Marks' Mills Battlefield Site Highway 8 & 97 Cleveland County, Arkansas N33.46.866 W092.15.399 National Register of Historic Places -  #70000119

Facts After getting in the neighborhood of the supply train, Gen. Shelby was ordered on the road leading to Mount Elba to intercept the train and attack on the front. Cabell's Brigade moved up to the road leading direct to Marks' Mills. As they moved down the Marks' Mills road the enemies pickets were soon encountered. The thundering of the on-coming train was distinctly heard - THE BATTLE HAD BEGUN! The driver of the first wagon of the Union Train was killed near this spot. Placed here by Edgar & sue (Marks) Colvin - October 2001.

After getting in the neighborhood of the surly train, Gen. Shelby was ordered on the road leading to Mount Elba, to intercept the train and attack on the front. Cabell's Brigade moved up to the road leading direct to Marks' Mills. As they moved down the Marks' Mill Road, the enemies pickets were soon encountered. The thundering of the on-coming train was distinctly heard. THE BATTLE HAD BEGUN! The driver of the first wagon of the Union train was killed near this spot. "La and Ar History" BY Evans P-257. - Edgar Colvin, June 24, 1996.

A look alike Limber Built by Edgar Colvin of Pine Bluff Used to pull cannon and carry munitions and powder. Originals were wood & copper to prevent sparks. Two men of gun crew usually rode on limber. - Colvin, May 7, 1996 A Look Alike 1857 Smoothbore Napoleon Cannon (all metal) Built by Edgar Colvin of Pine Bluff Artillery used during battle. Eight cannons were used by the south. The common model was the 1857 modified version of the smoothbore Napoleon in both the 6 and 12 pounds. (Use the solid shot, exploding shell and spherical case shot.) The north had four James rifled cannons. (used both solid shot and shell type.) The relics found on the battlefield included both 6 and 12 pounders of solid shot, case shot, exploding shells, and canister type. (Lead and iron) A 12 pdr. Napoleon with 2.5 pounds powder charge and at 5 degrees elevation would shot solid shot 1680 yards. - Edgar Colvin, May 3, 1996.

Order of Battle Battle of Marks Mills April 25, 1864 Union Forces Commander of the escort to the wagon train: Lt. Col. Francis Drake 43rd Indiana Infantry: Major W.W. Norris 36th Iowa Infantry: A.H. Hamilton 77th Ohio Infantry: Captain A.J. McCormick Battery E, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery (4 guns): Lt. Charles Peetz Detachment, 1st Indiana Cavalry: & Det. 7th Mo. Cavalry; Major M. McCauley Detachment, 7th Mo. Cavalry & Det. 5th Mo. Cavalry Major H.P. Spellman 1st Iowa Cavalry: Lt. Col. J.W. Caldwell Confederate Forces Brig. Gen. James F. Fagan in command of the Confederate Forces Cabell's Provisional Division: Brig. Gen. William L. Cabell Cabell's Brigade: General Cabell 1st Arkansas Cavalry: Colonel J.C. Monroe 2nd Arkansas Cavalry: Col. T.J. Morgan 4th Arkansas Cavalry: Col. A. Gordon 7th Arkansas Cavalry: Col. J.F. Hill Harrell's Battalion Arkansas State Troops: Lt. Col.J.M. Harrell Gunters Arkansas Cavalry Battalion: Lt. Col. T.M. Gunter Hugheys Arkansas Battery (4 guns): Captain W.M. Hughey Dockery's Brigade: General Dockery 12th Arkansas Mounted Infantry Battalion 18th, 19th, & 20th Arkansas Mounted Infantry Wright's Brigade: Col. John Wright (Shelby's Division) 2nd Arkansas Cavalry: Capt. O.B. Tebbs Crawford's Arkansas Cavalry Regiment Poe's Arkansas Cavalry Battalion: Major J.E. Poe M. Murtrey's Arkansas Cavalry Battalion: Major E.L. McMurtrey Shelby's Provisional Division: Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby Shank's Brigade: Col. David Shanks 1st Missouri Cavalry Battalion: Major B. Elliott 5th Missouri Cavalry: Col. B.F. Gordon 11th Missouri Cavalry: Col. M.V. Smith 12th Missouri Cavalry Regiment: Col. D.C. Hunter Collin's Missouri Battery (4 guns): Captain R.A. Collins - Edgar Colvin, June 17, 1996

Site of Union Defeat Made Historic Landmark (Reprinted from the Pine Bluff Commercial, April 24, 1994) Family Ties, Vol. X, #1, May 1994 A disastrous Civil War expedition for the Union Army in South Arkansas has become a National Historic Landmark. The Camden Expedition National Historic Landmark includes nine site along a route from Little Rock to near Hope, to Camden and back to Little Rock. "It's the first time we've tied a campaign all together," Edwin C. Bearss, the National Park Service's chief historian, said at Friday's announcement outside the Arkansas Museum of Science and History at Little Rock's MacArthur Park. "Individuall, this is not Gettysburg," Bearss said. "Collectively, this was the only major disaster the Union ran into in 1864." The museum, once the U.S. Arsenal building and the expedition's starting point, is included in the designation. Other sites are: Elkin's Ferry Battleground, north of Prescott; Prairie D'Ane Battlefield, in and west of Prescott; the Confederate State Capitol at Old Washington State Park; Fort Southerland at Camden; Fort Lookout at Camden, Poison Spring Battlefield, northwest of Camden; Marks' Mills Battlefield, east of Fordyce, and Jenkin's Ferry Battlefield, southwest of Sheridan. During the Camden Expedition ,also known as the Red River Campaign, the Union Army led by Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele tried to invade Texas from March 23 - May 3, 1864. Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks, coming from Louisiana, planned to join Steele at the Red River in southwest Arkansas. A successful campaign would have placed reconstruction governments in Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana to help President Lincoln's re-election bid that fall and secure a new cotton supply for Northern textile factories. But the Confederate Army - under Gens. Kirby Smith, Sterling Price, Samuel B. Maxey, and John S. Marmaduke - turned the Union Army away short of the Red River and the Confederate capital at Old Washington. The Union turned east into Camden and then back to Little Rock in a series of skirmishes that cost the Union 2750 casualties, 635 wagons, 2,500 horses and mules, and countless amounts of supplies.

Reminiscences of Long Ago by Mary A.E. Pickett, the eldest daughter of J.H. Marks and his wife, Martha Jane Thornton Marks. She related the following story concerning the Battle of Marks' Mills, April 25, 1864. Times were growing serious. Colonel McMurtrey had arrived and said the Feds not only had Pine Bluff, but also Little Rock and Camden, too. He reported that our troops were some where in Louisiana and that he must leave the next morning. Uncle Evans went with him and we heard no more from them for many days, in fact, not until the night before the Battle of Marks' Mills. General Steel who was commanding the Federal Troops, had decided to evacuate Camden. Sending part of his men up the road toward Little Rock he started the rest under General Drake to Pine Bluff. During the night, the Federal pickets, who had been stationed at Mount Elba, had been exchanged for other troops and sent on down the road to meet the command. Instead, they stopped at Grandmother Marks' home. They plundered her house looking for money and other valuables, which they could take with them....Soon a rumbling sound was heard. When they looked outside, they saw General Shelby's men advancing rapidly. They wore blue coats like the Feds, so naturally, we thought they were Yankee soldiers. As the Confederate flag was raised, we began to clap our hands. When the enemy troops heard the noise, they left in a hurry. Our troops stopped them but they would not surrender. One soldier was shot near the house and the other one down by the road. By that time, Uncle Evan had reached the gate but we didn't recognize him until he spoke. He told us to get into the house and close all the doors and windows because there would be a battle and we might be killed. Grandmother, hardly realizing what she was saying...asked Uncle Evan to remain with them. He refused and laughingly said, his told his mother that he wouldn't miss it for anything and assured her that they would win. Soon he told us goodbye and left. A few minutes later we hear gunshots. Cannons jarred the earth. The fighting was terrible but last only a short time (about 5 hours). The Federals found General Cabell in front of them and Generals Fagan and Shelby close behind them. They were completely surrounded; so they surrendered army, guns, cannon, wagons, mules, horses, and everything. Several hundred Feds were killed and wounded with only a few Confederates casualties and approximately one hundred wounded. Uncle Evan had some of the wounded Yankee soldiers carried from the battlefield into his mother's house. She took care of them until they were well and strong enough to be paroled and sent to their homes. We never saw them again but I still hear from them. They have never forgotten us and try to show in every way their gratitude for the care and protection we gave them. Some of the soldiers killed during the battle were buried in the Marks' Cemetery. - Family Ties, Vol. X #1.

Honor Roll Battle of Marks' Mills April 25, 1864 "If ye break faith with us who die, we shall have died in vain." Historians: Mark Davis, Robert Morehead, Doyle Taylor, Jimmy Boney, Anita Knowles, Orr Kelly, Gordon Langford, Robert Moreland Placed here by Edgar and Sue (Marks) Colvin, July 20, 2003 We thank the Oliver and Lena Anthony family for the use of this land. Adams, David Alembaugh, Joseph Baggs, John C. Balderson, James B. Balding, Nathan H. Baldwin, Melanethon Bannister, Wesley Barber, Henry Barker, William I. Bay, Davidson P. Belles, Isaac Belles, Isaac N. Bennett, Benjamin Bennett, William Bird, M.A. (Lt.) Bishop, George M. Blazer, Frederick Boone, Valentine Boston, Andrew J. (2nd Lt.) Boucher, Enoch Bowen, Smith Boyer, Peter Brayman, Andrew J. Breon, Jacob Breon, John Brott, George W. Brown, Abraham Brown, William Burns, James Butler, Moses R. Calvert, John J. Campbell, Samuel W. Carter, Benjamin Castle, Thomas I. Catron, George Coffman, Nathan Collins, Albert F. Collins, Albert F. Connor, John Connor, John Creighton, Henry W. (Cpl) Cummings, Eli Curtis, Joel Custer, Banion O. Davis, Hamilton F. Davis, Laureth Davis, Parker Day, James Dean, Jesse G. (Cpl.) Dean, William H. Decker, Jacob D. Denton, G.W. (Sgt. Major) Devore, John Diggs, James E. Dodge, Henry (2nd Sgt.) Doran, Joseph Downs, John H. Dressler, Charles H. Dunn, Robert A. Dykes, John T. Eagler, John G. Emmey, Unknown Ervin, Archibald S. Farnsworth, J.W. Findley, George Fitch, Stephen Flowers, Franklin D. Fox, George W. Furnish, John Gerth, John Gibson, George W. Gilbert, John Gilliam, H.M. Gilliam, Robert C. (1st Lt.) Gillmann, Albert Glover, Fredrick Gridlebaugh, M. Grim, Armstrong Grubb, Jacob A. ((5th Sgt.) Gushwa, David Hale, Henry C. Hale, Thomas B. Hall, Henry J. Hall, Manesseh M. Handlin, Rufus O. Hardesty, Uriah Harney, M.W. Harper, D. Harris, John H. (Sgt.) Harris, W.H. Harshbarger, John Hendrix, John H. (Sgt) Hilton, James W. Hockett, Enos Holt, James Hopper, W.R. (Sgt) Horn, James A. (Lt.) Hummel, Nathan Hunt, Unknown Hutzell, Peter Jacob, D.M. Jones, Jasper Kassimen, Jacob Kent, Amos W. Kent, Daniel Kigar, Joseph Kirby, Newton Kirkpatrick, Daniel W. Kitterman, Francis M. Kline, Henry W. Kritzer, John Ladd, Charles L. Lane, Joseph (Capt.) Lesley, A.J. Leslie, Joseph Levy, William Lewis, J.L. (Lt) Lewis, Leaton Lillard, Thomas L. Lindsay, George Lindsey, James Livingston, James Long, Joseph K. Lyman, Abner W. Lyman, Horace M. Lyons, W.S. Main, Charles B. Martin, Robert Martin, William F. Mattox, William H. May, John W. McCoy, Mathias McKissick, William E. McKowan, Henry McSweeny, Peter Mefford, Sylvester Mehl, George (Cpl.) Miller, Allen W. (Capt.) Miller, James A. Miller, John Miller, John Mitchell, Elias Morris, James W. Mount, Thomas F. Murphy, James A. Murphy, James A. (Teamster) Myers, Lewis Jr. (5th Cpl.) Neal, J.W. (Cpl.) Needham, John W. Nicely, George W. (4th Cpl) Nichols, Elijah Oaks, Samuel C. (Teamster) Obreon, Enoch Ogle, Luther R. O'Nealy, Pat O'Neill, James McCarney (Lt. Col) Padgett, Jeremiah Parvin, William H. (Cpl) Patrick, J. Patrick, Thomas W. Pearson, Barnabus Pepper, Daniel H. Perigo, Wesley Peters, Philip Pettus, Allen T. (Lt. Col) Peugh, Samuel E. Pike, Jordan Pirtle, R. Sanford Pirtle, William Pollick, Josiah Porter, Thomas B. Pullum, William J. Quindly, A.J. (Lt. Adj.) Richards, John E. Richardson, Edward L. Richmond, Byron Riddle, Alexander Riddle, Martin V.B. Riland, Richard Robb, Thomas G. (4th Sgt) Rodocker, Christian Rollins, James Rose, Greenberry Rose, John M. Royers, Robert Ryckman, James H. Scott, Simpson S. Sharks, Francis M. Shearer, Peter Shearer, Peter (Cpl) Shepherd, Daniel Simms, Rodney Sisley, John Slauterbeck, Jesse H. Slauterbeck, Joseph Southard, Ferdinand Spears, A.J. Spurlock, Marcus L. Stacer, P. Stacy, Darius Stadler, John W. Stadter, John W. Stansberry, John A. Stimson, William Strickland, W. Stuber, Peter Tacker, John H. (Cpl) Taylor, Asa J. Taylor, James W. (3rd Cpl)_ Taylor, Reuben Thomas, Cyrenius Thomas, Granville E. Thompson, Miles W. Tollman, Chandler Townsend, Mandeville G. (Capt) Van Fleet, John Wade, Erza (3rd Cpl.) Walensley, V.B. Martin Walker, Smith V. Wallace, David M. Wallace, George R. Wallace, James C. Ward, George E. Watkins, Francis M. Waugh, Abraham P. Webber, Henry West, Simon West, William Wiggins, George W. Williams, James F. (Sgt.) Wren, Edward W.L. Cabell's Brigade 31 Killed, 62 Wounded in Hospital, 93 Missing Thomas Dockery Cavalry Brigade 10 Killed, 40 Wounded in Hospital, 50 Missing

Marks' Mills Battlefield On April 25, 1864 Confederate Cavalrymen destroyed a Union wagon train here. The defeat led Union troops to abandon Camden and retreat to Little Rock ending their participation in the Red River Campaign. National Historic Landmark designated April 19, 1994. National Register of Historic Places listed January 21, 1970 Placed here by Edgar and Sue Colvin, March 2005. This monument was made possible by the generosity of the following: Moon Monument co. Glenn Railsback III Tommy Tidwell Barton Building Mtl. W.R. Heagler Tim Johnson Jackie Bowlin Margaret Rodgers J.T. Rodgers Joe Rawls Terry Rowell Jimmy Boney Family of Oliver & Lena Anthony Mark Christ Edgar Colvin - April 4, 2005

We thank the following people for helping with this display: Joe & Jewel Wingard - Pine Bluff, Joshua Langford - New Edinburg Edward Sturgis - Kingsland Jimmy Boney - New Edinburg Marvin "Buddy" Hall - New Edinburg Wiley Hall - New Edinburg Marvin Jason Hall - New Edinburg Jim Hurnsberger - Fordyce Thornton O.R. Goldman - Pine Bluff The monuments, markers, and trails have been built by Edgar & Sue (Marks) Colvin, to share our love of history & nature. We appreciate the help of the following people: Ralph Baggett - Sheridan, Ar. (Historian) Jimmy Boney - New Edinburg, Ar. (Historian) Jim Hurnsburger - Fordyce, Ar. (Historian) David Dunlap - Pine Bluff, Ar. (Engraving) Don & Betty Robinson - Warren, Ar. John T. & Lily Lain - Rison, Ar. George W. Childs - Kingsland, Ar. Jim & Marie Hodnett - Fordyce, Ar. James Martindale - Fordyce, Ar. Tim Marks - Camden, Ar. Eric Marks - Camden, Ar. Bobby Hickerson - Fordyce, Ar. Floyd A. Brown - Whitehall, Ar. Judy McNeil - Pine Bluff, Ar. Helen Alease - Hot Springs, Ar. Clyde & Lucy Marks - Pine Bluff, Ar. Tom Marhenke - Little Rock, Ar. Ed Jones - Monticello, Ar. Randy Ashcraft - Star City, Ar. Paul Hunter - Pine Bluff, Ar. Perry Reynolds - White Hall, Ar. Joe McNabb - Pine Bluff, Ar. Mike Colvin - Hobbs, New Mexico Lynn Marks - Hot Springs, Ar. Wyona Marks Colvin - Hot Springs, Ar. Mike Rankin - Pine Bluff, Ar. Sandy Taliaferro - Pine Bluff, Ar. Virginia Stein - Ann Arbor, Michigan Pat Brown - Pine Bluff, Ar. N.M. Wynn - Warren, Ar. We thank the O.D. Cathy family & the Oliver Anthony Trust for use of the land.

Location List | Cleveland County | Marks' Mills Map  One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine

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