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Little Rock Arsenal
Little
Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
The Little Rock Arsenal
General Douglas MacArthur
January 26, 1880 - April 5, 1964
Douglas MacArthur had a distinguished military career that spanned
three world conflicts and lasted more than fifty years. MacArthur
graduated from West Point in 1903 and became one of America's most
highly decorated World War I soldiers. During World War II, he led
Allied troops in the Pacific, accepted Japan's surrender and oversaw
the rebuilding of its government following the war. MacArthur led
United Nations forces in Korea until President Truman relieved him
of command. MacArthur returned to the United States in 1951, where
he remained until his death.
In a speech at West Point, he urged the cadets to remember their
motto - "Duty, Honor, Country" - throughout their careers and lives.
MacArthur added, "These three hallowed words reverently dictate what
you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your
rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to
regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to
create hope when hope becomes forlorn. The code which those words
perpetuate embraces the highest moral law and will stand the test of
any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated for the uplift of
mankind. Its requirements are for the things that are right and its
restraints are from the things that are wrong..."
Engraving from Harper's Weekly dated June 2, 1866.
Engraving from Harper's Weekly dated March 9, 1861.
Shortly after Arkansas was admitted to the Union in 1836, the
Federal government established the Little Rock Arsenal for the
storage of munitions and weapons in defense of the frontier.
Eventually, more than thirty buildings were constructed on this
36-acre site, including an armory, officers' quarters, barracks for
enlisted men and a variety of other buildings necessary for the
routine operation of a military post. The existing brick tower
building, constructed in 1840, is the arsenal's only remaining
structure.
In February 1861, armed citizens threatened to seize the arsenal in
anticipation of Arkansas's session from the Union. A confrontation
was averted when authorities negotiated a peaceful compromise with
the commander, Captain James Totten, and Federal troops withdrew
from Little Rock. After Arkansas seceded in May 1861, Confederate
forces used the arsenal until September 11, 1863, when Union troops
commanded by General Frederick Steele captured Little Rock.
Renamed the Little Rock Barracks in 1873, the post was used to
garrison troops until its closure in 1890. Douglas MacArthur was
born in this building on January 26, 1880 while his father was
stationed here. In 1892, the Federal government traded the property
to the City of Little Rock for 1,000 acres in North Little Rock on
which Fort Roots was built. All the structures except the tower
building were removed and the arsenal grounds became a city park,
later named MacArthur Park in honor of General Douglas MacArthur.
Advertisement from the Arkansas Gazette
Captain James Totten, U.S.A.
September 11, 1818 - October 2, 1891
James Totten graduated from West Point in 1841 and served in the
U.S. Army in both the Mexican and Seminole Wars. In December 1860 he
was sent to Little Rock, where his father was a prominent physician,
to command Federal troops at the arsenal. Their presence sparked a
confrontation that brought Arkansas to the brink of armed conflict.
Following several tense days, Capt. Totten, withdrew his troops on
February 12, 1861 to avoid "an effusion of blood."
The women of Little Rock presented him with an engraved sword in
appreciation. Totten fought in Missouri during the Civil War and was
later promoted to brigadier general.
Captain S.C. Faulkner, C.S.A.
March 5, 1807 - August 4, 1874
Sandford C. Faulkner was born in Kentucky and settled in Chico [sic]
County, Arkansas in 1829, later moving to Little Rock. He became
regionally famous as the Arkansas Traveler, credited by many for
both the dialog and tune of the same name. He served in the
Confederate Army as Captain of Ordnance at the Little Rock Arsenal
from the summer of 1861 until August 1863, and later at Tyler,
Texas.
After the war, Faulkner gained popularity in public service.
Faulkner County was named for him in 1873. Often referred to as
Colonel, Faulkner's obituary stated that "Sandy" was beloved by all
who knew him.
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