Poison Springs Battleground State Park
What to know
Three Civil War battles took place in south central Arkansas in the spring of 1864 as part of the Union Army’s Red River Campaign. The sites of these skirmishes – Poison Springs, Marks’ Mills, and Jenkins Ferry – and the 1836 Courthouse at Historic Washington State Park, which served as Arkansas’ Confederate capital, comprise the Red River Campaign National Historic Landmark.
The attack on April 18 began near a place the locals call Poison Springs. When the battle ended, the Union force of more than 1,100 had been reduced to 800. Another 80 Federals were killed as they clawed their way back to Camden through the bottomlands. Fewer than 20 Confederates were killed in the victory that kept much-needed supplies from enemy hands. Poison Springs Battleground State Park features outdoor interpretive exhibits and picnic sites.
The attack on April 18 began near a place the locals call Poison Springs. When the battle ended, the Union force of more than 1,100 had been reduced to 800. Another 80 Federals were killed as they clawed their way back to Camden through the bottomlands. Fewer than 20 Confederates were killed in the victory that kept much-needed supplies from enemy hands. Poison Springs Battleground State Park features outdoor interpretive exhibits and picnic sites.