Fort Smith in Sebastian County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Boom!

Fort Smith National Historic Site

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, September 14, 2025

1. Boom Marker

Inscription.
Cannons were the most powerful and feared weapons of the Civil War. Their ability to fire long distances ensured heavy enemy casualties. The Napoleon, a preferred cannon for both the North and South, allowed artillerymen to shoot a 12-pound cannonball a distance of nearly a mile with reasonable accuracy. It was one of the deadliest killing machines of its time.

For the unfortunate soldiers on the receiving end of the Napoleon, its loud, explosive BOOM meant terror and destruction. For many, it also meant they had just seconds left to live.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil.

Location. 35° 23.299′ N, 94° 25.837′ W. Marker is in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in Sebastian County. It is on Garrison Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 623 Garrison Ave, Fort Smith AR 72901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas River Valley,

in the Cherokee Heritage Region,

and in Osage Territory.

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 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: The Officer’s Quarters (here, next to this marker); The War Begins (within shouting distance of this marker); Defending Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederates Occupy The Fort (within

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shouting distance of this marker); Belle Point (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Wall (within shouting distance of this marker); Meeting of Nations (within shouting distance of this marker); Officer’s Garden (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Smith.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, September 14, 2025

2. Boom Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2025, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 27, 2025, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.