Evening Shade in Sharp County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
The Sharp Family and the Civil War / The Civil War in Sharp County
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
1. The Sharp Family and the Civil War Marker
Installed and dedicated in 2016.
Inscription.
The Sharp Family and the Civil War, also, The Civil War in Sharp County. .
The Sharp Family and the Civil War. Ephraim Sharp, namesake of Sharp County, and his brother William were prominent Evening Shade businessmen when the Civil War began. William served in the state legislature in 1860 and opposed Arkansas’s secession. The Sharp family was divided by the Civil War. While Ephraim and William remained loyal to the Union, other family members fought for the Confederacy. Ephraim was elected to serve in the Unionist legislature in Little Rock in 1864 and represented the area in the 1868 General Assembly when Sharp County was created from western Lawrence County.
The Civil War in Sharp County. Loyalties ran both ways in Sharp County in the Civil War, with some men rushing to join Confederate units after Arkansas seceded on May 6, 1861, while others continued to support the Union. U.S. troops came through Evening Shade in early 1862, and both sides patrolled and camped in the area. There were skirmishes in Sharp County in 1863 and 1864. Violence continued after the war with the murder of a Freedmen’s Bureau agent on Dec. 25, 1867. Post-war politics saw Sharp County created July 18, 1868, with Evening Shade as the county seat, later moved to Ash Flat.
The Sharp Family and the Civil War
Ephraim Sharp, namesake of Sharp County, and his brother William were prominent Evening Shade businessmen when the Civil War began. William served in the state legislature in 1860 and opposed Arkansas’s secession. The Sharp family was divided by the Civil War. While Ephraim and William remained loyal to the Union, other family members fought for the Confederacy. Ephraim was elected to serve in the Unionist legislature in Little Rock in 1864 and represented the area in the 1868 General Assembly when Sharp County was created from western Lawrence County.
The Civil War in Sharp County
Loyalties ran both ways in Sharp County in the Civil War, with some men rushing to join Confederate units after Arkansas seceded on May 6, 1861, while others continued to support the Union. U.S. troops came through Evening Shade in early 1862, and both sides patrolled and camped in the area. There were skirmishes in Sharp County in 1863 and 1864. Violence continued after the war with the murder of a Freedmen’s Bureau agent on Dec. 25, 1867. Post-war politics saw Sharp County created July 18, 1868, with Evening Shade as the county seat, later moved to Ash Flat.
Location. 36° 4.32′ N, 91° 37.268′ W. Marker is in Evening Shade, Arkansas, in Sharp County. Marker is at the intersection of Court Street and Spring Street, on the left when traveling north on Court Street. Located behind the Evening Shade Pavilion. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Evening Shade AR 72532, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Sharp County Court House (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old Baptist Church (approx. 4.4 miles away); In Honor of all who Served (approx. 10 miles away).
Also see . . . Sharp County. Encyclopedia of Arkansas website entry (Submitted on June 15, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
2. The Civil War in Sharp County Marker
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
3. Looking south towards marker at Evening Shape Pavilion.
This is the site of the original Sharp County Courthouse.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 3, 2021
4. Former Evening Shade jail in background.
Until 1967, Sharp County had two county seats--the other was located at Hardy. The Evening Shade courthouse is long gone but this jail survives.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 15, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 8, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 415 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 8, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
