Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

January 13, 1863

St. Charles (Arkansas County) was captured, the result of a bloodless engagement that took place along the White River. It was part of a larger Federal movement up the river after the capture of Fort Hindman earlier in the month. In response to Brigadier General Willis Gorman’s request for naval support, Acting Rear Admiral David Porter provided the ironclads USS Cincinnati and USS Baron DeKalb, as well as the tinclads USS Romeo and USS Forest Rose. When they reached the town, they found it to be abandoned by the Confederates, who had moved up river to DeValls Bluff (Prairie County).

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!

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