DeValls Bluff in Prairie County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
DeValls Bluff in the Civil War
Photographed By Mark Hilton, August 3, 2016
1. DeValls Bluff in the Civil War Marker
DeValls Bluff was strategically important to both the Union and Confederate armies as a major White River port and as head of the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad. It became a key Union supply depot after its fall 1863 occupation, as well as a haven for refugees, both freedmen and white. Mounted Confederates operated around the town during 1864, attacking the railroad and Union troops on the nearby prairie. After the war ended, the Freedmens Bureau had an office in DeValls Bluff, aiding the newly freed African-Americans in the area.
Erected 2010 by Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, City of DeValls Bluff, Arnold Family Foundation, Preserve America, NPS. (Marker Number 2.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.
Location. 34° 47.047′ N, 91° 27.523′ W. Marker is in DeValls Bluff, Arkansas, in Prairie County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (State Highway 33) and Prairie Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Main Street.
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. DeValls Bluff Under Fire (here, next to this marker); Why DeValls Bluff (a few steps from this marker); Common Ground for Many Soldiers (a few steps from this marker); War on the White River (a few steps from this marker); DeValls Bluff: A Key Union Base (a few steps from this marker); Memphis and Little Rock Railroad (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named The Memphis and Little Rock Railroad (about 700 feet away); DeValls Bluff: A Major Union Riverport (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in DeValls Bluff.
Regarding DeValls Bluff in the Civil War. Additional interpretive markers next to this marker in Rhodes Park further explain DeValls Bluff role in the Civil War.
Also see . . .
1. DeValls Bluff role in the Civil War. Encyclopedia of Arkansas website entry (Submitted on August 3, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
2. DeValls Bluff. Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism website entry (Submitted on March 4, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, August 3, 2016
2. Other nearby markers note DeValls Bluff's role in the Civil War.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, August 3, 2016
3. View of marker looking south on Main Street. (AR-33)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,001 times since then and 96 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 3, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
