Several
columns ago I wrote about my longtime fascination with Civil War history —
especially the battles and skirmishes fought here in the Natural State. At one
time, I was so into all things Arkansas Civil War that I participated in a
Civil War reenactment.
Through my connections in the Arkansas
living history community, I joined the Confederate artillery at a reenactment
of the battle of Reed’s Bridge near Jacksonville (Pulaski County). I remember
it being an extremely hot Saturday in August — made worse by the authentic wool
uniform I was wearing. But it was fun and educational, and the realism of the
uniforms and weaponry made it feel as though I was actually in a battle.
For those not familiar with the battle,
the action occurred on Aug. 27, 1863, alongside what is now Highway 161 on the
banks of Bayou Meto, a tributary of the Arkansas River. (The battle is
sometimes referred to as the battle of Bayou Meto.)
The previous day, Union forces led by
Brig. Gen. John Davidson clashed with Confederate forces led by Brig. Gens.
Lucius Walker and John Marmaduke at Brownsville, north of present-day Lonoke.
The battle began when Union troops from
the 10th Illinois Cavalry Regiment ran into the Confederates about 5 miles from
the Bayou Meto. Union forces caused the rebels to retreat for 2 miles.
Marmaduke then deployed his army between Union troops and the river. A Union
attack drove the Confederates back across a toll bridge over the river owned
and operated by local resident John H. Reed.
With his men safely across, Marmaduke
ordered the toll bridge burned. But the two opposing forces spent the remainder
of the day firing at one another along the Bayou Meto. Union troops retreated
at sunset to their camp at Brownsville. According to Union records, seven men were
killed and 38 were wounded. Confederate losses are not known.
Although they had won the battle of Reed’s
Bridge, the Confederates left the area and took up a new position about 5 miles
from Little Rock. During the battle of Reed’s Bridge and the days afterwards,
the relationship between Marmaduke and Walker completely fell apart,
culminating in Walker's death in the Marmaduke-Walker duel on Sept. 6 near what
is now North Little Rock. Marmaduke was arrested but released. He survived the
war and later became governor of Missouri.
After Union troops defeated the
Confederates at the battle of Bayou Fourche (near the location of the
present-day Clinton National Airport) on Sept. 10, 1863, Union Maj. Gen.
Frederick Steele and his men marched into Little Rock and took control of the
city.
Today, much of Reed’s Bridge battlefield
has been preserved by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society and
looks much as it did at the time of the battle. Replica buildings, cannons and
interpretive markers dot the fields along the Bayou Meto, allowing visitors to
learn more about the battle. Admission is free. Donations are accepted.
As we all know, the American Civil War
ended with the Confederates’ surrender in April 1865. But on a hot day in
August 1863 at a toll bridge over a murky river in central Arkansas, the men in
gray actually won. This allowed me — some 150 years later — to be on the
winning side, even if the cannon I helped man didn’t really fire cannonballs.
A proud sixth-generation Arkansan,
Darrell W. Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He lives on beautiful Lake
Norrell in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and their two beloved Boston
Terriers. Find him on Facebook and Instagram at AllAroundArkansas.
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