Strategy and Pine Bluff Marker

in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Saint Andrew's — A Black Episcopal Mission (approx. 0.3 miles away); Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Joseph Bonne Cabin (approx. 0.4 miles away); Saenger Theatre (approx. 0.4 miles away); Barraque Street (approx. 0.4 miles away); Auguste La noir de Serville (approx. half a mile away); Battle of Pine Bluff (approx. half a mile away); A Memorial to the War that United the North and South (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pine Bluff.

Other markers no longer nearby. Dedicated to Miss Willie K. Hocker (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing); a different marker also named Dedicated to Miss Willie K. Hocker (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . Encyclopedia of Arkansas on the Boone-Murphy House. (Submitted on April 8, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Boone-Murphy House / Union Strategy and Pine Bluff Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 4, 2021

3. Boone-Murphy House / Union Strategy and Pine Bluff Marker

Boone-Murphy House (circa 1860) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 4, 2021

4. Boone-Murphy House (circa 1860)

Also the Pine Bluff Military and Veteran's Museum.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 4, 2021

5. Boone-Murphy House Marker

Before refurbishment

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 4, 2021

6. Union Strategy and Pine Bluff Marker

Before refurbishment

Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 8, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 680 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 12, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 8, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.

Boone-Murphy House⎯⎯⎯Union Strategy and Pine Bluff

Boone-Murphy House
⎯⎯⎯
Union Strategy and Pine Bluff