The Hope Lions heard from Josh Williams and Paul Ridgell on Monday (10-5) about the upcoming Civil War Weekend at Historic Washington, the Battle of Prairie D’Ane in Nevada County, and “Town in Conflict” at Washington. Civil War Day for schools is November 6th from 9am until 2pm. The cost is $5.50 per student. For reservations, you may call 870-893-2684. There will be a reenactment of the skirmish at Prairie D’Ane Battlefield. That will take place November 7th from 11am until noon. Prairie D’Ane is located at 2243 Highway 19 North of Prescott (off Exit 46) on I-30) and will recreate a series of battles that took place April 9th through 13th at Prairie D’Ane on the actual land where the original skirmishes took place. Cost is $10 per vehicle. Paul Ridgell noted there will be several cannons at the event and will be fired. He also noted they will have reenactors at Prairie D’Ane on Friday and Saturday including reenactors and the public is invited out to see them.
“Town in Conflict” will be presented November 7th from 1pm to 8p at Washington. Cost is $10 for adults and $6 for children 6 to 12. This event shows the public how life was on the “home front” during the Civil War. Those attending will learn what it was like for civilian refugees. 19th century mourning and burial customs, military camps and drills, Civil War era medicine, community hospitals, and political issues of the day. The day concludes with a Civil War era ball.
Williams noted when Little Rock fell to federal troops in 1863, the state government moved to Washington. The state legislature met at the 1836 courthouse in 1864 and the state Supreme Court also met there. The government even printed Arkansas Treasury Warrants at Washington. Williams noted the plates to print these state treasury bonds are at the state archives in Little Rock.
In addition to Arkansas’ confederate government locating to Washington, Missouri’s Confederate government located to Washington two years prior to Arkansas’s state move. At one point, the Missouri government operated out of a tent and printed money in Washington to pay their troops.
Williams noted the Prairie D’Ane battles were the closest to Washington. This was part of the Red River Campaign. Federal forces came north from Louisiana up the Red River as well as from Little Rock on the Southwest Trail. These northern troops planned to take Washington, meet in Shreveport, and move on to Texas. The aim of this effort was to capture cotton-growing lands as the north could not produce cotton. Williams said some military leaders were against this effort and they were proved right. The southern contingent got stopped in Mansfield, Louisiana and the Little Rock contingent (13,00 troops, 800 wagons, and 1,200 draft animals) were stopped at Prairie D’Ane. At that point, the northern troops moved to Camden. Williams said with northern troops got so close to Washington, state government sent the constitution and state documents to what is now modern-day Rondo in Miller County.
Ridgell noted the Nevada County Depot Museum was able to purchase the original battlefield in 2017. The entrance is located just off I-30. Ridgell noted they have added some infrastructure at this site including portable restrooms. Future plans call for a Red River Visitor’s Center on the site. Ridgell said they have been developing the site for tourism and the site has started drawing Civil War enthusiasts.
Ridgell says the reenactors at Prairie D’Ane will include such activities as archery, period stores, furs, trade beads, knives, and guns. There will also be a blacksmith shop and a tinsmith as well as a demonstration booth on tanning animal hides. He urged those bringing children to make sure they are supervised. There will be kids’ games Saturday afternoon. Over 200 reenactors are expected and Ridgell said they’re expecting five cannons.
For infomration, you may contact the Nevada County Depot Museum at 870-887-5821 or Historic Washington at 870-983-2684.
