Clarksville in the Civil War / Depredations - Clarksville, AR
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The Snowdog
N 35° 28.262 W 093° 27.910
15S E 457797 N 3925380
This double-sided Civil War Marker is on the right side of the sidewalk leading to the entrance to the Johnson County Courthouse; in Clarksville, Arkansas.
Waymark Code: WM13FFK
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 11/30/2020
Views: 1
This historical marker describes the history of Clarksville in the Civil War on one side, and war crimes on the other. You'll find it on the Johnson County Courthouse square, to the right of the walkway leading to the courthouse entrance. The full text of the marker is
CLARKSVILLE IN THE CIVIL WAR
Clarksville was a key point in the defense of the Arkansas River Valley during the Civil War. Confederate troops occupied the town several times before Union forces took Little Rock and Ft. Smith, gaining control of the valley. Lt. Col. G.M. Waugh and men of the 2nd Arkansas Infantry (U.S.) used Clarksville as a base in early 1864 to fight guerrilla bands and Confederates cutting telegraph lines in the area. When Gen. J.O. Shelby's Confederates crossed the river in May 1864, Waugh left, torching much of Clarksville, including the Methodist church.
DEPREDATIONS
On Feb. 20 1865, Union Jayhawkers raided the home of Lutetia Howell and Susan Willis in Johnson County’s Pittsburg community. They held the women’s legs in a bed of hot coals in an attempt to force them to tell if they had hidden money, then burned the house to the ground. Mrs. Howell was burned so badly that her leg had to be amputated. Other women in the area were also tortured and other houses burned. Union officials
arrested deserters and soldiers from Kansas and Arkansas accused of taking part in the crimes, though none apparently were punished.
BOTH SIDES, BOTTOM OF MARKER:
Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission
Johnson County Historical Society
Johnson County
Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council
No 103 - 2015
Date Installed or Dedicated: 01/01/2015
Name of Government Entity or Private Organization that built the monument: See Text Above
Union, Confederate or Other Monument: Other or General Civil War
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Related Website: [Web Link]
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