Washington in Hempstead County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Confederate Capital
Photographed by Jason Armstrong, April 22, 2023
1. Confederate Capital Marker
When Union troops occupied Little Rock on Sept. 10, 1863, Arkansas's Confederate government relocated to Washington, using the 1836 Hempstead County Courthouse as their Capitol building. The legislature met here Sept. 22 to Oct. 2, 1864, and the state Supreme Court held sessions here. Washington served as headquarters of the Military District of Arkansas and as a supply post for Trans Mississippi Confederate troops. Hospitals were established in town for sick soldiers. The 12th Michigan Infantry came here in June 1865 and used the courthouse as a jail.
Erected 2015 by Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Historic Washington State Park, and Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council. (Marker Number 97.)
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 date for this entry is September 10, 1863.
Location. 33° 46.551′ N, 93° 40.826′ W. Marker is in Washington, Arkansas, in Hempstead County. It can be reached from Franklin Street east of Izard Street, on the right
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Gulf Coastal Plain and in Caddo Territory. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, 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 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Masonic Civil War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Homesite of Dr. Isaac Newton Jones and Elizabeth Littlejohn Jones (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Washington Post Office (about 500 feet away); James Black's Shop (about 600 feet away); Hempstead County In The Civil War (approx. 0.6 miles away); Confederate Dead 1861-1865 (approx. 0.6 miles away); Battle of Prairie De Ann (approx.
Photographed by Jason Armstrong, April 22, 2023
2. Confederate Capital and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2024, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. This page has been viewed 272 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2024, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
