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Poison Spring State Park is an Arkansas state park located southeast of Bluff City. It commemorates the Battle of Poison Spring in the American Civil War, which was part of the 1864 Camden Expedition.
Confederates and Choctaw Indians attacked and overcame a supply wagon of Union soldiers. The term "poison spring" arises from the apocryphal story that Confederate soldiers poisoned nearby springwater. The battle hastened the failure of the Camden expedition, but also gained notoriety for the alleged slaughter of African-American Union soldiers from Kansas by the Confederate forces, which took no African-American prisoners.
The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and, with other sites, is part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark. It was declared part of the National Historic Landmark in 1994.[1],[3],[4]
The heavily wooded park features a small interpretive display and a shady trail. Sightings of deer and woodpeckers are common along the trail. The park provides an excellent example of the Gulf Coast forest region, comprised primarily of pine trees, but with some oak and with dogwood understory trees. Poison Spring State Park features outdoor interpretive exhibits and picnic sites. The historic site is located 10 miles west of Camden on Arkansas Route 76.
Coordinates: 33°38′18.8″N 93°0′29.8″W / 33.638556, -93.008278
[edit] References
- ^ a b Camden Expedition Sites. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service (2007-09-26).
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ ["Camden Expedition Sites", November 29, 1993, by Edward C. Bearss and James H. CharletonPDF (3.70 MiB) National Historic Landmark Nomination]. National Park Service (1993-11-29).
- ^ [Camden Expedition Sites--Accompanying 62 photos, from 1992-1993: Old U.S. Arsenal (6 photos), Confederate State Capitol (5 photos), Prairie de Ann Battlefield (7 photos), Jenkins' Ferry Battlefield (4 photos), Marks' Mills Battlefield (10 photos), Fort Southerland (5 photos), Poison Spring Battlefield (7 photos), Fort Lookout (9 photos), Elkin's Ferry Battlefield (9 photos).PDF (8.49 MiB) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination]. National Park Service (1993-11-29).
[edit] See also
List of Arkansas state parks
[edit] External links
