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REED’S BRIDGE BATTLEFIELD

PRESERVATION PLAN

Jacksonville, Pulaski County, Arkansas

PREPARED FOR THE

Reed’s bridge Battlefield preservation society

AND

American battlefield protection program

GA-2255-04-008

Thomason and Associates Preservation Planners

& the walker collaborative

Nashville, Tennessee

February 2006

Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Plan i

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………….. 1 HISTORIC CONTEXT OF THE REED’S BRIDGE BATTLEFIELD…………….. 10 THE BATTLE OF REED’S BRIDGE…………………………………………………………13 LAND USE, 1863 TO THE PRESENT……………………………………………………..24 FUTURE LAND ACQUISITION AND PROTECTION…………………………………51 BATTLEFIELD ENHANCEMENTS…………………………………………………………60 TOURISM PROMOTION…………………………………………………………………………73 FUNDING AND ASSISTANCE SOURCES……………………………………………….82 Goals AND IMPLEMENTATION………………………………………………..…………88 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………………….91

Acknowledgements This report has been produced for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society and the American Battlefield Protection Program, National Park Service. Funding for this project has been assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (GA-2255-04-008). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior or the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; the Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, handicap, or age in its programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility of the Department of the Interior, or you desire further information, please write: Director, Equal Opportunity Program, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 Cover Page Photographs: Unknown Civil War Soldiers (Photographs courtesy of www.civilwarmysteries.com)

Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Plan 1

Introduction

Overview The Battle of Reed’s Bridge, also known as the Battle of the Bayou Meto, was fought on August 27, 1863. This engagement was part of the Little Rock campaign during the summer of 1863 which resulted in the Union capture of the Arkansas capitol. The Battle at Reed’s Bridge was a temporary success by the outnumbered Confederate army as it prevented a crossing of Union troops at the Reed’s Bridge over the Bayou Meto. For the amount of fighting involved, casualties on both sides were relatively light with some fifty Union soldiers killed, wounded, or missing while the Confederate forces were somewhat less. Following their check at Reed’s Bridge, the Union army crossed the Bayou Meto further downstream and succeeded in capturing Little Rock on September 10th. After the Civil War, the battlefield remained largely in agricultural use and woodlands until the mid-20th century. Residential development increased after World War II due to the growth and expansion of nearby Jacksonville. Other battlefields associated with the Little Rock campaign such as at Bayou Fourche were largely lost in the late 20th century because of residential and industrial development. Today, Reed’s Bridge is the most intact remaining battlefield associated with the Little Rock Campaign of 1863. The significance of the battlefield was recognized in 2002 with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1997, the Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society was formed to preserve and interpret the site for future generations. Increased interest in the importance of the Little Rock campaign and Reed’s Bridge has increased in recent years. The most comprehensive account of the campaign is “The Division: Defending Little Rock, Aug. 25-Sept. 10, 1863” by Timothy W. Burford and Stephanie G.

McBride. This book provides a thorough overview of the campaign, and the significance of the fighting at Reed’s Bridge. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Plan is another important step in recognizing and preserving the character of this historic site.

Map 1: Location of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield. (Map courtesy of Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce)


Why Battlefield Preservation? The American Civil War continues to be one of the most studied periods in our nation’s history. Each year hundreds of books, articles, and manuscripts are published concerning some aspect of the Civil War. One reason for this interest is the immensity of the conflict. Between 1861 and 1865, over 10,000 battles and skirmishes were fought across the country, and millions of dollars worth of property was damaged. The war claimed the lives of 625,000 soldiers and 50,000 civilians, and 500,000 soldiers returned home wounded or crippled. At the end of the war, four million slaves gained their freedom. The battlefields on which the Civil War was fought are our most direct link to the conflict. These lands help shape our civic identity and are an important part of our national heritage. Battlefields provide a tangible connection to the past and no other single event defines us as a nation quite like the Civil War. The ground on which soldiers fought and died stands as a testament to this history and provides a unique cultural and educational resource that cannot be renewed. Once a battlefield is lost, it is lost forever. When the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report was published in 1998, it recognized 384 principal battles fought in 25 states and the District of Columbia. At that time over half of these battlefields had no protection, were privately owned, and were located at the edge of encroaching development. National organizations such as the Civil War Trust and National Trust for Historic Preservation rallied many to raise funds to purchase battlefield property or to convince public officials to preserve and protect land through legislative action. Since 1998, development has been halted and battlefield property was purchased at sites such as First Manassas, Chancellorsville, and Franklin. Many local non-profit groups and historical societies have also formed to protect some of the nation’s lesser known Civil War sites. This protection and acquisition has been undertaken not only with a sense towards preserving America’s heritage but also because of how battlefield preservation can provide economic benefits.

In 1994, National Trust for Historic Preservation published “The Dollar$ and Sense of Battlefield Preservation." This economic study the noted three areas in which battlefields can contribute to a community: as income generators, as historic open space, and as fiscal assets. Battlefields that are open to the public generate income through tourism. They draw visitors from outside the area who spend money on the local community. Battlefield visitors purchase food, gas, hotel accommodations, and other goods and services while in the area. This money is multiplied when these local businesses buy goods and services from other local firms. Tourism in turn can create a variety of jobs in restaurants, motels, museums, theaters, and other industries. Local governments benefit further with revenue generated through sales tax and other fees. Also, preserved battlefields are permanent "income generators" that won't leave or shut down when business is low. Battlefields also do not use precious natural resources or endanger the environment. They contribute strongly to the character of a community and can foster identity and pride among its members. Preservation of battlefields as historic open spaces can also benefit a community. Not only do they provide an immeasurable value as attractive and educational assets, they can increase local land values. Lands adjoining preserved open spaces, whether it be farmlands, wetlands, or forest, often have a higher average property value than those that are further away. Battlefields are also fiscal assets to a community primarily because as open space they require less public expenditures for services than developed areas. Building on this study is the more recent report, “Blue, Gray and Green, The Civil War Preservation Trust’s Battlefield Benefits Guide for Community Leaders,” published in 2005. This guide provides communities with additional data which supports the economic benefits of battlefield preservation. Among this reports findings are:


Community leaders and developers can attract potential employees by positioning the area as a good job market based on tourism. Tourists help maintain a healthy and steady job market.

Civil War tourists generate new state and local tax revenues.

Civil War tourists are active, affluent, and interested visitors and often stay in

an area longer than other tourists.

Battlefield visitation generates business for the local economy. Not only do they stay longer but Civil War tourists spend an average of $50 per person, per day.

The information contained in the “Blue, Gray and Green” report also provides various formulas local leaders and officials can use to determine how their community can directly benefit from battlefield preservation.

Figure 1: The Blue, Gray and Green report provides economic data on the importance of

battlefield preservation. (Source: Civil War Preservation Trust)

Purpose of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Plan The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is significant for its association with the Little Rock campaign of 1863. Although residential development has encroached upon the battlefield, the site holds great promise for preservation and reclamation. It is the intent of this plan to provide a comprehensive long-range strategy to effectively preserve, maintain, and interpret the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield for future generations. The plan is designed to be a useful preservation and marketing tool for the Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society, the City of Jacksonville, and Pulaski County. The plan is intended to provide guidance for historic preservation, land acquisition and management, and battlefield interpretation. Strategies for tourism development and increased visitation are also an important component of this plan. The plan includes both short-term and long-term goals which can be accomplished to respond to changing circumstances and opportunities.


Creation of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society

The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society was formed in 1997 to preserve and protect lands historically associated with this engagement. The Society has worked closely with the City of Jacksonville during these years and has accomplished the following:

With financial assistance from the City of Jacksonville in the amount of

$95,000, the Society has purchased five parcels totaling 25.3 acres of property within the National Register boundary.

The Society has purchased or acquired easements on an additional four

parcels within the National Register boundary.

An additional parcel at the intersection of Trickey Lane and State Route 161 has been acquired as a possible visitor’s center site.

A conservation easement has been placed on a strip of land owned by the

City of Jacksonville on the south side of the Bayou Meto. This property is part of the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

A wayside exhibit has been placed at property owned by the Society to

the southeast of the present-day bridge over the Bayou Meto. This property is a key element of the battlefield and a gravel driveway and parking lot provides access for visitors.

Through these and other efforts, important property within the battlefield area has been acquired and other parcels are now under consideration for purchase.

Figure 2: The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Park, acquired by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society. The marker below is located on State Highway 161.


Map 2 Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Project Area with troop location notation. The black line denotes the National Register Boundary for the Battlefield.

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Listing of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield on the National Register of Historic Places The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2002. Listing on the National Register assists the preservation and protection of the battlefield through the following actions:

• Makes the public aware of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield by documenting its importance.

• Makes owners of battlefield property eligible to apply for federal

grants for preservation projects, when such funds are available.

• Provides for a review of federally funded projects when they have the potential to affect the battlefield. Through this review attempts are made to mitigate any adverse impacts to historic resources. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act offers this protection to resources listed on the National Register. “Section 106 Review,” a review process administered by the President’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, is limited to projects involving federal funding, licensing, or permitting, such as federal transportation funding or Army Corps of Engineers permits. The review is handled on the state level by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. During the “Section 106 Review” process, options are identified to mitigate negative impacts on historic resources caused by the project.

• However, National Register listing does not limit or restrict the rights

of property owners to use, develop, or sell their historic properties. It does not require that property be maintained, or require that properties be open to the public.

• National Register listing does not require the review of local or

privately funded projects which could affect historic properties.

• National Register listing does not automatically stop federal undertakings that could affect historic resources.

The National Register designation of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield does not restrict property owners from doing whatever they wish with their property. This makes it important to provide protection through other means. The only protection through National Register designation is mandating a review process for any federally funded program. The most logical impacts to the battlefield using federal funds would be the widening of State Highway 161 using money of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), or a flood control project along the Bayou Meto. Neither prospect is presently under consideration or considered likely in the future. If such a project does emerge, the Section 106 Review process would be required Public Participation The planning effort for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Plan involved the public at several levels. An initial meeting to discuss the project was held at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce on January 17, 2005. All property owners within the project area were notified by mail, and a public notice was posted in the regional newspaper, the Jacksonville Patriot. The notification included the following topics for discussion:

The importance of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield in Civil War history; The potential enhancement of the battlefield property through markers,

exhibits, and walking trails; Heritage tourism and its economic potential for Jacksonville; Economic benefits for property owners such as conservation easements, and; Methods to increase public awareness of the site and visitation.

The January 17th meeting was attended by over two dozen property owners and other interested citizens. The meeting was conducted by the consulting firm of Thomason and Associates. Also in attendance were representatives of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The meeting was


designed to introduce the project to the public and to solicit input and suggestions. The planning goals and objectives received wide support from those in attendance and no specific objections to the proposed planning effort were expressed. A newspaper article in the Arkansas Leader on February 8th was headlined “Reed’s Bridge Seen as Major Draw.” The article summarized the public meeting and the potential the site possessed for economic and tourism development. Following several months of on-site field work, a second public meeting took place on June 9, 2005 at the Chamber of Commerce office in Jacksonville. This meeting was attended by eleven residents and property owners. The purpose of this meeting was to present and discuss preliminary recommendations contained in the plan. From these discussions the draft planning document was refined and expanded. As a result of these meetings, the following recommendations had strong support:

The parcels bordering the Bayou Meto have the highest priority for protection either through purchase or by conservation easements.

Preservation, protection, and interpretation of the core battlefield land along the Bayou Meto will ensure that the Battle of Reed’s Bridge is commemorated for the future. Purchase by fee simple is the most favorable option since it provides for more effective land management and interpretation of resources. If purchase is not feasible, property owners should be encouraged to donate conservation easements to restrict unwanted development.

Visitors to the battlefield should experience additional informative

interpretive markers and wayside exhibits, and have available easy to read walking and driving tour brochures. Visitors should have access to an informative interpretive center on the battlefield.

The battlefield park at Reed’s Bridge presently offers only one wayside exhibit and one historic marker. While there are excellent brochures on the Little Rock Campaign itself, there are no specific brochures available on Reed’s Bridge itself. There are many opportunities to enhance the visitor’s experience at Reed’s Bridge including new markers and wayside exhibits, parking areas and pull-offs. Participants also expressed a desire to have an interpretive center at the site.

Visitors to the battlefield should have access to good walking trails

extending along the north and south banks of the Bayou Meto.

There are presently no marked walking trails available for visitors at the existing battlefield park. Most of the heaviest fighting took place along the north and south banks of the Bayou Meto and there are presently several opportunities to create walking trails along this waterway. There should also be future consideration in creating a pedestrian bridge across the Bayou Meto either through stand alone new construction or through attaching a pedestrian walkway to the existing State Route 161 Bridge. Permission should also be sought from the Missouri Pacific Railroad to build a connecting walkway beneath the railroad’s Bayou Meto Bridge in order to connect with walking trails at Dupree Park.

Visitation to the battlefield should be substantially increased following the

completion of battlefield park improvements. Visitors to Little Rock and regional Civil War sites should be encouraged to visit Reed’s Bridge.

The exact number of annual visitors to the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is not known but is probably less than one thousand. As the battlefield park is improved through trails, wayside exhibits and land acquisition, new efforts should be made for tourism promotion and joint marketing with regional historical attractions and other Civil War sites.


Joint marketing should emphasize visitation to both the battlefield park and the Jacksonville Museum of Military History.

The Jacksonville Museum of Military History is a new museum located

in the commercial area of Jacksonville within two miles of the battlefield park. This excellent museum features information on the military history of the community and the state. A prominent exhibit is on the Battle of Reed’s Bridge and this display includes maps, artifacts recovered from the battlefield, and an overview of the battle. Both the museum and battlefield will appeal to the same heritage tourist and joint marketing and promotion should be undertaken.

Archaeological resources and sites should be identified and

interpreted. The archaeological resources of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield have yet to be investigated or interpreted. Locating any remains of the original Reed’s Bridge and the “Razor House,” would add to the historical documentation of the battlefield and its interpretation for future visitors. Archaeological investigations would also help salvage artifacts from the battle which can aid in interpretation and be used as exhibits at a future visitor center or other repository.

Management and oversight of the battlefield should be placed

under the jurisdiction of the City of Jacksonville with support from the Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society.

As the battlefield expands in size and economic investment increases, additional protection and oversight of the property will be needed. Given current constraints on the state and federal budgets, it is unlikely that Reed’s Bridge would become part of the Arkansas State Park or National Park systems. The City of Jacksonville has been supportive of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield through financial assistance and other actions. It may be beneficial to Jacksonville to incorporate the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield

property into its city park system. This would help to insure police protection for the site, regular funding for maintenance and upkeep, and continued finances for acquisition and interpretation

Project Area The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield officially encompasses 412 acres which are included within the National Register boundary (Map 2). The battlefield is located on both the north and south banks of the Bayou Meto along the southern boundary of the City of Jacksonville in Pulaski County, Arkansas. The battlefield is located five miles northeast of Little Rock and 130 miles west of Memphis. The battlefield is bisected by State Highway 161 which follows the historic roadbed of the Military Road. The advancing Union army used the Military Road as they attempted their crossing at Reed’s Bridge. During the Civil War, this area was characterized by cultivated fields and woodlands. Dwellings in the immediate vicinity of the battlefield were limited to the “Razor House” on the north bank of the Bayou Meto. Reed’s Bridge was originally a wooden bridge which was replaced ca. 1890 by a steel truss bridge. This steel bridge was in turn replaced with the existing concrete beam bridge in 1954. In the early 20th century residential and commercial development occurred along the Military Road which was paved and renamed State Highway 161. Additional dwellings were built along State Highway 161 following World War II including the addition of several trailer parks within the battlefield area. In 2002, the project area for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield was defined through the inclusion of 412 acres on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to this core battlefield area, skirmishing in advance of the heaviest fighting also took place along State Highway 161 at the McGraw Cemetery, and at the site of the Gray House near the intersection of State Highway 161 and Trickey Lane. The McGraw Cemetery is located approximately 2.2 miles east of the battlefield park and the Gray House site is one mile north of the park. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Plan addresses all of the property within the core battlefield area and also provides recommendations for interpretation at the McGraw Cemetery and Gray House site.


Map 3: View of the core battlefield area owned by the City of Jacksonville and the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society. Dashed red lines denote the National Register Boundary for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield.

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Parcels owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society

Parcels owned by the City of Jacksonville Project Boundary


HISTORIC CONTEXT OF THE REED’S BRIDGE BATTLEFIELD

THE MILITARY ROAD AND THE CROSSING OF THE BAYOU METO The area around the Bayou Meto was occupied by Native Americans until the early 19th century when the Arkansas Territory was formed in 1819. The Southwest Trail, a Native American path, crossed into the northeast section of the Arkansas Territory at the Current River and then extended southwest through what is now Pulaski County to the site of Little Rock. The Southwest Trail crossed the Bayou Meto just southwest of the future site of Jacksonville. As Arkansas was settled after 1819, this crossing became the center for a network of roads. During the winter of 1820-1821, the Gray family from Tennessee settled in the area and began clearing the land for cultivation. Led by Jacob Gray Sr., the family consisted of four daughters and three sons. One son, Samson Gray, became prominent in the community and he built a log building to serve as his residence near the Southwest Trail. Known as the Samson Gray House, this building stood until the mid-20th century. When Pulaski County was subdivided into townships this area was named Gray Township in recognition of the Gray family. In 1824, the United States Congress approved a survey for a road connecting Memphis, Tennessee with Little Rock. The road was designed to be part of the military road system assisting the federal government in removing Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of Fort Smith. The following year a commission was appointed to survey the route and formulate plans for hiring contractors to build the

roadbed and bridges. The roadbed was designed to extend northeast from Little Rock, cross the Bayou Meto and continue northeast passing in front of the log dwelling of Samson Gray. Samson Gray formed a partnership with two other nearby residents and submitted a bid for the construction of the Bayou Meto Bridge of 130’ in length for a cost of $710. This partnership also offered bids for the construction of several sections of the roadbed as well.

Map 4: 1836 Map of the Military Road from Memphis, Tennessee to Little Rock, Arkansas (Map

courtesy of Arkansas State Library and Archives) Gray’s partnership received the contract to build the bridge and sections of the road which became known as the “Military Road.” In November of 1827, Lt. Charles Thomas, assistant quartermaster and supervisor for building the road, reported that “Gray and company have opened twelve miles of the road and are now at work on the Bayou Meto Bridge.” The bridge appears to have been completed by August of 1828

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when it was reported that the first mail from Memphis was transported along the completed Military Road. The Military Road attracted hundreds of settlers to the state in the late 1820s and early 1830s and Samson Gray operated a prosperous stagecoach stop and public house at his residence facing the road. The Bayou Meto Bridge and the Trail of Tears The passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 resulted in the removal of the majority of Native Americans residing east of the Mississippi River. Thousands of Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee passed through Arkansas on their way to the Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma. The Military Road was one of the primary routes used by the tribes as they moved west. The first of these groups was a party of Choctaw who crossed the Bayou Meto Bridge in December of 1831 on there way to Little Rock. The task of provisioning the tribes resulted in contracts between the Army and farmers and merchants along the route. Samson Gray was active in these business arrangements and provided produce and livestock for use by the Army and the transport of the tribes. Gray also was paid to maintain and repair the bridge during its heavy use by the emigrating tribes. Samson Gray died in November of 1834 and over the next several years the bridge gradually deteriorated. In July of 1838, a petition signed by 100 county residents stated that the Bayou Meto Bridge was in a “very decayed and dilapidated condition, so as to be almost impassable…” Thomas W. Gray, a brother of Samson Gray, was granted a charter to rebuild the bridge and operate it as a toll bridge. Tolls were fixed by the court such as fifty cents for the passage of a wagon pulled by two horses, three cents for each pedestrian user, and two cents for each head of pig or sheep. Following the rebuilding of the bridge, Gray transferred the charter of the toll bridge to John H. Reed on October 30, 1838 for $1,000. Reed was the operator of the bridge when the John Bell detachment of the Cherokee crossed the Bayou Meto in December of 1838. During the early 19th century, the Cherokee Nation resisted emigration west but the tribe was finally forced to leave their homeland in 1838. Some 17,000 Cherokee were moved into emigration depots in

Tennessee and Alabama during the summer and divided into various detachments for the journey west. One of these detachments was led by John Bell and his detachment consisted of Cherokee who had supported the signing of the treaty selling their land to the federal government. Known as “Treaty” Cherokee, members of the John Bell detachment traveled with a military escort to protect them from reprisals by “anti-treaty” Cherokee. The John Bell detachment consisting of some 660 Cherokee left their emigration depot in Tennessee on October 11th. Traveling across the southern section of the state, the detachment reached Memphis on November 22nd. After crossing the Mississippi River the detachment marched west on the Military Road and entered Pulaski County on December 12th. The John Bell detachment crossed the Bayou Meto Bridge on either December 13th or 14th and it is possible that they camped in the general vicinity of the bridge as they made their crossing. The John Bell detachment was the last large party of Native Americans who used the Bayou Meto Bridge during the Trail of Tears. John H. Reed and Reed’s Bridge Reed’s Bridge received its name from its association with John H. Reed and his wife Fredericka Reed. Following the rebuilding of the bridge in 1838, John H. Reed purchased the charter from Thomas W. Gray and began its operation. Reed came to Pulaski County from St. Louis in 1833 and served as a clerk to the Army during the Native American removal. While living in Little Rock, Reed met Fredericka Held, a native of Germany, and they were married on October 16, 1834. After his tenure as an Army clerk ended, Reed entered the newspaper business and became co-editor of the Little Rock Times. Reed retired from the newspaper business in 1838 and he then purchased the charter to operate the Bayou Meto Bridge. Reed operated the bridge along with a relative, Milton J. Reed, during the early 1840s. John H. Reed and his family resided in the Samson Gray house at this time just to the north of the bridge. John H. Reed died on December 15, 1845 and was survived by his wife Fredericka and their four children. Milton Reed sold his interest in the bridge and several tracts of land to Fredericka Reed in February of 1847 and


the deed included “certain structures, buildings, and bridge known as Reed’s Bridge, across the Bayou Meto, about twelve miles from Little Rock and on the road hence to Memphis, Tennessee.” After 1847 the toll bridge across the Bayou Meto was owned and operated by Fredericka Reed. In August of 1858, an attorney employed by Mrs. Reed negotiated an extension of her charter by another ten years. He later wrote to her that “I succeed after much trouble in obtaining a charter for ten years, but the court made a reduction in the tolls though it is still a valuable privilege and will be worth at least $1,000 per annum to you.” In 1860, she was listed in the US census as owning $25,000 worth of real estate and $800 in personal property. Fredericka Reed was the operator of the bridge when it was the scene of fighting on August 26th and 27th of 1863. During the battle, Confederate engineers tarred the bridge and set it on fire to keep the crossing out of the hands of the approaching Union forces. After the destruction of the bridge, Mrs. Reed and her daughter Jane may have operated a ferry at this site before the bridge was rebuilt. In the years following the Civil War, Fredericka Reed began to sell her property in the Gray Township. In 1867, James H. Fleming and Thomas Holland renewed the charter for Reed’s Bridge which continued to be a toll bridge although it was free and open to the citizens of the Gray, Bayou Meto and other neighboring townships. Mrs. Reed moved into Little Rock to live with her daughter Jane and her family and died on November 27, 1891.

Map 5: The G.W. Colton Map of Arkansas in 1856 shows the network of roads merging at Reed’s Bridge.

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The battle of reed’s bridge The war in Arkansas to 1863 Arkansas seceded from the Union on May 6, 1861 and over the next year mustered thousands of soldiers into the Confederate ranks. Secession was favored by a majority of residents in Arkansas but there were also strong pockets of Union sympathizers in the state’s mountainous regions. Only small skirmishes took place in the state until early 1862. In March, Union forces under the command of Major General Samuel Curtis engaged the army of Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas. After two days of fighting, Van Dorn’s army was defeated and most of his army was then transferred east across the Mississippi River. After capturing Memphis in June, Union troops descended the Mississippi River and occupied Helena. Over the next six months, control of Northwest Arkansas continued to be the main focus of Union and Confederate forces. In December, a Confederate army of 11,000 men under Major General Thomas Hindman attacked Union forces commanded by Brigadier Generals James Blunt and Francis Herron at Prairie Grove. Fighting all day on December 7th, Hindman was initially successful but strong Union counterattacks drove him from the field. In January of 1863, a strong Confederate position at Arkansas Post on the Arkansas River was forced to surrender to a much larger Union army. Following the surrender of Arkansas Post, hostilities in the state were relatively quiet as Union forces in the west planned the capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Vicksburg campaign in the summer of 1863 resulted in a siege of the surrounded Confederate army in the city in June. Seeking to help raise the siege, a Confederate army under Major Generals Sterling Price and Theophilus Holmes marched to attack Helena. Price and Holmes planned their assault to begin on the morning of July 4th. Strongly fortified, the Union troops at Helena repulsed the Confederate charges and inflicted over 1,700

casualties. The same day, the Confederate army of some 30,000 soldiers surrendered at Vicksburg. With the capture of this Confederate army, the Union high command then turned its attention to invading central Arkansas and capturing the capital of Little Rock. The Little Rock Campaign of 1863

In July of 1863, the Union Army under General Ulysses S. Grant captured the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi. With the surrender of Vicksburg, Union forces were then poised to invade the interior of Arkansas and capture its capital city, Little Rock. By the end of the month, Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele had arrived at Helena to take command of all Federal forces in Arkansas. Steele and his officers then planned a campaign to move into the interior of the state and strike at Little Rock. In Little Rock, responsibility for the defense of the city had passed to Maj. Gen. Sterling Price. Price commanded a small army of eight thousand men present for duty. Price pronounced his troops to be "in excellent condition, full of enthusiasm and eager to meet the enemy," but he confessed in a letter to Lt. General Kirby Smith that he "did not believe it would be possible for us to hold it [Little Rock] with the forces then under my command."

Despite his misgivings, Price set about devising a plan for the capital's defense. He ordered the cavalry of Brig. Gen. John Marmaduke and Brig. Gen. Lucius M. Walker to observe and harass enemy movements and began the construction of a defensive position composed of rifle pits and redoubts on the north side of the Arkansas River about two-and-a-half miles downstream from the city. This position faced eastward and was bounded by a cypress swamp on the left and the river on the right. Price believed that his only chance of successfully defending Little Rock lay in the possibility that the Union commander would launch a straight frontal assault against this fortified position.

On August 10th and 11th, Major General Steele sent six thousand infantry, backed by sixteen pieces of artillery, west from Helena toward Clarendon on the White River. There he would rendezvous with a like number of cavalry moving south from Missouri under Brig. Gen. John Davidson. Davidson reached Clarendon on August


8th. On August 23rd, Price ordered Marmaduke to join forces with Walker at Brownsville along the major overland approach to Little Rock. Since Walker was the senior officer, he was Marmaduke's superior, however, the two officers had been feuding since an earlier engagement at Helena.

Map 6: US Army map of the approaches to Little Rock in 1863. Dashed circle shows the location of Reed’s Bridge (The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War).

At sunrise on August 25th, advance elements of Davidson's cavalry collided with Marmaduke's thirteen hundred horsemen near Brownsville. Outnumbered four to one in men and eight to one in artillery, Marmaduke could not hope to defeat the Federals, but the Missourian gave ground grudgingly before retiring from the field. He formed a new battle line six miles west of the town, and there he temporarily halted the Union advance. On August 26th, Price ordered Walker and Marmaduke to withdraw to Bayou Meto, a sluggish stream running east of the capital, and to "hold it as long as

possible." Their combined forces took up positions at Reed's Bridge on Bayou Meto, approximately twelve miles northeast of Little Rock (near present-day Jacksonville).

The battle of REED’S Bridge After fighting a running battle at Brownsville on August 25th, a force of the First Iowa Cavalry and Third Missouri Cavalry (U.S.) and sections of Lovejoy’s and Clarkson’s batteries drove up the Little Rock Road to feel out the Rebel positions at Bayou Meto. “The enemy were found posted in force at a position about 9 miles beyond Brownsville, estimated by Colonel Glover, commanding, at 6,000 strong,” Brig. Gen. John Wynn Davidson reported. Glover’s advance skirmishers made first contact, locating Rebel pickets about six miles from Brownsville and driving them back some two miles to entrenched positions about two miles east of Bayou Meto. “After a considerable artillery duel, I ordered Lovejoy to advance his section, in doing of which he had one cannoneer pierced through with solid shot and killed instantly, so well did the enemy have the range of the road,” Col. J.M. Glover reported. A swift reconnaissance by Glover led him to conclude that the Confederate position was more than he wanted to tackle with the force at hand, and the Yankees fell back to Brownsville. In addition to the Yankee artilleryman, the engagement claimed the lives of three Confederates. On August 27th, Davidson returned in force to confront the Confederate horsemen at Bayou Meto. John Edwards of Brig. Gen. Jo Shelby’s command succinctly described the bayou and its importance: “The Bayou Metre [sic] was a low, sluggish stream, with a miry bed, abrupt banks, and its sides fringed with a heavy growth of timber. It was difficult to cross, and presented the only water at which a command could conveniently camp after leaving Bayou Two Prairie.” It was here that Brig. Gen. Lucius M. Walker’s horsemen would make a stand and here that Davidson’s thirsty troops would face their first serious combat of the campaign. Glover’s troops again had the advance, and with a battalion of the Tenth Illinois Cavalry leading as skirmishers they began to move forward on the road to the Bayou Meto bridge. They first encountered Marmaduke’s horsemen some five miles east of


the bridge, and after “a brisk fire” the Rebels fell back about two miles. The Tenth Illinois again hit the Confederate lines at this new position, losing a lieutenant to Southern marksmen. Davidson then ordered Glover’s entire brigade into action. Glover placed his artillery in the center, on the road. Two battalions of the Third Missouri Cavalry (U.S.) climbed from their horses to the right of the road to fight as infantry; six squadrons of the Tenth Illinois covered their right flank. A third battalion of the Third Missouri, joined by foot soldiers of the Thirty-second Iowa infantry, comprised Glover’s left. “In this order, with a heavy line of skirmishers in front, the brigade moved forward,” the Union commander reported. Facing the approaching Yankee cavalry, Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke placed Shelby’s Iron Brigade under B. Frank Gordon as his forward line of troops at the McCraw House on the Military Road north of Bayou Meto. Marmaduke’s Brigade, under Col. William L. Jeffers, was formed below the bridge, along with Col. Archibald Dobbin’s Arkansas regiment. The Confederates would contest the advancing Unionists above the bridge, but braced for a heated defense from behind the natural rampart of Bayou Meto. The Rebels’ first line of defense consisted of some 125 dismounted troopers of Shelby’s Brigade under Gordon, detailed to Marmaduke that morning to serve as skirmishers and accompanied by the “little teaser” prairie guns of Bell’s battery. These troops watched the approaching Yankees as “they pushed forward their columns impetuously until, coming upon the main body of our skirmishers, a roar of musketry sent death crippling through their ranks, completely breaking up their lines for the time in dismay and confusion.”

Map 7: The initial advance of the Union forces was contested along the Military Road by

Marmaduke’s cavalry near the McCraw House.

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Map 8: The Union advance continued as Marmaduke’s cavalry took up new positions along

the Military Road The “dismay and confusion” did not last long as the advancing Yankees drove Marmaduke back to a new defensive line in front of the Samson Gray House. Marmaduke’s line was anchored on the south at the Bayou Meto by Wilson’s Ford and Marmaduke sent Major Bennett’s command across this ford to prevent a Union crossing of the bayou. Marmaduke felt that this new line was a good defensive position and Union Colonel Glover described it as “a very strong and elevated position, covered by extended rifle-pits on the left, where he made a more obstinate stand.” Marmaduke sought to strengthen his line and he sent a message to Walker requesting assistance. As Union and Confederate artillery exchanged fire, Walker sent word back to Marmaduke recommending that he abandon his position and withdraw across the Bayou Meto where Walker’s men were positioned.

Map 9: By noon, Marmaduke’s men fell back to a new line at the Samson Gray House. A charge by the dismounted Third Missouri troopers on Glover’s right drove back the Rebels facing them and flanked the remaining Southerners out of their rifle pits, sending Marmaduke’s entire force “in greatest disorder and confusion toward the Bayou Meto.” Other Third Missouri troopers and infantry of the Thirty-second Iowa drove back the Confederates facing them on the Union left. Davidson assisted them with a subterfuge by ordering drums beaten to convince the Confederates that they were facing concentrations of Yankee infantry in addition to Federal cavalry. “The rebs made a charge on our battery and when this was done a regt. of Cav Stood ready with pistol and carbine,” Francis Marion Emmons of the Seventh Missouri Cavalry (U.S.) wrote. “When they charged near enough these men with drums beat the charge and the rebs thought ten thousand infantry was on them when they turned and run our men fireing voley after voley and the Artillery using grape and canister pileing

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them in heaps After this the Genl Sat on his horse and laughed to see them run at the trick he played on them.” The Union troops on the left were “then thrown forward to the bayou, where we remained about three hours, getting an occasional shot at the enemy concealed on the other side.” The artillery was ordered up to shell the retreating Rebels, a bombardment that lasted around thirty minutes.

Map 10: By early afternoon, Marmaduke’s cavalry began withdrawing towards Reed’s

Bridge. Having foreseen the probability of falling back across Bayou Meto, Capt. John Mhoon, a Rebel engineer, had given Reed’s Bridge “a thorough coating of tar and other inflammable material,” John Edwards remembered, “and as the last of the rear-guard crossed it, the torch was applied.” The Union horsemen suddenly noticed the smoke in the distance and realized that the Rebels were burning the only crossing of the steep-banked stream. Davidson ordered Lt. Col. Daniel Anderson and the First Iowa Cavalry, comprising Glover’s reserve, to charge “in the face of a terrible fire of artillery and small-arms.” Confederate Colonel Gordon watched as the Iowans,

“perhaps thinking the ‘frightened rebels in terror fled,’ charged down the road in splendid style, as if to save the bridge; but it were better had many of them never been born. The dense cloud of smoke from the crackling, burning bridge, like sorrow’s veil, hung between them and Bledsoe’s battery, and when the head of their long lines had nearly reached the bridge, these noble old guns sent shell and shot, winged with fury, screaming and hissing up their lines, scattering the mangled fragments of men and horses like chaff before the wind.”

Figure 3: Field Artillery (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress-Civil War Photograph Collection).

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Map 11: By 2:00 P.M., Marmaduke’s cavalry withdrew across Reed’s Bridge to join Walker. “In making this charge, the regiment was exposed to a terrible fire from the enemy’s artillery and sharpshooters,” Lieutenant Colonel Anderson of the First Iowa, whose horse was shot from under him during the charge, wrote in his official report. “We reached the bridge, but not in time to save it; it was already enveloped in flames. . . . I then dismounted the command and went forward on foot. Never have I seen a greater coolness of courage displayed. Not a man flinched from performing his whole duty as a brave and loyal soldier. When I had ascertained the position of the enemy by severe skirmishing half an hour, I withdrew under cover of the hill and out of range of their guns.” Glover’s men would attempt several more advances against the entrenched Rebels at Bayou Meto, most likely in an effort to recover the dozens of wounded Iowa horsemen of Anderson’s regiment, but the remainder of the day’s fighting would be

done primarily by the artillery. Glover selected a position from which his artillery could relieve the now-dismounted First Iowa. “They opened with twelve or sixteen guns,” according to John Edwards. “Marmaduke’s artillery, though inferior in strength, replied as promptly and as vigorously. For nearly an hour the ring of musketry along the line was incessant, and the deep-toned artillery lent its voice to swell the diapason of harmonious discord.” The Yankee “shot and shell ripped and roared through the forest, tearing the trees around the battery into fragments, and plowing up the earth in the most approved demoniac style but all without avail,” Gordon wrote. “The long, rakish-looking pirate rifles [of Bledsoe’s Battery] seemed to shout in proud defiance, as with great precision they sent tearing through their ranks their iron missiles, driving them from position to position.”

Map 12: The Union attack on Reed’s Bridge.

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Marmaduke ordered Lt. Charlie Bell’s small battery of prairie guns to a position near the bridge, “in open view of the enemy, and in point-blank range of their guns.” The Union artillery did not miss the opportunity, shattering Bell’s battery, killing Bell and seriously wounding one of Marmaduke’s aides before the battery was withdrawn to safety. In retaliation, Marmaduke determined to punish the Yankee artillery “and for that purpose massed his six guns in a commanding position and opened a vigorous fire upon them.” Lt. R.A. Collins, who commanded an artillery battery in Shelby’s brigade, had “crossed the bayou and worked his way from point to point, despite the fire of their sharpshooters, until he had thoroughly reconnoitered their position.” An artillery duel ensued, and “by a natural impulse the men along the entire line on both sides, in a great measure, ceased operations, and employed themselves in watching the progress and results of the duel.” The Rebel artillery used Collins’ reconnaissance to deadly effect, firing with precision on the more numerous Union guns. As the disconcerted Yankee cannoneers took accurate fire from the batteries of Collins and Bledsoe “they entirely lost their coolness and precision, and sent their shells recklessly through the tops of the trees, destroying much foliage and frightening the wild birds terribly.” Perhaps the best hope for a Union victory was on their left, where one hundred men of Young’s Battalion of Marmaduke’s brigade held the extreme right of the Confederate line, covering a crossing of Bayou Meto that “entirely turned the position.” These men, under a Major Bennet, resisted repeated attempts by Squadrons D and F of the First Iowa Cavalry to affect a crossing. Bennet “informed Marmaduke . . . that he was heavily pressed, and feared he could not hold his ground,” John Edwards recalled. “Marmaduke replied that he could spare him no men, and that he must beat back the enemy and make good his position. Bennet replied that he would do it, and did do it.” Had Davidson or Glover ordered some of the Iowans or Missourians firing at Rebels across the bayou on the Union left to join in a concerted attack against Young’s troops, they may have been able to turn Marmaduke’s flank and drive the Rebels from the field. However, this was not to be and the best opportunity that day for a Union victory passed them by.

Figure 4: Reed’s Bridge was likely a simple wooden bridge similar in appearance to this Civil War-era bridge in Virginia. (Courtesy of the Siege and Battle of Corinth Commission).


Map 13: Major Bennet successfully defended the crossing of Wilson’s Ford during the late

afternoon. As the combatant artillerists hammered away at each other, Glover discovered “a strong force of the enemy on this side of the bayou, on the right of our line.” The Tenth Illinois was given the task of forcing Lea’s Company, a remnant of Marmaduke’s force--inadvertently cut off when the rest of the Rebels fell back across Reed’s Bridge--from their position, which they did, “putting them across the bayou after a very hot contest.” After skirmishing until late in the evening, Glover’s exhausted troops were ordered back to Brownsville, “getting into camp at midnight.” “The sun went down smoke-begrimed, red-faced, and furious,” Gordon concluded. Despite their tactical victory at Bayou Meto, the Confederates were ordered that night to retreat to within five miles of Little Rock, giving up the last substantial line of defenses east of the considerable works built northeast of the capital. Federal

casualties totaled seven killed and thirty-eight wounded, most from the ill-fated charge of the First Iowa Cavalry. Confederate losses were undisclosed, but at least two officers were killed and numerous soldiers wounded.

Map 14: By 5:00, the bridge was destroyed and the Union forces began their withdrawal back

along the Military Road. The battle of REED’S Bridge – Aftermath, the Surrender of Little Rock On September 2nd, Steele arrived at Brownsville with his infantry to join Davidson's force. Reinforcements had brought his total strength to nearly 14,500 men. He spent the next three days gathering information, then resumed his advance on September 6th, moving south along Bayou Meto and crossing it at Shallow Ford. On September

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10th, Union engineers built a pontoon bridge across the Arkansas River at which a bend enabled superior Yankee artillery to pour converging fire on Confederate defenders on the south side of the river. Federal cavalry poured across and, after intense fighting at Bayou Fourche on September 10th, marched on the capital. Price pulled his men from their entrenchments north of the river and retreated to southwest Arkansas. The battle of REED’S Bridge – Aftermath, the Marmaduke-Walker Duel This duel took place at dawn on September 6, 1863, at the Godfrey-LeFevre place seven miles below Little Rock on the north side of the Arkansas River. It occurred because Marmaduke questioned the bravery of Walker after the fight at Reed’s Bridge. Walker, in turn, demanded "satisfaction," or challenged Marmaduke to a duel. The duelists agreed to face each other at sunrise armed with Colt Navy revolvers at fifteen paces. The weapons were to be placed in the hands of the two generals cocked and held at a 45 degree angle up or down. When the word was given, "Gentlemen, are you ready?" If both answered "yes," then the call would be: "Ready, one, two, three — fire." After that, both men would shoot at will without leaving their places until all bullets were fired or one of the men fell. Walker arrived with his friends at the site one hour before daybreak, while Marmaduke and his supporters came just at dawn. As soon as there was enough light, a friend of each man measured the field and marked the duelists’ places with chunks of wood. The field was lined up north and south so that neither man would get an advantage from the rising sun. The two men took their positions, and when the word was given both fired simultaneously. Neither was hurt. After a short pause, Marmaduke shot a second time. The ball struck Walker in the side, passing through the right kidney and lodging in the spine causing paralysis of his legs. Marmaduke offered the use of his ambulance to transport the mortally wounded Walker back to Little Rock which was gratefully accepted. Arriving at about 10 a.m., Walker and his friends stopped at the home of Mrs. Cates, where the general died the next evening.

Marmaduke was arrested, but he was soon released and placed back in command. As John R. Eakin noted in the Washington Telegraph, "General Marmaduke is doing noble service with his cavalry between our army and Little Rock and winning golden opinions from all sorts of people. We are glad to learn that the unfortunate affair between himself and the lamented General Walker, leaves no slur upon his character as a gentleman or his fame as a soldier. If he has erred, he is making the noblest atonement, and is entitled to sympathy as well as admiration." (The historical narrative of the Battle of Reed’s Bridge and its aftermath is from the “Reed’s Bridge Battlefield National Register Nomination,” prepared by Mark Christ at the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program).

Figure 5: Marmaduke-Walker Duel Historic Marker


CONFEDERATE COMMANDERS AT REED’S BRIDGE

Sterling Price was born in Prince Edward City, Virginia, in 1809 and moved to the frontier state of Missouri at age 21. There he became a successful slave owning tobacco planter and established a strong political career. He served as a state legislator from 1836-1838 and 1840-1844, followed by a term as congressman, 1844-1846. He was elected governor of Missouri in 1852 and held that office until 1856. Price's military career included the post of military governor of New Mexico during the Mexican War, in which he rose to brigadier general. At the outbreak of Civil War, Price was commander of Missouri state troops. He led the Missouri militia at Wilson's Creek, and Elkhorn Tavern in May 1861. After capturing a large Union garrison at Lexington, he was promoted to major general in March 1862. Price commanded troops at Pea

Ridge, Arkansas, and at Iuka and Corinth, Mississippi, and met defeat at all three battles. Price had opposed General Van Dorn's plan to attack Corinth, and suggested they wait until they could be joined by more Confederate forces. Following the defeat at Corinth, Price again argued with Van Dorn, who wanted to back track and try to take the town a second time. This time Price, along with Dabney Maury, was able to convince Van Dorn to retreat across the Hatchie River. Following the engagement at Davis Bridge, Price led the army over the Hatchie River at Crumm's Mill. Price commanded troops in an unsuccessful attempt to retake Helena, Arkansas in July of 1863 and was also forced to surrender Little Rock in August. Price is best known for his 1864 attack of Missouri in which he led the Army of Missouri in an expedition to recapture the state for the Confederacy. He drove his men forward from southeast to northwest Missouri, engaging in skirmishes almost daily. He met with some success and occupied the towns of Herman, Boonville, and Glasgow in a matter of ten days. Eventually, however, Federal troops outnumbered Price and forced the Confederates back into Arkansas. At the raid's end Price had fought in forty-three engagements and lost half of his men. Following the war, Price lived in St. Louis and died in 1867.

Brigadier General John Marmaduke was born in Missouri in 1833 and he graduated from West Point in 1857. In 1861, he became Colonel of the 3rd Confederate Infantry and led this unit with distinction at Shiloh. He was appointed Brigadier General in November of 1862 and commanded a cavalry brigade at the Battle of Prairie Grove in December. In July of 1863, Marmaduke’s command fought at the Battle of Helena and the next month at Reed’s Bridge. Although briefly arrested after he killed Brigadier General Lucius Walker in a duel, Marmaduke was soon restored back to command. Marmaduke fought again at Pine Bluff in October of 1863 and he commanded troops which destroyed a Union supply train at Poison Springs, Arkansas in October of 1864. Later, Marmaduke was captured In Kansas and spent the rest of the war in the Fort Warren prison in Boston. While imprisoned, he was appointed to Major General in March of 1865. After the war Marmaduke entered politics and was elected Governor of Missouri. He died in office on December 28, 1887. Brigadier General Lucius Walker was born in Tennessee in 1829 and attended West Point, graduating in 1850. He resigned from the army after two years to

become a businessman in Memphis. When Tennessee seceded from the Union, Walker was appointed Colonel of the 40th Tennessee Regiment. He was appointed Brigadier General in March of 1862 but missed the Battle of Shiloh due to illness. Walker’s command fought under Major General Earl Van Dorn at the Battle of Corinth in October of 1862. Walker was then sent to the Trans-Mississippi Department where he was assigned a brigade of cavalry. His actions at both the Battle of Helena and Reed’s Bridge during the Little Rock campaign led to a feud with Brigadier General John Marmaduke. After his courage was questioned, Walker challenged Marmaduke to a duel. On September 6th outside of Little Rock, Marmaduke mortally wounded Walker who died the next day.


UNION COMMANDERS AT REED’S BRIDGE

John Wynn Davidson was born at Fairfax County, Virginia, August 18, 1824. Davidson graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1845 and, after frontier duty in Kansas and Wisconsin, took part in the Mexican War, mainly in California with the so-called Army of the West. He was promoted to Captain, 1st United States Dragoons in 1855, and fought Indians throughout New Mexico and California, and was wounded in an engagement with Jirarilla Apaches. At the start of the Civil War he was stationed at Fort Tejon near Los Angeles, and it is alleged that declined commission in the Confederate Army. After duty in the Washington, D.C. defenses, he was appointed a Brigadier General of Volunteers to rank from February 3, 1862, perhaps as a reward for adherence to the Union, and commanded credibly a brigade of W. F. Smith's Division of Keyes's IV Corps in the Peninsular Campaign. During this campaign he was engaged at Lee's Mills, Mechanicsville, Savage Station, and

Glendale. He commanded the St. Louis district of Missouri from 6 August till 13 November 1862, the Army of Southeast Missouri till 23 February 1863, and the St. Louis district again until 6 June co-operating with General Steele in his Little Rock expedition and directing the movements of troops against Pilot Knob and Fredericktown, and in the pursuit of the enemy during Marmaduke's raid into Missouri. He led a cavalry division from June until September and was engaged in the actions at Brownsville, Reed’s Bridge and Ashley's Mills, Arkansas, and took part in the capture of Little Rock. He was made chief of cavalry of the military division west of the Mississippi on 26 June 1864, and on 24 November led a cavalry expedition from Baton Rouge to Pascagoula, Mississippi. He was brevetted brigadier-general in the regular army on 13 March 1865, for the capture of Little Rock, and major general for his services during the war. After the Civil War he held various commands in Texas and the Indian Territory, and was promoted to Colonel of the 2nd United States Cavalry in 1879. Two years later, while on duty at Fort Custer, Montana, he was badly injured when his horse fell with him. He died while on sick leave at St Paul, Minnesota, June 26, 1881. He was subsequently buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

Frederick Steele was born in Delhi, New York on January 14, 1819. He was graduated at the United States military academy in 1843, and served as 2d lieutenant in the Mexican war, receiving the brevets of 1st lieutenant and captain for gallant conduct at Contreras and Chapultepec respectively. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant, 6 June, 1848, and served in California until 1853, and then principally in Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska. He was promoted to major on 14 May, 1861, and commanded a brigade in Missouri from 11 June, 1861, until April of 1862, being engaged at Dug Spring and Wilson's Creek, and also in charge of the southeastern district of that state after February. He had become colonel of the 8th Iowa regiment on 23 September, 1861, and on 29 January, 1862, was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers. He led a division in the Army of the Southwest from May to November, 1862, being engaged at Round Hill, 7 July, and in the occupation of Helena, Arkansas. On 29 November he was made Major-General of volunteers, and, after engaging in the Yazoo expedition, he commanded a division in the Vicksburg campaign, taking part in the operations at Young's Point, the advance to Grand Gulf, the attack on Jackson, and the siege of Vicksburg.

From July of 1863 to January of 1864, he was at the head of the Army of Arkansas, taking part in the engagement at Reed’s Bridge and the capture of Little Rock, 10 September, 1863. From September to November he commanded the department of that state. He led a column in the Mobile campaign, and at the close of the war received the brevet of brigadier-general, United States army, for services in the capture of Little Rock, and that of major-general for services during the war. He was then transferred to Texas, and placed in command on the Rio Grande, and from 21 December, 1865, he had charge of the Department of the Columbia. From 23 November, 1867, till his death he was on leave of absence. He died in San Mateo, California, on January 12, 1868.


Land use, 1863 to the present Following the Battle of Reed’s Bridge, the cultural landscape of the area remained relatively unaltered until the early 20th century. Much of the land north and south of the Bayou Meto remained in cultivation with the primary crops of wheat, corn, and some cotton. Along the Bayou Meto was a row of trees growing next to the water. The bridge at the Bayou Meto was rebuilt by the late 1860s and it continued to operate as a toll bridge for several decades. This agricultural landscape began to gradually change with the growth and development of nearby Jacksonville. In 1871, the Cairo and Fulton Railroad was built through the area connecting Little Rock with Cairo, Illinois. The community of Jacksonville was established in 1872 just north of the railroad’s Bayou Meto Bridge. Over the next several decades Jacksonville became a community of over one hundred residents and boasted a small commercial area next to the railroad. The increased traffic along this vicinity of the Military Road led to the construction of a new steel truss bridge around 1890 which replaced the existing wooden bridge at the Reed’s Bridge site. In the late 19th century much of the property around Reed’s Bridge was farmed by the E.C. Wilson and T.J. Wilson families. The Wilson’s owned and operated farms on both the north and south sides of the Bayou well into the early 20th century. By the early 1900s, several new dwellings were built in the battlefield area facing the Military Road. During road improvements of the 1920s, the Military Road was designated as State Highway 161, widened to two lanes and paved. In addition to the new residences built along the highway a general store also opened north of the bayou to serve area residents.

Map 15: The Pulaski County Map of 1866 shows little development around the Reed’s Bridge site (Map courtesy of Arkansas State Library and Archives).

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Map 16: The 1891 Pulaski County Map shows the growing community of Jacksonville just north of Reed’s Bridge on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad. (Map courtesy of Arkansas State Library and Archives).

Map 17: The 1898 map of Pulaski County shows the “Iron Bridge” located on the Military Road at the Bayou Meto (Map courtesy of Arkansas State Library and Archives).

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Map 18: The map of Pulaski County in 1906 shows the land ownership in the Reed’s Bridge

vicinity with much of the property owned by the Wilson family and S.A. Bell. (Map courtesy of Arkansas State Library and Archives).

Map 19: The 1912 Pulaski County Map shows additional subdivisions of parcels in the Reed’s Bridge area. (Map courtesy of Arkansas State Library and Archives).

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Figure 6: This photograph of Maggie Walker McCain around 1935, shows the steel truss

bridge which stood at the site of Reed’s Bridge until 1954. Note the paved highway in the background. (Photo courtesy of Images of America: Jacksonville, Arkansas)

The town of Jacksonville was transformed in 1941 with the establishment of the Jacksonville Ordnance Plant. This plant was constructed to provide fuses, detonators and other munitions for the US military in World War II. The plant opened in March of 1942 and at its peak it employed over 13,500 workers. To respond to this influx of workers new housing developments were built in and around Jacksonville. This included the building of several new houses along State Highway 161 both north and south of the Bayou Meto. At the end of the war in 1945, the plant was closed and the local economy stagnated for several years. Local businessmen and politicians lobbied the US government to convert the plant site into a permanent military base and their efforts were rewarded when the Little Rock Air Force Base was designated at Jacksonville in 1952. This increased military presence and overall growth and development led to additional housing construction including the establishment of several trailer parks along State Highway 161 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This development also included the Lakeshore Subdivision just southwest of the Reed’s Bridge site which resulted in the creation of a small artificial lake. As residential construction increased along the highway, the existing steel bridge at the Bayou Meto was deemed inadequate and replaced with a new concrete beam bridge in 1954. Officially designated within the state highway system as bridge # 02913, it is 26’ in width and 165’ in length. Residential construction and the addition of manufactured homes into the area continued into the late 20th century. As Jacksonville grew to over 30,000 residents, the city constructed a new wastewater treatment plant west of the Reed’s Bridge site and the Arkansas Power & Light Company built a new substation and power lines along the Bayou Meto. Despite this development, much of the area to the southeast of the bridge remained in agriculture as part of the McCain Dairy Farm.


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Map 20: These aerial photographs from 1967 show the new transmission lines and substation north of Reed’s Bridge. By 1967 many of the existing dwellings and trailer parks were already

constructed along State Highway 161. The area to the southeast of the bridge remained in agriculture as part of the McCain Dairy Farm. (Aerial courtesy of Pulaski County Tax Assessor’s Office, Little Rock)

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Land Use, 2005 and Parcel Descriptions Existing battlefield character The character of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield project area is composed of agricultural lands, 20th century dwellings, late 20th century trailer parks, an electrical substation and wastewater plant, and a small battlefield park. The most prominent features on the terrain include the Bayou Meto and State Highway 161. The Bayou Meto is located in approximately the same location as it was in 1863. No major deviations in its course through the project area have been identified through the study of 19th and 20th century maps. State Highway 161 follows the former right-of-way of the dirt surfaced Military Road which crossed the Bayou Meto at or near the present Reed’s Bridge in 1863. From historic maps it does not appear that the bridge location has varied by more than fifty feet either east or west.

Map 21: To describe the existing character of the battlefield it is divided into four quadrants,

northeast, northwest, southwest and southeast.

Northeast Battlefield Character The northeast section of the battlefield property is north of the bayou and east of the highway. This section retains a large percentage of open space now used as woodlands or as fields associated with 20th century dwellings. This section also includes a fire station built by the City of Jacksonville in 1978. The most prominent feature in this area is the Arkansas Power and Light (AP&L) substation that is directly across the bayou from the existing battlefield park. This substation contains large transformers surrounded by a chain link fence. No landscape features or screening of this substation exists. The large metal utility poles that connect with the substation are prominent intrusions in the viewshed of the battlefield. This section of the battlefield includes properties extending south from Nixon Drive to the Bayou Meto on the east side of S. Highway 161. 1 Nixon Drive (12J-097-00-074): This dwelling is sited on a 33.5 acre parcel. The house was built in 1935 and is two-stories in height. Built with a stone veneer, the dwelling exhibits the influence of both the Tudor Revival and Colonial Revival styles. Also on the property is a ca. 1980 manufactured home. The south section of this parcel is composed of woods and fields just to the north of the Fire Station.

Battlefield Project NW SW Area Quadrant Divisions NE SE

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3001 S. Highway 161 (12J-097-00-075): The dwelling at this location was built in 1984 and is on a 2.3 acre parcel. This house reflects the Tudor Revival style and is two-stories in height. At the rear is a gambrel roof barn.

4001 S. Highway 161 (12J-097-00-074): Jacksonville Fire Station # 4 was built on this parcel in 1978. It is a one-story brick veneer building with a gable roof, concrete foundation and metal windows.

Parcel 12J-097-073: South Jacksonville Substation, owned by the Arkansas Power and Light Company. This parcel contains electrical transformers surrounded by a chain link fence. Connecting with the transformers are large steel transmission poles.

Northwest Battlefield Character The northwest section of the battlefield contains two large tracts consisting primarily of woodlands. One of these tracts is owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society while the other is in private ownership. Along the west side of State Highway 161 are numerous dwellings and vacant lots. Within the project area is the Woodhaven Trailer Park that contains several dozen manufactured homes. A modern dwelling and two manufactured homes occupy the area directly northwest of the bridge where some of the heaviest fighting of the battle took place.


3008 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-027): This parcel is owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society. On the parcel is a ca.1940, one-story commercial building. The building has an exterior of permastone and a hipped roof porch on the main façade.

3020 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-028): On this parcel is a ca. 1955 frame dwelling with a gable roof and vertical board siding. 3022 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-028): The dwelling at this location is a one-story frame house with masonite siding and a gable roof. 3026 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-059): On this 7-acre parcel are two dwellings which are part of a nursery operation. The dwelling at this address is a ca. 1945 one-story dwelling with a gable roof and stone veneer exterior.

3032 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-059): On this 7-acre parcel are two dwellings which are part of a nursery operation. The dwelling at this address is a ca. 1925 one-story frame dwelling with a gable roof and weatherboard siding.


3034 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-059.01): This 3-acre parcel contains a ca. 1945 gabled ell dwelling with a permastone exterior and lateral carport wing. At the rear is a frame garage. This parcel is owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society.

3038 S. Highway 161 (12J-097-00-055): Vacant lot owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society. South of 3038 S. Highway 161 is Dennis Lane which has a series of vacant lots, manufactured homes, and frame dwellings. These are as follows: 101 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-056): Vacant lot. 105 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-057): Vacant lot.

109 Dennis Lane (12J-097-01-001): One-story frame building used for commercial purposes and built ca. 1960. The building has aluminum siding, sliding track windows, and an attached shop wing.

112 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-058): Vacant lot. 113 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-051): Vacant lot.

116 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-054): One-story frame dwelling built ca. 1960 with masonite siding, a brick foundation, and two lateral shed roof wings.

117 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-050): One-story dwelling built in 1960 and remodeled into its present appearance in recent years. 124 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-048): This section of the lot contains a one-

story dwelling of frame construction built ca. 1970.

125 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-053.01): One-story frame dwelling built ca. 2000.

132 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-048): On this lot is a ca. 1970 frame dwelling with a gable roof and aluminum siding. 132 ½ Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-048): This lot also contains a ca. 1980 manufactured home. 140 Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-048): This lot contains a ca. 1980 manufactured home. 140 ½ Dennis Lane (12J-097-00-053): ca. 1970 manufactured home.


4004 Highway 161 (12J-097-00-046-01/02/03): Woodhaven Trailer Court. This trailer court consists of thirty manufactured homes which extend from Highway 161 northwest for approximately 800 feet. To the northwest of these mobile homes are dense woodlands.

4016-4018 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-062): This 2.3 acre parcel contains two manufactured homes.

4024 Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-063): This parcel is located directly northwest of the S. Highway 161 bridge over the Bayou Meto. It contains a ca. 1970 one-and-one half story frame dwelling with vinyl siding. At the rear is a vinyl sided frame shed.

Parcel 12J-097-00-044: Containing 67.2 acres, this is the largest parcel in this section of the battlefield and it is composed of woodlands which covers a 275’ hill. This large lot is bounded on the north by Trickey Lane and is west of the houses on S. Highway 161.


Parcel 12J-097-00-062: This 15 acre parcel is composed of woodlands and is bounded on the west by the Bayou Meto. It is located to the west of 4016-4018 S. Highway 161. It is owned by the City of Jacksonville as part of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield. Southwest Battlefield Character The southwest section of the battlefield contains open space and woodlands associated with the city’s wastewater treatment plant, numerous dwellings on the west side of State Highway 161, and several vacant lots, all shaded in tan. Within this section is Sammy’s Trailer Park containing over two dozen manufactured homes. A prominent landscape feature in this area is the small lake between State highway 161 and Western Avenue. This artificial lake was created in the 1950s and does not have any historical connection with the battlefield’s landscape of 1863. On the west side of State Highway 161 within the battlefield boundary are four dwellings, two manufactured homes, and a vacant lot. Further west is property bounded on the north by the Bayou Meto and owned by the City of Jacksonville for its waste treatment plant. 5000 and 5002 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-099-00-006): On this lot are two ca. 1970 manufactured homes.

5006 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-099-00-005): One-story frame dwelling built ca. 1970.

Parcel 12J-099-00-004: Vacant lot. Extending west from S. Highway 161 is Lakeshore which then intersects with Western Avenue. On these two streets are five dwellings, four manufactured homes, and three vacant lots. 100 and 104 Lakeshore Drive (Parcel 12J-099-00-003): This lot contains two

ca. 1960 manufactured homes. 101 Lakeshore Drive (Parcel 12J-099-00-001): This lot contains two

dwellings at 101 and 103 Lakeshore Drive. The dwelling at 101 Lakeshore Drive faces Highway 161. It is a one-story, ca. 1925 frame dwelling with a stone veneer and a clipped gable roof. The dwelling has a hipped roof porch on the main façade and original 3/1 vertical sash windows. The house at 103 Lakeshore Drive is a one-story frame dwelling with a gable roof and masonite siding built ca. 1955.


105 Lakeshore Drive (Parcel 12J-099-00-002): This parcel contains a one- story frame dwelling with aluminum siding, a concrete foundation, and a gable roof, built ca. 1960. This property is owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society.

2705 Western Avenue (Parcels 12J-099-00-008 and 008.01): These two parcels are owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society and contain a ca. 1970 manufactured home.

113 Lakeshore Drive (Parcel 12J-099-00-009): This lot contains a ca. 1980 brick veneer Ranch style dwelling. 117 Lakeshore Drive (Parcel 12J-099-00-010): This parcel contains a ca. 1960 frame dwelling with aluminum siding. 120 Lakeshore Drive (Parcel 12J-099-00-007): On this lot is a ca. 1980 manufactured home. Lakeshore Drive (Parcel 12J-099-00-014): This one acre parcel is owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society. The parcel borders an artificial lake built in the 1950s.

Lakeshore Drive (Parcels 12J-099-00-012 and 013): These two contiguous parcels are located at the dead-end of Lakeshore Drive and are owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society.

6004 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-068): On this parcel is Sammy’s Trailer Park which contains two dwellings and twenty manufactured homes. The houses are frame dwellings built ca. 1970-80. 6016 S. Highway 161 (12J-097-00-067): On this parcel is a one-story brick veneer, Ranch style dwelling built ca. 1960. The house is sited on the east end of the lot and to the west the rest of the acreage is vacant down to Cloverdale Road, The northwest section of the lot along Cloverdale Road is composed of woodlands.


Parcel 12J-097-00-045: This parcel contains 16 acres along the Bayou Meto and is owned by the City of Jacksonville. While some of this property remains in woodlands along the bayou, the west section of the parcel contains part of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The parcel is also bisected by electrical transmission poles.

Parcel 12J-097-00-066: Containing 8.4 acres, this parcel is owned by the city and used for its Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Southeast Battlefield Character The southeast section of the battlefield includes those properties south of the Bayou Meto along the east side of S. Highway 161. This part of the battlefield extends to the east to include the parcels associated to Wilson’s Ford. The southeast section of the battlefield is the most intact and reflects much of its appearance from 1863 and is shaded in green. The battlefield park and the parcels to the east retain woodlands along the bayou with open fields to the south. This agricultural landscape is marred only by the utility poles extending east along the bayou from the AP&L substation. South of the park are a series of frame dwellings facing State Highway 161. Parcel 12J-097-00-065: Owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society, this 7.5 acre parcel contains the existing historic markers and parking area for the battlefield park.

Parcel 12R-031-00-002: This is a 17.3 acre parcel used as a cultivated field with woodlands along the Bayou Meto. This field extends north to the Bayou Meto.


Parcel 12R-031-00-004: This is a 15.7 acre parcel used as a cultivated field with woodlands along the Bayou Meto. This field extends north to the Bayou Meto.

Parcel 12R-032-00-004: This is a 30 acre parcel used as a cultivated field with woodlands along the Bayou Meto. This field extends north to the Bayou Meto and encompasses the historic site of Wilson’s Ford. 5023 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-064): Most of this 17.7 acre parcel is in woodlands or under cultivation. Facing S. Highway 161 on the western edge of the lot is a ca.1960 one-story frame dwelling. This house has shiplap siding and an enclosed shed roof porch.

6005 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-069): This 1.4 acre parcel contains two dwellings. The house at 6005 S. Highway 1616 is a one-story frame dwelling built ca. 1955 and used as rental property. The house has shiplap siding, six-over-six wood sash windows, and a lateral addition added ca. 1970. 6009 S. Highway 161 (Parcel 12J-097-00-069): On the same parcel is 6009 S. Highway 161. Built ca. 1935, this one-story frame Bungalow has shiplap siding and three-over-one wood sash windows. The front of the dwelling has a screen porch and the house also has a carport.


The Cultural Resources of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield There are no buildings or structures on the battlefield that remain from the Civil War era. Fighting occurred along the Military Road and the Bell and Gray dwellings shown on the historic maps of the period are no longer extant and have modern buildings on their sites. At the bridge, the “Razor House” appears to have been demolished by the end of the 19th century and no remains of this property are visible. Surface remains of the original bridge and other early bridges at this location were removed during the construction of the existing 1954 highway bridge. No other buildings or structures within the battlefield project area are known to have been extant during the battle. The cultural resources of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield include natural features, historic landscape features and potential archaeological sites (see Map 24).

Figure 7: The historic site of Reed’s Bridge is in the general vicinity of the existing bridge.

1) Reed’s Bridge Site – The site of Reed’s Bridge has the potential to yield

information on the original bridge at this site and later bridge construction. The original wooden bridge was completed in 1828 and it stood until being destroyed during the battle in 1863. A new wooden bridge was built following the Civil War that was replaced in the late 19th century by a steel truss bridge. The steel truss bridge was in turn replaced in 1954 with the present concrete beam bridge. The construction of the existing bridge in 1954 removed all of the surface remains of earlier bridges at this site. It is possible that subsurface remains are extant which could provide information on the exact location and other information regarding the 1863 Reed’s Bridge.


Figure 8: The Razor House location was near the bayou in the front yard of the residence

at 4004 S. Highway 161.

2) Razor House Site – The only building known to have existed in the immediate vicinity of the bridge during the battle is the Razor House shown on 1863 campaign maps. This dwelling is shown on the north side of the bayou and just northwest of the bridge. The name Razor is unknown to local historians and no information concerning this house has been identified. Because of its location next to the bayou, it may be that this was the bridge’s toll house and Razor was the name of the toll keeper. This site is now an open field and possesses archaeological potential to yield information concerning this dwelling.

Map 22: Site of Wilson’s Ford.

3) Wilson’s Ford – Wilson’s Ford is a shallow ford located downstream from Reed’s Bridge. The importance of this crossing was recognized by Confederate General John Marmaduke who feared being flanked during the battle. The 1st Iowa attempted to cross the ford during the battle but were repulsed by Bennett’s cavalry. The ford site has not been significantly altered and has the potential to provide information on the fighting that occurred at this location.


Figure 9: The Samson Gray House ca. 1970 prior to its demolition.

4) Samson Gray House Site – As Marmaduke’s cavalry grudgingly gave ground along the Military Road, they passed the log dwelling known as the Samson Gray House. Built in the 1820s by Samson Gray, this property was occupied by his descendants during the battle. Tradition states that a cannon shell pierced the east wall of the house during the fighting along the road. This dwelling stood for many years on the north side of the Military Road before being razed. To the north of the house was the Gray Cemetery. The house site is now occupied by a modern housing development and the cemetery is a small landscaped park. No headstones or other surface remains associated with the cemetery are visible.

Figure 10: The Bayou Meto from the Missouri Pacific Railroad Bridge.

5) Bayou Meto – The Bayou Meto was the focal point of the battle as Union forces attempted to capture Reed’s Bridge and clear the way for an assault on Little Rock. The bayou’s course through the battlefield does not appear to have changed significantly since 1863 according to maps of the 19th and 20th centuries.


Figure 11: Military Road marker on State Highway 161, near Trickey Lane.

6) The Military Road, State Highway 161 – The Military Road was built through this section of Arkansas in 1828 and connected Memphis with Little Rock. The prominence of this road in 1863 led to its use by the Union Army as it approached Little Rock. The Military Road remained widely used and had a graded dirt surface until the early 20th century. The road was paved by the 1920s and designated as Arkansas Highway 161. Within the battlefield area the existing roadbed follows the approximate route of the historic Military Road and no significant deviations from this route are known.

Figure 12: Unknown Union Soldier (Photo courtesy of www.civilwarmysteries.com)


Property Ownership The majority of the property within the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield area is privately owned. However, numerous parcels have been acquired by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society and the City of Jacksonville in recent years. These parcels are shown on the adjacent map.

LEGEND

Owned by Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society

Owned by City of Jacksonville

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Map 23


CULTURAL RESOURCES MAP

1 Reed’s Bridge Site

2 Razor House Site

3 Wilson’s Ford Site

4 Samson Gray House Site

5 Bayou Meto

6 Military Road

National Register Boundary

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6 4

3

2

1

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Map 24


Land Use Issues Because of their potential for either negatively or positively impacting the battlefield, four specific types of public policy were reviewed in order to determine their likely future influence upon the battlefield: the City’s land use plan, area transportation plans, land use zoning, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s floodplain delineations. Each issue is summarized below: Land Use Plan Jacksonville is fortunate to have prepared and adopted a new community-wide land use plan within the last few years. The plan map is not as fine-grained as a zoning map in that it illustrates proposed land uses for general areas rather than a detailed lot-by-lot delineation. The plan reflects the battlefield as consisting primarily of floodplains and residential lands. The existence of a relatively current land use plan is good news for battlefield preservation efforts, as it should make future rezoning requests more difficult if they are inconsistent with the land use plan. As discussed in more detail below, there has been a trend over the past few decades of “up-zoning” property to more intensive uses, thereby increasing its market value. Transportation Plans The primary road located within the battlefield is State Highway 161. This road, aligned along a northeast-southwest axis, is a historic road that was originally known as the Military Road, a term still used by many today. It served as a key transportation route for troops during the battle, and the battle’s geographic configuration and evolution can be credited, in large part, to the road. The only other roads within the battlefield are secondary arterial roads that access existing residential areas. There are no known transportation projects that would directly impact the battlefield. For example, there are no current plans to widen State Highway 161, although the idea of transforming the road into a four or five-lane road has been informally

discussed for several years. However, there are two planned transportation projects that might conceivably create more development pressures within the area to indirectly impact the battlefield, as follows: I-440 Bypass I-440 is a loop road that provides access to the perimeter of Little Rock via Interstate 40. The bypass’s completion within the next few years could increase development pressures within the general vicinity of the battlefield because of the improved access. However, the bypass does not traverse the battlefield, and no associated intersections are proposed within close proximity to the battlefield. Hwy. 67/167 Widening The proposed widening of State Highway 67/167 will result in a six-lane road, and it is expected to be completed within approximately 1.5 years. The improved access that it will bring to the battlefield area could conceivably increase development pressures because of the improved access to the general vicinity. However, as in the case of the I-440 Bypass, it does not traverse the battlefield, although it is relatively close to the northwest corner of the battlefield. Also, no associated intersections are proposed within close proximity to the battlefield. Zoning The majority of the battlefield is within the City’s limits, but the southeast and southwest corners of the battlefield are under the jurisdictions of Pulaski County. Although the County does regulate development through the issuance of building permits, it currently has no land use zoning. The City of Jacksonville’s current zoning ordinance was adopted in 1969, but has been revised numerous times, with the most recent revisions being adopted in 2004. As in the case of many smaller communities with a relatively old zoning ordinance that has been updated incrementally over the years, Jacksonville’s zoning is “Euclidean” or “pyramidal.” These terms refer to zoning in which any given zoning classification permits the uses permitted within the next less intensive district, in


addition to those uses permitted specifically within the subject district. For example, low-density residential districts are limited primarily to low-density residential uses, while high-intensity commercial districts permit, either as-of-right or conditionally, most uses ranging from low-density residential to high-intensity commercial. A notable exception to this general approach in Jacksonville is industrial zones, in which residences are prohibited under any circumstances. The following City zoning districts comprise the battlefield: Single-Family Residential Districts (R-0 and R-1) R-0 zoning comprises more land than any other zoning classification for the battlefield. It has been applied to the largest parcels that are located west of Hwy. 161 and east of the railroad. Approximately 80% of the City’s jurisdiction on the east side of Hwy. 161 is also zoned R-0. R-1 zoning is another very prevalent classification west of Hwy. 161 and east of the railroad. No R-1 zoning is applied to the battlefield east of Hwy. 161. These two zoning classifications are intended primarily for single-family detached dwellings. A relatively wide range of “conditional” uses are also permitted, including home occupations, institutions, public utilities, recreational uses, bed-and-breakfasts, and day care. The minimum permitted lot size for R-0 lands is 8,400 sq. ft., while the minimum lot size for the R-1 zone is 6,000 sq. ft. Manufactured Housing Districts (R-6 and R-7) Although the zoning maps currently available to the public show several parcels within the battlefield area as being zoned R-4, this category was recently adjusted to be replaced by R-6 and R-7 zoning. R-6 permits manufactured housing subdivisions in which each unit occupies its own lot, while R-7 is for manufactured housing “parks,” in which multiple units are located on a single parcel. Based upon the City’s

definition, “manufactured” houses are what are sometime referred to a “mobile homes” or “trailers.” The minimum permitted lot size for R-6 parcels is 5,000 sq. ft., while the minimum lots size for R-7 is 3 acres. There are several battlefield parcels zoned for manufactured housing on the west side of State Highway 161, both north and south of the bayou. East of State Highway 161, there is only one parcel zoned for manufactured housing, and it straddles both sides of the bayou. Quiet Business District, C-1 Only one small parcel within the battlefield area is zoned C-1. This parcel is located at 109 Dennis Lane and contains a one-story commercial building. C-1 zoning is intended for offices and light commercial uses to act as a buffer between residential and concentrated commercial uses. Zoning Trends Because the City’s zoning maps feature notes indicating the classifications and dates of zoning changes over the past few decades, general trends in zoning can be identified. Not surprisingly, the trend has been “up-zoning” of property in which a lower density/intensity classification is replaced with a higher density/intensity of zoning. Past examples include changing R-0 parcels to R-4 (now manufactured housing district), as well as up-zoning from residential to commercial classifications on State Highway 161 south of the battlefield. Because there seems to be no clear rationale or consistent pattern for these zoning changes over the years, they appear to be driven purely by the initiative of individual land owners as opposed to comprehensive planning efforts of the City. However, City staff believes that the adoption of a new land use plan within the past few years will result in fewer random rezonings in the future that are not strongly tied to the City’s land use plan.


EXISTING ZONING Map 25 R-6 & 7 – Manufactured Housing R-0 & R-1 - Residential C-1 – Commercial Outside city limits

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DUPREE PARK


Floodplain Designation Floodplains associated with the battlefield were initially delineated in 1974 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and they were most recently updated in August of 1995. The maps identify three types of areas: floodway areas, 100-year floodplains, and “other flood areas.” The latter applies to the less severe flood areas, such as 500-year floodplains. The battlefield’s existing floodplains are strongly linked to Bayou Meto. Although floodways and floodplains tend to have very irregular boundaries, the floodways have an average width of approximately 350 ft. along that portion of Bayou Meto bound by the railroad at its west end and the City boundary at its east end. While the 100-year floodplain boundaries are even more irregular in shape, they tend to extend an average of roughly 600 ft. beyond either side of the floodway areas along the same segment of Bayou Meto. Also, the portion of the battlefield located west of the railroad and south of the river is located completely within the 100-year floodplain, and some of it extends onto the east side of the railroad and north side of the bayou. Much of the southeast portion of the battlefield is also within the 100-year floodplain. The existence of floodplains is at least marginally significant for battlefield protection and interpretation efforts for two reasons. First and foremost, floodplains are more difficult and costly to develop than lands located outside of a floodplain. Although there has been a past trend in Jacksonville of cutting and filling lands within floodplains to make them developable, it is a practice that is avoided when possible because of the costs. Therefore, floodplains can offer some level of land protection, but they are certainly no guarantee of long-term protection. Secondly, their relatively low land costs and linear orientation make floodplains strong candidates for greenways and other types of public trails that can provide access to the battlefield.

Map 26: Floodplain and core battlefield area boundaries. The dashed blue lines denote the project area boundaries.

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Real Estate Market The real estate market associated with the battlefield is an extremely important factor in light of battlefield preservation efforts. Areas having very strong real estate markets and correspondingly high land values make preservation efforts difficult. Softer real estate markets, on the other hand, facilitate battlefield preservation because of lower land values. Current Land Uses and Market Demand At present, the battlefield area consists primarily of undeveloped rural lands, floodplains associated with Bayou Meto, and trailer parks. The balance of developed land consists primarily of modest residences, small commercial uses, and public utilities (sewage treatment plant and electrical sub-station). Land values range between $1,000 per acre for land featuring floodplains, to a high of $9,000 for more developable land fronting directly onto State Highway 161. Future Land Uses and Market Demand The nearby Little Rock Air Force Base is about to expand by 4,000 personnel, which local real estate professionals expect to increase the area’s demand for housing. Local real estate professionals anticipate an increase in single-family housing development within the battlefield area because of the base’s growth and area transportation improvements. At least one real estate professional believes that land values could increase to approximately $10,000 to $15,000 per acre within the very near future. Taking this projection a step further, if a critical mass of residents begins to build, it is possible that strip commercial development might also begin to occur along State Highway 161 because of relatively high traffic volumes. On the other hand, tempering these projections for future growth is the fact that the battlefield area presently has many characteristics (floodplains, mobile home parks, public utilities) that would seem to make the area less attractive for future residential development relative to other parts of Jacksonville. However, regardless of their future development potential, the battlefield properties will certainly not get any cheaper, and they will likely experience, at a minimum, gradual value increases over time simply because of inflation and other factors that drive real estate values.

Recommendations Public Policy Of the various types of public policy that affect the battlefield, land use zoning and related development standards are the most impacting yet easily changed. However, rarely is zoning the answer to battlefield protection. Zoning that permits even relatively low-density development typically allows too much development for a battlefield’s historic integrity to remain intact. On the other hand, zoning that is so restrictive as to result in legitimate battlefield preservation is usually not politically or legally viable. Even “cluster zoning” or “open space development” options that concentrate development within specific areas as a counterbalance to preserved areas have limited value for worthwhile battlefield protection. However, there are two zoning options that should be considered for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield:

Gateway Corridor Zoning State Highway 161 is the sole entry corridor to access the battlefield from either direction, and that fact has changed little since the Little Rock Campaign of 1863. In order to make strong first and last impressions, and to enhance the overall experience of battlefield visitors, it is important that the segments of State Highway 161 leading to the battlefield have a high level of aesthetic quality. Even if this corridor is to be substantially developed over time, the City should consider adopting a special design overlay district. Such zoning would not affect the underlying permitted land uses or densities, but would instead regulate key design issues. In particular, design standards should require generous landscaping for parking lots, and apply stringent regulations for the quantity, size and quality of signs. This zoning should also require sidewalks and street trees as affected properties are developed. However, the City and County might alternatively take a more proactive role by embarking on a publicly-funded streetscape redevelopment project, rather than waiting many years for the private sector to incrementally provide such improvements as part of their individual developments. Although a public streetscape project is undoubtedly appropriate for those segments of State Highway 161 leading to the battlefield, its


implementation within the actual battlefield area must be carefully contemplated in order to avoid stimulating adjacent private sector development that would undermine land preservation efforts. This strategy to enhance through zoning the segment of State Highway 161 extending north from the battlefield has strong potential. However, because the southern end of the battlefield is within the County’s jurisdiction, which has no zoning, gateway corridor enhancement for this important segment is much more of a challenge.

Viewshed Zoning As noted previously, zoning techniques that concentrate residential development on one portion of a site in return for open space preservation on other portions is typically of limited value for preserving actual battlefield lands. However, such “open space development” (OSD) zoning can be useful for preserving viewsheds of lands adjacent to battlefields. There are numerous variations on how OSD zoning can be structured, and it must be carefully researched and crafted to best meet the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield area. Regardless, one example might be to require a minimum of 70% open space on the site, while allowing the other 30% of the site to be developed with the same number of units that the underlying zoning would have permitted for the entire site. When OSD zoning is offered as an optional designation, density bonuses are sometimes offered as an incentive. Because OSD zoning typically yields small lots in those areas of the site that are permitted for development, alternative systems are needed to water wells and septic tanks being provided on each lot.

In addition to the consideration of these two zoning tools, all future proposed re-zonings within the battlefield should be carefully scrutinized. It is the opinion of the City staff that the new land use plan will discourage future re-zonings that are inconsistent with the plan. Consequently, the past trend of re-zonings from residential to commercial uses along State Highway 161 can be avoided so that needless increases in the costs of battlefield land do not occur.

State Highway 161 As noted previously, there are no formal plans to widen State Highway 161, although the idea has been informally discussed. A widening would result in either a four-lane road comprised of two lanes in either direction or a five-lane road featuring two lanes in either direction and a central turn lane. Because of the historic significance of the road to the battle, as well as its contribution to the battlefield’s overall character, any proposed future widening should be avoided for the segment of State Highway 161 that traverses the battlefield. In fact, the retention of a two-lane segment at any point within such a proposed widening might negate the feasibility of a widening project altogether because of the traffic “bottlenecking” that might result. Also, the battlefield’s National Register designation will help in this regard, as any federally licensed or funding improvements would require that the lengthy “Section 106 Review” process occur per the National Historic Preservation Act. As part of this planning process for the battlefield, consideration has also been given to the idea of annexing the portions of the battlefield that are currently beyond the City’s jurisdiction. In the case of some battlefields, such a strategy can be helpful because the particular municipality involved has a stronger capacity or interest than the County government to treat the battlefield in a “preservation friendly” manner. However, it is the collective opinion of Jacksonville’s public officials that such annexations for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield would likely not result in any significant added benefits. Real Estate Acquisitions Recognizing that public policy tools for battlefield protection are generally limited, there are two key options for land acquisition: conservation easements and fee simple purchases. Conservation easements allow the current owner to retain ownership, but they give up the right to develop the property (or to substantially develop it). While conservation easements might save land from development, they do not provide to the easement holder the other benefits of full ownership, such as access and the ability to make physical improvements. Fee simple ownership, on the other hand, gives the land owner the full “bundle of rights.” As noted previously, current land values in the battlefield area range between $1,000 per acre for land featuring floodplains, to a high


of $9,000 for more developable land directly fronting onto State Highway 161. Given the relatively low land values of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield, compared to some parts of the country where battlefield lands are selling for $30,000 to $50,000 per acre, fee simple acquisition is the recommended avenue. For only a few hundred or few thousand dollars more per acre, the full range of land rights are extended to the owner, making important battlefield enhancement and interpretation efforts possible. In addition to the types of acquisition, the types of properties to be acquired should be considered. Assuming funding for land acquisition will be limited within the foreseeable future, it is recommended that – if all other considerations are equal - floodplains be prioritized in order to secure more acres with fewer dollars. Obviously, land acquisitions that can serve as a preemptive strike to prevent new development should be given the highest level of priority. Short of the ability to exercise eminent domain for “unfriendly” land acquisitions, the prioritizing of battlefield properties for acquisition usually comes down to which specific properties become available on the real estate market over time.


Future land acquisition and protection

Identified Goal: The parcels bordering the Bayou Meto have the highest priority for preservation and should be protected either through acquisition or easements. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is owned by over two dozen individuals, along with the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society and the City of Jacksonville. Because funds for land acquisition will be limited in the near future, property within the battlefield area has been assessed for its significance and prioritized. A useful rating system was developed by the former Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites (subsequently merged into the Civil War Preservation Trust). The system was intended to be used for rating individual parcels within a single battlefield or similar site. Also, the federal Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) created a set of criteria very similar to the Civil War Preservation Trust criteria. The criteria used by the Civil War Preservation Trust are based upon the following three considerations:

• Historical Significance • Existing Integrity • Physical Features

More specifically, the three criteria are considered as described in detail below: Historical Significance (S) Historical significance is the only criterion not tied to contemporary conditions, but rather directly to the period of the Civil War. There are five separate levels of historic significance that are weighted on a 10-point rating scale:

S-1 (10 points) Tracts containing virtually all of the key ground on the battlefield. S-2 (8 points) Tracts containing ground on which some key combat or other action occurred. S-3 (6 points) Tracts where substantial, but not decisive, fighting occurred. S-4 (4 points) Tracts where minor fighting or important troop movements occurred. S-5 (2 points) Tracts where no combat took place, but troop movements occurred. Existing Integrity (I) A property’s integrity level is based upon the degree to which it has or has not been altered since the time of its historical significance. Alterations can include the construction of dwellings, changes in crop patterns and landscape features, and removal or archaeological features. There are three separate levels of integrity, which are weighted on a 5-point rating scale, as follows: I-1 (5 points) Agricultural land or woodlands with no visible intrusions.

I-2 (2 points) Land with moderate visible intrusions. I-3 (0 points) Land containing significant physical intrusions.


Physical Features (F) Physical features are historic landscape components from the time of the battle such as roadbeds, cultivated fields, woodlands, and water courses. Physical features also include potential archaeological resources. Although no formal archaeological investigations have taken place at Reed’s Bridge, the approximate location of two archaeological sites is known and these components are included in this assessment. There are three levels of physical features and they are weighted on a 2-point rating scale, as follows: F-1 (2 points) Parcels containing one or more features important to the battle story and potential archaeological resources. F-2 (1 point) Parcels containing one or more features that contributed to the battle story and potential archaeological resources. F-3 (0 point) Parcels containing no known significant historic features related to the battlefield and low potential for archaeological resources.

Summary Prioritizing Reed’s Bridge Battlefield lands is based upon a composite of each of the four key considerations, which are measured according to the weighted point system. It is noteworthy that in considering each of the four categories for any one particular resource, average numbers can be used.

Figure 13: Unknown soldier (Photo courtesy of www.civilwarmysteries.com).


Historical Significance These parcels are shaded to indicate those which are the most significant due to their role in the battle. The parcels directly adjacent to the Bayou Meto saw the heaviest fighting are given the highest priority. Also shaded blue are the known artillery positions including the Confederate battery area on Cloverdale Road and the Union battery area south of Carver Lane. To the east of the map the parcels on either side of Wilson’s Ford are also considered to be high priority.

Historical Significance Highest Priority National Register Boundary Secondary Priority

N

Map 27


Existing Integrity The highest integrity ratings are applied to property which has remained in woodlands or in agriculture since 1863. Moderate loss of integrity reflects those parcels which have some development such as a residence but large yards or surrounding open space. The remaining parcels are those which have been developed with private or public uses and usually contain 20th century buildings.

Existing Integrity Highest Integrity No Integrity National Register Boundary Moderate Integrity

N

Map 28


physical Features

The physical feature assessment is based upon the existing landscape character and the cultural resource survey of the battlefield (see Map 24).

Physical Features F-1 High Natural Features & Archeological Potential National Register Boundary F-2 Moderate Natural Features & Archeological Potential F-3 Minimal Natural Features & Archeological Potential

N

Map 29


Land Acquisition and Protection Recommendations The acquisition and protection of the property which comprises the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is key to its future interpretation and preservation. Parcels which are currently owned by the City of Jacksonville are outlined in blue and those owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society in yellow. Parcels with the highest priority for acquisition are outlined in red. These include the parcels on the west side of the bridge on either side of the bayou. Also of high priority is the tract on Cloverdale Road which was the site of Confederate artillery during the battle. On the north side of the bayou acquisition of land along the Bayou Meto is recommended. Although now part of a larger tract, it is hoped that a strip along the bayou could be subdivided in the future. The parcel owned by AP&L Company is not likely to change ownership in the future but efforts to enhance this property should be undertaken.

KEY Parcels owned by Reed’s Bridge

Battlefield Society

Parcels owned by the City of Jacksonville

Land rated as PRIORITY to acquire

or obtain easements Project Area Boundary

N

Map 30 - Land Acquisition


Land Protection - Fee Simple Acquisition There are two primary alternatives available to protect battlefield lands: fee simple acquisition and conservation easements. Fee simple is the direct purchase of properties by a public or private preservation organization. Conservation easements allow the ownership to remain with the current owners, but restrictions are placed on development and other activities that might otherwise damage the integrity of the lands. Conservation easements are most typically used in cases in which fee simple acquisition would be cost prohibitive or the owner wants to continue ownership for whatever reason. Because the average market value for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield lands ranges from $1,000 to $9,000 per acre, it is recommended that fee simple acquisition be the first priority, with easements being a fall-back position in the case of unwilling sellers. While easements can prevent future development, only fee simple ownership can provide cohesive management, public access, and interpretation. Land Protection - Conservation Easements

Another tool that is often used successfully in the preservation of battlefields is a conservation easement. A conservation easement is a legal transfer of rights to use all or part of a property for a certain purpose. The agreement is between a property owner and a third party such as a land trust, public agency, or preservation organization, and it generally restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on the property. In a conservation easement agreement, a landowner sells or gives away some rights while retaining others. For example, these rights may include the right to construct buildings, harvest timber, restrict access, or subdivide the land.

Easements are often given to protect various environmental spaces such as wetlands, forests, and endangered species habitats. They are also useful in protecting farmland, scenic areas, and historic sites from inappropriate development. Organizations and governments use easements to acquire green space in an area that is being developed quickly. The easement is a binding legal

agreement that remains with the land and applies to all subsequent owners of the property. This insures that the land will be protected indefinitely.

Figure 14: Easements may be useful for protecting the agricultural lands on the south side of

the bayou and east of Reed’s Bridge. An important point about easements is that property owners maintain private ownership of the property. The owner retains the right to sell, give away or transfer ownership of the property. The owner can continue to live on the property, keep any subsurface mineral rights, and develop any portion of the property excluded from the easement. Generally what the owner relinquishes is the right to develop, improve, or modify the property defined in the easement.

Easement restrictions are tailored to the interests of the property owner and the unique qualities of the particular property. Restrictions are made to protect significant values of that property. Construction and activities may be restricted completely, or limited to certain types. For example, for a natural area, all


construction may be prohibited. If the land serves as a farm, the easement may allow for structures and activities related to agriculture while subdivision and other development of the land is prohibited.

Landowners typically decide whether or not the property is to be open to the public. Access rights that allow activities such as hunting, fishing, or hiking are sometimes given. In order to receive a tax deduction, however, some easements require access. Public access is required if an easement is given for recreational or educational purposes. Scenic easements require that most of the property be visible to the public, but physical access is not required. Easements should include protection of archaeological resources and efforts to prevent looting.

Figure 15: Conservation easements could also allow the construction of a walking

trail along the bayou to Wilson’s Ford.

Interest in conservation easements has grown as property values, and subsequently tax burdens, in many areas have soared leaving property owners "land rich, but cash poor." Even landowners who wish to keep their land undeveloped often are forced to sell or subdivide their property to pay the property taxes. Conservation easements can help landowners preserve their land, reduce taxes, and maintain ownership. Donating easements to a non-profit group such as the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society can bring a property owner added tax benefits. If an easement is donated exclusively for conservation purposes and is perpetual, it qualifies as a tax-deductible charitable gift. The value of the easement is determined by the difference between the value of the land prior to the easement and its value after the easement is in effect. For example, a property valued at $200,000 prior to an easement may be reduced to $150,000 with a conservation easement. The difference, $50,000, is the value of the easement. This amount may be deducted from the donor's income for purposes of calculating federal income tax. Typically, donors can deduct an amount equal to up to 30% of their adjusted gross income each year up to six years. Because a property subject to a conservation easement is reduced in value it often will benefit from lower real estate tax. Many state laws allow lands with permanent conservation easements to have a lower real estate assessment that reflects the easement's restrictions. Thus, substantial local real estate tax benefits are gained. Conservation easements can also reduce estate taxes. The value of the easement is deducted or subtracted from the value of the property prior to taxation. This subtraction or deduction from the value of estate property is available whether the easement was donated or sold. Conservation easements are excellent tools for preserving spaces such as battlefields. They secure the historic property from improper development while allowing the individual landowner to retain ownership. Easements that are donated also provide ample tax benefits to property owners. Most importantly, easements are a means of preserving historic landscapes for future generations.


Acquiring Property - Tools That Buy Time When attempting to protect historic properties, it is often necessary to buy time until easements, donations, zoning, historic designation, or other options can be arranged. Common tools used to buy time in these cases are option, right-of-first-refusal, lease, and management agreement. An option is the right to purchase a property at a specific price by a specified time. Options are important preservation tools that give groups time to raise money and temporarily secures the land from other buyers. In an option, the landowner and preservation group or other buyer enter a contract in which they agree on a sale price set a set time in the future. If the group can raise the funds during that time, the option is exercised. If the group does not raise the funds, the option is allowed to expire. During the time of the option, the landowner cannot sell to any other buyer, and the preservation group is under no obligation to buy if they cannot raise the necessary funds. Options are also economically feasible as they usually can be purchased for a fraction of the land purchase price, or sometimes at no cost at all. A land trust or preservation group can also purchase a right-of-first-refusal. This agreement between the landowner and the land trust gives the land trust a certain amount of time to match an offer on a property before it is sold. This method can be used to prevent the sale of property to developers while funds are raised to buy the land. Another time buying tool is to lease a property temporarily. Leases typically grant exclusive access rights to properties and thus assure that historic and environmental resources will be cared for. Leasing is a good option if a landowner does not want to sell the property or convey an easement. Management agreements are similar to leases. In this type of contract, the preservation organization contracts to maintain portions of a property in exchange for access rights.

Figure 16: Unknown Confederate Soldier (Photo Courtesy of www.civilwarmywteries.com)


battlefield enhancements

Identified Goal: Visitors to the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield should experience informative interpretive markers and wayside exhibits, and have available easy to read walking and driving tour brochures. Visitors should have access to an informative interpretive center on the battlefield.

Figure 17: Current interpretive marker at the Reed’s Bridge site.

1. Improve and add interpretive Wayside Exhibits and Markers One of the most important actions at the battlefield is improving the visitor’s experience. Presently only one wayside exhibit and one roadside marker are available at Reed’s Bridge to interpret the battlefield. The existing wayside exhibit was installed several years ago and contains a good overview of the battle. However, this property and other property owned by the Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society and the City of Jacksonville currently offer additional opportunities for wayside exhibits and a more meaningful visitor experience.

Figure 18: Historic marker at the Reed’s Bridge site.


At the existing battlefield park, additional wayside exhibits are recommended with information concerning the overall Little Rock campaign, the artillery duel between Bell’s Battery and Union batteries, the commanders on both sides, and the overall historical significance of Reed’s Bridge. A parking area and wayside exhibit is recommended for the Society owned parcel at the intersection of Trickey Lane and State Highway 161. This marker could provide information on the fighting which occurred along the Military Road prior to the engagement at the bridge. A parking area and wayside exhibit is recommended for the Society owned property at the dead end of Western Avenue. This exhibit could include information on the Confederate units which defended the area to the west of the Military Road. A pull-off and wayside exhibit is also recommended for the Society owned parcel at 3008 S. Highway 161. This site was the approximate location for Union artillery which participated in a fierce exchange with Confederate artillery in the late afternoon. The Society should also request permission to add landscape elements and a wayside exhibit on the property owned by Arkansas Power & Light on the north side of the bayou. A pull off at this site provides an ideal location for a wayside exhibit on the 1st Iowa’s attack on the bridge. As walking trails are added and easements acquired, wayside exhibits should also be considered for the City’s property on the south side of the Bayou Meto, north of Western Avenue and at the location of Wilson’s Ford on the south side of the bayou. As additional property is purchased by the Society or acquired through easements, wayside exhibits should also be considered at the following locations:

- Parcel 12J-097-063: Located directly north of the bridge, this parcel provides for an exhibit on the Union attack on Reed’s Bridge and its destruction by the Confederate forces.

- Parcel 12J-097-067: The corner of S. Highway 161 and Cloverdale Road is

high ground used by the Confederate artillery to contest the crossing at Reed’s Bridge. A wayside exhibit at this location would assist in detailing the significance and action of the battle’s artillery duel.

- Parcel 12J-097-005 and 006: These two parcels are directly across S. Highway 161 from the existing battlefield park. Wayside exhibits at this location would provide information on the Confederate units defending this ground on the west side of the bridge.

- Markers on State Highway 161 for the Samson Gray and McCraw House Sites.

The wayside exhibits and markers should be manufactured in accordance with the same materials, design and graphic standards that are currently used by the National Park Service. This approach will insure both quality and a sense of cohesiveness. Waysides should be located for both driving and walking tour routes, although those for driving tours should only be provided at locations with a safe “pull over” area.

Figure 19: Wayside exhibit design which would be appropriate for the Reed’s Bridge

Battlefield.


Figure 20: Representative interpretive panels at Fort Donelson Battlefield in Tennessee

Figure 21: Wayside exhibit at the Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield in Tennessee.


2. Improve automobile access and parking There are presently no highway signs to direct visitors to the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield. As the battlefield is enhanced through additional wayside exhibits, highway signs on Interstate 40 and US 67 should be added to direct visitors to the site. Once at the park, visitors should be provided a driving tour brochure or be informed that such brochures are available at either the Jacksonville Military History Museum or the Chamber of Commerce. Improve the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Park Parking Area The 7.5 acre park owned by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society should be paved and parking locations defined. Paving this lot will make it safer to access and depart, as well as creating greater parking efficiencies. A paved path which is handicapped accessible should also be added to connect the parking area with the existing wayside exhibit.

Figure 22: Parking area and entrance to the battlefield park off State Highway 161. This gravel lot should be improved with paving and parking stripes.

Figure 23: A paved walkway should be added to access the wayside exhibits.


Add a Parking Area at the end of Lakeshore Drive The Society owns three parcels at the dead-end of Lakeshore Drive. There are presently no site improvements at this location and the addition of a paved parking area along with wayside exhibits is recommended.

Add Pull-Off Parking Areas along with wayside exhibits Several additional locations along State Highway 161 provides excellent sites for pull-offs and wayside exhibits. These include the Society owned parcel at 3008 State Highway 161 and the AP&L substation property on the north side of the bayou. Pull-offs can accommodate two or three cars at a time and are designed to have easy access to the main highway. As additional property is acquired by the Society pull-offs and parking areas should be considered at the wayside exhibit locations recommended in the previous section. Prior to initiating any grading or clearing for new or expanded parking areas, cultural resource surveys should be completed in order to avoid destroying or disturbing any archaeological resources.

Figure 24: Possible Future sites

for parking areas at the end of Lakeshore Drive (above) and on

the AP & L property (below)


Figure 25: Example of an appropriate wayside exhibit at a pull-off at the Parker’s Crossroads

Battlefield in Tennessee.

3. Create an interpretive Center As a long-term goal, the development of an interpretive center should be considered. Such a center would be a focal point of the battlefield, and could include the following features:

• Parking area • Restrooms • Interpretive exhibits • Large-scale battlefield map • Tour brochures and audio tapes (as available) • Gift shop items/books (optional)

The construction of an interpretive center at the location of the existing battlefield park is not recommended. This would add a modern intrusion into the site and alter the viewshed and historic landscape. The reuse of existing buildings is also not recommended. None of the buildings within the battlefield or its immediate vicinity date to the Civil War or the 19th century. Buildings within the battlefield area all date to the early 20th century and do not possess sufficient architectural or historical associations or quality of construction to warrant adaptive reuse into a visitor’s facility. If funding for an interpretive center is obtained, two sites should be given consideration. The preferred site is the Society-owned property at the intersection of State Highway 161 and Trickey Lane. This corner lot is presently vacant and is highly visible due to the amount of traffic along both of these roads. Directly on the historic route of the Military Road, this interpretive center could include information not only concerning the Battle of Reed’s Bridge but also the history of the Military Road and the Trail of Tears. The lot contains sufficient property to allow for ample parking as well as an interpretive center. A second potential site is the parcel at the northwest corner of State Highway 161 and Cloverdale Road. The advantage of this site is that it is on the western edge of the battlefield and cannon and exhibits could be displayed directly east of the building at historically accurate locations. Most visitors would be using Interstate 40 and/or US 67 and the site would be on the most direct route to the battlefield. The prominence of this


corner would be a more direct entryway into the battlefield area rather than having visitors drive through the battlefield first before reaching the interpretive center.

Figure 26: This parcel at Trickey Lane and State Highway 161 is owned by the Reed’s Bridge

Battlefield Preservation Society and is a possible location for an interpretive center.

Figure 27: The vacant Lot at the northwest corner of Cloverdale Road and State Highway 161

is another potential interpretive center site. 4. fencing and cannons Detailed maps of the Reed’s Bridge area from the Civil War era have not been identified. As a result, fence lines, and field locations are unknown. However, the construction of additional snake rail fences similar to those which already exist are a potential way to reinforce the character of a 19th century landscape. Archaeological investigations should be utilized to identify the historic locations of snake rail fences on the battlefield. Such rail fences were commonly utilized to delineate roads and fields during the mid-19th century, and if supported by archaeological evidence, such fences would be appropriate for the battlefield.


Cannons are another effective way of providing the visitor with a sense of time and place of the battle. Although expensive, cannons are particularly popular with the general public and promote tourism. Reproduction cannons currently cost in the range of $15,000 to $20,000. The Society should examine ways to target the raising of funds specifically for cannon acquisition through state agencies, non-profit groups, and corporate sponsorship. The key criteria that should be used in locating cannons should include:

1) a location where batteries are known to have been during the battle. Archaeological evidence such as the presence of friction primers and other artillery diagnostics would help support the exact placement of cannon; 2) highly visible locations so that their affect is maximized. Obvious locations for providing one or more cannons would be at the existing battlefield park where Bell’s Confederate battery was deployed, on the high ground south of Carver Road where the Union artillery was emplaced, and at the high ground at Cloverdale Road and S. Highway 161.

Figure 28: The addition of snake rail fences are recommended for various historic field locations within the battlefield.

Figure 29: This snake rail fence helps define this field on the Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield in

Tennessee.


Figure 30: The addition of cannons would enhance the visitors experience and understanding of the battlefield.

4. Develop Walking Trails to Connect the Battlefield. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Park presently lacks substantive walking trails and any cohesive pedestrian access to battlefield sites. The only walking trail is the short path which leads from the gravel parking area to the wayside exhibit. In order to more fully experience the battlefield, the construction of new walking trails is recommended. Short term goals for walking trails include the building of a trail connecting the battlefield park with the site of Wilson’s Ford. This proposed trail would extend completely through woodlands adjacent to the Bayou Meto and adjacent cultivated fields. Part of this trail would be on land presently owned by the Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society. In 2005, discussions with the property owner to the east have included the possibility of an easement for the construction of such a trail. If an easement is granted, the trail would be approximately 0.6 mile in length (1.2 mile round trip). This trail would connect the Reed’s Bridge site with the important Confederate defensive position on the south side of the ford. Another short term goal would be the construction of a walking trail from the Society’s property at the dead-end of Lakeshore Drive along the Bayou Meto. Such a trial could extend north for several hundred yards and connect with wayside exhibits describing the Confederate defense line on the south side of the waterway. This trail would extend into the City-owned wastewater treatment plant property on the west side of the bayou. It may also be possible to combine these two trails through either acquiring the parcel directly west of the south side of the bridge or through the acquisition of an easement. There is sufficient space beneath the State Highway 161 Bridge to create a walking trail which passes beneath the bridge on the south bank of the bayou without requiring visitors to cross the busy and dangerous State Highway 161. Long term goals include a walking trail to connect with the north side of the bayou and ideally with Dupree Park as part of the City’s Greenway system. A walking trail on the north side of the bayou would enable visitors to cross the waterway to reach


the proposed wayside exhibits. Crossing of the bayou would require the construction of a stand-alone pedestrian bridge or through the attachment of a pedestrian bridge to the existing State Highway 161 Bridge at the bayou. Utilization of the existing highway bridge for foot traffic is not advised due to the lack of shoulders and heavy vehicular usage. Attached pedestrian bridges are widely used to facilitate foot traffic when access on highway bridges is not possible or dangerous. With the construction of a pedestrian bridge across the bayou, a walking trail on the north side of the bayou and connecting with Dupree Park becomes a possibility. Such a walking trail would require permission from the Missouri Pacific Railroad to build a walkway beneath the railroad’s bridge over the bayou. A walking trail crossing the railroad tracks would not be possible due to railroad regulations and liability issues. A walkway beneath the bridge would be the only way to link the battlefield trail system and the Dupree Park trail system. If permission from the railroad is not granted, a trail leading near the railroad bridge is recommended to end at a wayside exhibit detailing the crossing of the bayou by Lea’s Company of Confederate cavalry on the extreme left of the Confederate line. The connection of a walking trail in Dupree Park with the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is a priority of the City of Jacksonville. A TEA-21 grant in the Recreational Trails Program was submitted by the City in 2004 for the construction of a 1600’ walking trail to connect the park with the Bayou Meto. This path is to be of asphalt construction and 10’ in width. If successful, an additional phase of this project will be to extend the walking trail to form a two-mile Greenway along the Bayou Meto and connect with Reed’s Bridge. Such a walking trail would greatly enhance the potential for wayside exhibits and enhance the visitor’s understanding of the battle and access to the major points of interest.

Figure 31: A potential design for a pedestrian bridge across the Bayou Meto could be similar to this bridge shown on the left of the highway bridge across the Current River in the Missouri Ozarks.


Figure 32 : Representative Walking Tour sign.

Figure 33: Walking trails presently consists of asphalt paths along the area of Parkers Crossroads Battlefield in Tennessee.


Map 31: Battlefield enhancements proposed for Reed’s Bridge.

LEGEND

Interpretive Sites Pull-off Future Parking Areas Current Parking Areas

Reproduction Cannons Driving Tour Parking symbol

N


Dupree Park

Wilson’s Ford Site

Map 32: Proposed Hiking Trails along the Bayou Meto.

LEGEND

Interpretive Sites Pedestrian Bridges Hiking Trails

N


TOURISM PROMOTION

Identified Goals

Once battlefield improvements are completed Visitation to the battlefield should be increased. Visitors to historic sites

in Little Rock should be encouraged to visit Reed’s Bridge.

Heritage tourism in the area should be increased through joint marketing efforts for regional Civil War sites, and the

Jacksonville Museum of Military History One of the most popular historical topics among tourists is the American Civil War, and sites related to events in the Civil War are favorite destinations of travelers and sightseers. The Civil War Preservation Trust’s recent study, “The Blue, Gray, and Green” provides ample evidence of the benefits of Civil War tourism for a community. Once additional battlefield enhancements are undertaken, the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield has excellent potential for increased heritage tourism. The battlefield is located within minutes of Interstate 40 and US 67 which are the main highways through central Arkansas. The City of Little Rock with its metropolitan population of over 250,000 also provides a potential market for weekend visitors. Civil War tourists can utilize the “Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail” brochure produced by the Arkansas Historic preservation program. This brochure provides a listing of Civil War sites in the immediate vicinity of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield as well as other sections of the state. With planning and marketing, Reed’s Bridge can entice visitors and their tourism dollars.

Another great asset for promoting Reed’s Bridge is the new Jacksonville Museum of Military History. Located less than two miles north in downtown Jacksonville, this museum provides exhibits on America’s wars of the past two hundred years and specific information on the Civil War and military operations at Jacksonville. Within the museum is an excellent discussion of the Battle of Reed’s Bridge and this exhibit should spur interest for museum visitors to tour the battlefield.

Figure 34: The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is featured as part of the Little Rock Campaign Driving Tour. (Map courtesy the Central Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail Association)


1. Increase Tourism Opportunities with Little Rock and Regional Civil War sites Downtown Little Rock is within twenty minutes drive of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield and there should be joint marketing approaches to connect Reed’s Bridge with the city’s Civil War sites. Civil War sites in Little Rock include the Old State House at 300 W. Markham Street. This building served as Arkansas’ capital during the Civil War and was occupied by both the secessionist and Unionist governments during the course of the war. It was also the site of the state’s 1861 secessionist convention. Another site is the Old U.S. Arsenal in MacArthur Park which was surrendered to state Governor Henry Rector on February 8, 1861. This Gothic Revival style building was then occupied by both Confederate and Union forces as an armory during the war. Another historic property is the Pike-Fletcher-Terry House at 411 E. 7th Street which was the home of Brigadier General Albert Pike who commanded a brigade of Cherokee troops at the Battle of Pea Ridge. The city also contains the Little Rock and Mount Holly Cemeteries which possess the remains of both Union and Confederate soldiers.

The Arsenal

Old Capital Building


Mount Holly Cemetery

Pike-Fletcher-Terry House

Regional Civil War sites include those associated with the Little Rock campaign of 1863. There is presently an excellent brochure on this campaign which directs visitors to the Battle of Brownsville site, the engagements at Ashley Mills and Bayou Fourche, and the Marmaduke-Walker duel. The “Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail” brochure also provides information on additional sites such as the Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove Battlefields in the northwest section of the state.

Sketch of the Battle of Pea Ridge (Sketch courtesy of www.classroomclipart.com)


Brownsville Site

The Marmaduke-Walker Duel


Figure: 35: Recent fundraising efforts by the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield

Preservation Society have also served to heighten interest and tourism at Reed’s Bridge.

Interpretive Panels for the Marmaduke-

Walker Duel Site


2. Promote Visitation with the Jacksonville Museum of Military History The new Jacksonville Museum of Military History is located in the Colonial Plaza Shopping Center less than two miles north of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield. The two-story museum building contains exhibits which highlight the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield and Little Rock Campaign, the construction of the Arkansas Ordnance Plant, and the World War II-era. The museum is located on the former site of the Ordnance Plant’s administrative headquarters. This plant led to a boom in construction in Jacksonville after 1942 and at its height the plant employed over 10,000 people and covered twelve square miles. The museum highlights the plant and the role it played during World War II as well as exhibits on local soldiers and their lives. The Battle of Reed’s Bridge exhibit is prominent at the museum and there should be information at both sites to direct tourists to visit both of these locations.


3. Prepare Tour Brochure

Once additional battlefield enhancements are completed, a priority for tourism and interpretation should be the preparation of a high quality tour brochure specifically for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield. Such a brochure would assist in increasing public awareness of the battlefield and build support for purchasing lands and interpreting the site. The brochure should be prepared primarily with drivers in mind, but it should also include opportunities for excursions where the driver can park and walk. The walking component of the tour will depend upon the development of the recommended walking trails. The brochure should include the following key elements:

• Brief history of the battle • Tour route map • Descriptions of key battle actions at

designated stops • High-quality graphics

In order to make the tour brochure user-friendly, a series of markers and wayside exhibits should be erected at all established tour stops.

Figure 36: Tour Brochure for the Arkansas Civil War

Heritage Trail produced by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.

Figure 37: Tour Brochure of the The Little Rock

Campaign Tour prepared by the Central Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail Association.


4. Promote Reed’s Bridge On the Internet The emergence of the internet as a marketing tool has been immense over the past decade. Visitation of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield can be enhanced through the creation of a web site for Reed’s Bridge which can be linked to other web sites. Information on Reed’s Bridge via the internet is presently limited and while some sites have good historical overviews of the battle, there is no comprehensive analysis along with graphics. The creation of a web site for Reed’s Bridge could provide information on the battle, directions to the battlefield, and links to other battlefields or tourist destinations in the area. Such a web site could be updated on a regular basis to provide information on additional land acquisition, improvements, and special events. Links with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and City of Jacksonville should be established as well as with Civil War groups and tourism organizations on a state and nationwide basis. Identified Goal: Archaeological resources and sites should be identified and interpreted No archaeological surveys or investigations have taken place at the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield. Archaeological investigations have the potential to yield significant information on the location of sites associated with the battle. These could include the location of Reed’s Bridge in 1863 and the location of the Razor House. Archaeology also has the potential to help define and interpret troop movements, artillery positions, and other important elements of the battle. Artifacts which remain in the ground such as bullets, cannonballs, friction primers, and other battle debris, can provide significant clues regarding the ebb and flow of the day’s action. The Arkansas Archaeological Survey which is associated with the University of Arkansas, oversees much of the recordation and investigations completed in the state. The Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society should seek funding to conduct such a survey over the next several years. Relic hunting has been a problem at the battlefield which removes the historical record of the battle from the ground. The longer this continues without a substantive archaeological investigation will result in a diminishment of the archaeological record of the battle.

Figure 38: The public should be informed that relic hunting is illegal on property

owned by the City of Jacksonville and the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society.


Figure 39: Artifacts recovered from the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield on display at the Jacksonville Military Museum.


FUNDING AND ASSISTANCE

SOURCES

American Battlefield Protection Program

The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) is a program of the National Park Service. The ABPP promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil. In recent years, the ABPP has helped to preserve battlefields through its partnership grant program. This program awards funds to organizations that sponsor planning and educational projects at historic battlefields. Since 1990, the ABPP has awarded over $4 million for 191 preservation and enhancement projects at more than 100 historic battle sites. Individual project funding has ranged from $1,000 to over $115,000 and averages $22,700. Partners include preservation organizations, state and local governments, battlefield friends groups, and other organizations. Most projects include matching funds or in-kind services from partnering groups.

The ABPP supports a variety of preservation and enhancement projects such as cultural resources or archaeological surveys, National Register documentation and nominations, and public education programs. ABPP also provides funds for historical research, battlefield condition and threat assessments, battlefield acquisition and preservation plans, local land use strategies, and technical assistance for organizations which need help to protect battlefields.

For Reed’s Bridge, several key recommendations could fall within the types of planning and educational grants awarded by the ABPP. These include:

• Production of walking tour and driving tour brochures for the Reed’s

Bridge Battlefield. • Design of additional signs and markers. • An archeological survey of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield.

In addition to these services, the ABPP will also administers the $11 million Land and Water Conservation Fund grants for Civil War battlefield land purchases. Contact: American Battlefield Protection Program Heritage Preservation Services National Park Service 1849 C Street NW (NC 330) Washington, DC 20240 (202) 343-1005 www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp


Arkansas Historic Preservation Program

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program was established by the state legislature to coordinate the planning, preservation, and promotion of structures, buildings, sites, and battlefields of Arkansas. The AHPP provides assistance in the recognition and promotion of state Civil War sites. The agency has created several excellent brochures on the Little Rock campaign and overall Civil War sites in the state. On their website the AHPP regularly updates information on Arkansas battlefields.

Within the agency is the Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail. The Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail is a network of six regional private, nonprofit, volunteer organizations seeking to identify, protect, interpret and promote Arkansas properties related to the state's Civil War experience. General guidance for the groups is provided by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Contact: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program 323 Center Street 1600 Tower Building Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 324-9880

Civil War Preservation Trust

An excellent funding source for Civil War battlefield preservation is the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), which provides grants to purchase endangered battlefields or conservation easements on those battlefields. In order to qualify for the Trust's grant program, a site must be an American Civil War battle site, and have had a significant influence on the course of the war. In October of 2001, Congress allocated $11 million for battlefield preservation. This provision, known as the Civil War Battlefield Protection Program, targets priority Civil War sites outside of National Park Service (NPS) boundaries. The grants, funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, are administered by the American Battlefield Protection Program, a program of the NPS.

The approval of this funding provides a source of potential funding for the acquisition of additional land for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society should obtain grant applications from the CWPT and attempt to leverage funds through this organization in future land acquisition.

Contact: The Civil War Preservation Trust

1331 H Street, NW Suite 1001

Washington, DC 20005 (202) 367-1861 www.civilwar.org


Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) One of the largest potential sources of funding for battlefield preservation and interpretation is the transportation enhancement provision of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Initially called the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the federal transportation bill provision set aside a ten-percent of the Surface Transportation Program for "transportation enhancement activities." The provision recognizes that roads and railways can sometimes have a detrimental effect on historical and cultural resources, and it sets aside funds to protect and preserve such resources. From 1992 to 1997 this action fostered $45 million in battlefield preservation. In 1998, ISTEA was reauthorized as TEA-21 and the enhancements provision was increased by nearly 40% over ISTEA levels. Proposed projects eligible for TEA-21 funding must have some relationship to transportation systems. The property must either serve as a transportation route, or located next to or visible from a transportation route, or it should be affected by a transportation route. Historic battlefields located adjacent to a highway or a historic property that has been damaged by air pollution caused by traffic on a new road are examples of eligible properties. The types of enhancements that can be funded through TEA-21 funds fall into ten categories: pedestrian and bicycle facilities; acquisition of scenic easements and historic sites; scenic or historic highway programs; landscaping and scenic beautification; historic preservation; rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation facilities; preservation of abandoned railway corridors; control and removal of outdoor advertising; mitigation of highway runoff and provision of wildlife undercrossings; and establishment of transportation museums. There are several enhancement projects recommended for Reed’s Bridge which fall within the parameters for TEA-21 grants. These include:

• Construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Bayou Meto. • Allocation of funds for the creation and improvements of walking trails. • Funding for the creation of walking tour and driving tour brochures.

TEA-21 funds are distributed by state departments of transportation. Deadlines and procedures vary from state to state, but local government and community support are always important. TEA-21 grants also require a minimum of a 20% match of the project's cost. Assistance with TEA-21 applications and funding is available through the Civil War Preservation Trust.

Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce serves to help promote business and visitation to Jacksonville and Pulaski County. Following the creation of driving and walking tour brochures for Reed’s Bridge, the Chamber can serve as an information center to direct tourists to the battlefield. The Chamber is also encouraged to increase information and directions to the battlefield in its promotional materials. Contact: Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce 200 Dupree Drive Jacksonville, AR 72076 (501) 982-1511 [email protected]


Sons of Confederate Veterans The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the memory of the Confederacy, and honoring those who fought in its ranks. The General Robert C. Newton Camp #197 of Little Rock, founded in October of 1901, is the oldest active camp of the Arkansas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, as well as the oldest continually active camp west of the Mississippi River. This chapter and other members of the SCV can provide future assistance to the preservation of the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield through supporting tourism and visitation efforts, and donating volunteer time for on-site projects. Such donated volunteer time can help to serve as a match for grant projects. Related projects may include helping to clear and build walking trails and helping to erect signs and markers. Contact: Cmdr. Bill Ferguson 7308 Sunflower Dr. Little Rock, AR 72209 501/565-8730 website: www.scv.org

The Trust for Public land Formed in 1999, the Trust for Public Land was created to preserve the state's natural landscapes and historic character for future generations. The Land Trust, a non-profit organization, works exclusively with willing landowners to find ways to preserve forever the scenic, natural, and historic values of their land. Conservation easements are the primary tool of the organization which allow owners to keep ownership of their land, preserve their scenic and historic landscapes, and obtain significant tax advantages. The Trust for Public Land provides assistance to educate property owners on the advantages of conservation easements, and accepts easement donations. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield holds numerous opportunities for future conservation easements.

Contact: 116 New Montgomery St., 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 495-4014 www.landtrust.com/welcome.html


Arkansas Humanities Council The purpose of the Arkansas Humanities council is to promote understanding, appreciation, and use of the humanities in Arkansas. To achieve its purpose, the council awards grants through a competitive application process to nonprofit groups and organizations so they can plan, conduct, and evaluate projects in the humanities for Arkansas citizens.

The Arkansas Humanities Council has appropriated funds for Civil War wayside exhibits in the past. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society is encouraged to consider applying for a grant to produce such exhibits or other promotion materials. The Arkansas Humanities Council recommends consultation with Council program staff before preparing grant applications. The staff can provide information about changes that occur in the guidelines, answer any questions you have about the application process, and comment on application drafts.

Contact: Arkansas Humanities Council 10800 Financial Centre Parkway, Suite 465 Little Rock, Arkansas 72211 (501) 221-0091 [email protected].

Additional Sources

Arkansas State Trails Council

United Daughters of the Confederacy

Military Order of the Stars and Bars (SCV affiliate)

Civil War Roundtables of Arkansas – Civil War Round Table Associates

Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism


Goals AND implementation

short-Term Goals (1to 3 years)

• Conduct a workshop with property owners on the advantages of conservation easements (Potential sources: the American Battlefield Protection Program and the Trust for Public Land).

• Purchase or obtain easements on the remaining core battlefield lands with the

highest priority (Potential sources: City of Jacksonville, the Civil War Preservation Trust, the Trust for Public Land).

• Continue to design and install additional historic markers and wayside exhibits

at the existing battlefield property, near the railroad crossing and on the south side of the Bayou at Wilson’s Ford and artillery locations. (Potential sources: the Arkansas Humanities Council, the American Battlefield Protection Program).

• Produce a walking and driving tour brochure for the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield.

(Potential sources: the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the American Battlefield Protection Program, Arkansas Humanities Council, TEA-21 Transportation Program).

• Enhance and improve the existing parking lots at the bridge site. (Potential

sources: the TEA-21 Transportation Program, the Sons of Confederate Veterans [donated volunteer time]).

• Clear and create a trail system which connects with the east side of the Bayou Meto and extends to near the railroad track. Examine the feasibility of connecting with the Dupree Park trail across the tracks or under the railroad bridge. (Potential sources: the Arkansas State Trails Council, the TEA-21 Transportation Program, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans [donated volunteer time]).

• Build new rail snake rail fences along roadbeds and property lines if supported by archaeological evidence (Potential sources: the American Battlefield Protection Program, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans [donated volunteer time]).

• Acquire and install reproduction cannon at appropriate locations on the battlefield (Potential sources: the American Battlefield Protection Program).

• Fund archaeological investigations at Reed’s Bridge (Potential sources: the American Battlefield Protection Program

• Placement of signage on I-40 before the State Route 440 exit and the U.S. 67

at exit 8 in Jacksonville. (Potential sources: Arkansas Highway Department).


Long-Term Goals and implementation (3 to 10 years)

Creation of a Reed’s Bridge Web Site (Potential sources: City of Jacksonville).

Create a pedestrian bridge across the Bayou Meto south of Dupree Park or

adjacent to the existing SR 161 Reed’s Bridge. (Potential sources: the TEA 21 Transportation Program, the American Battlefield Protection Program).

Produce a feasibility study for the creation of an interpretive center on the

battlefield. (Potential sources: the American Battlefield Protection Program, City of Jacksonville).

Incorporate the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield into the Jacksonville City Park

System. (Potential sources: City of Jacksonville Park System).

Fill in the artificial lake along Lakeshore Drive and restore the landscape back

to its Civil War ear appearance.

Figure 40: Unidentified Union officer (Photo Courtesy of www.civilwar mysteries.com).


BIBLIOGRAPHY

“1836 Military Road Map of Arkansas.” Map on file at ?? “1967 Aerial Map of Jacksonville, Arkansas.” Map on file at Pulaski County Agriculture

Office. “1997 Aerial Map of Jacksonville, Arkansas.” Map on file at Pulaski County Tax Assessors

Office. Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. “A Guide to the Civil War Heritage Trail: A Scenic

Tour Map of Arkansas”. Central Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail Association. “Little Rock Campaign Tour: A

Driving Tour of the Sites Along the Route the Union Army took in the Capture of the Capital of Arkansas.”

City of Jacksonville. “Welcome to Jacksonville: A Great Place to Live & Work!” Brochure

prepared for the City of Jacksonville, Arkansas. City of Jacksonville. “Dupree Park Recreation Trail: Phase II Recreational Trails Program

Application.” , 2004. Civil War Preservation Trust. “Blue, Gray and Green: The Civil War Preservation Trust’s

Battlefield Benefits Guide for Community Leaders: How to Decide When Saving Civil War Battlefields Makes $$$ and Sense.”

Civil War Sites Advisory Commission. Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the

Nation’s Civil War Battlefields. Washington, D.C., 1993. Colton, G.W. “Pulaski County, Arkansas 1856.” Map on file at Arkansas State Library and

Archives.

Cowles, Capt. Calvin D. The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War. Washington D.C.: The Fairfax Press, reprint edition, 1983. Christ, Mark K. “Here in the Wilds of Arkansas”: Interpreting the 1863 Little Rock

Campaign.” MLS thesis, University of Oklahoma, 2000. Danielson, Kay. Images of America, Jacksonville, Arkansas. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing,

2000. Dupree, Tommy. Personal Interview, 17 January 2005. Edwards, John N. Shelby and his Men: or, The War in the West. Cincinnati: Miami, 1867.

Facsimile reprint, Waverly, MO: General Joseph Shelby Memorial Fund, 1993. Faust, Patricia, ed. Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War. New York: Harper and Row, 1986. Federal Emergency Management Agency. “City of Jacksonville, Arkansas: Pulaski county

FIRM flood Insurance Rate Map. Panel 10 of 10. Map prepared by the National Flood Insurance Program, revised August, 1995.

Pulaski County Deed Records. Little Rock, Arkanasas, 1846-2001. "Holding the High Ground, Principles and Strategies for Managing and Interpreting Civil War Battlefield Landscapes." Manuscript on file with the Tennessee Wars Commission, Nashville, Tennessee, 1998. Jacksonville Bicentennial Commission. The History of Jacksonville, 1818-1976. Jacksonville, Arkansas: Private Printing, 1976. Kennedy, Francis H., and Porter, Douglas R. "The Dollar$ and Sense of Battlefield Preservation: The Economic Benefits of Protecting Civil War Battlefields." Washington D.C: The National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1994. Kent, Carolyn Yancey. “Builders and Keepers of the Bayou Meto Bridge.” Pulaski County

Historical Review, vol. 51 #3, Fall 2003.


LeMasters, Larry LeMasters. “Only One Man Walked Away.” Civil War Times, Vol. XLI, No. 5, October 2002.

McCain, George. Personal Interview, 11 April 2005. "Reed’s Bridge Battlefield." National Register Nomination on file with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. “Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Maps.” Maps on file at Jacksonville Military Museum. Pulaski County Tax Assessor’s Office Mapping Department. “Property Tax Maps #31, #32,

and #36”, March, 1989 revised April, 2004. “Pulaski County, Arkansas 1912”. Little Rock, AR, County Map Company, 1912. United States Depart of The Interior Geological Survey. “Arkansas, Little Rock Quadrangle

1891.

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