Civil War Markers and Memorials

Across the state of Arkansas, many markers and memorials commemorate the events of the Civil War. Some are located at or near the locations of significant events of the war, while others are located near county courthouses or in cemeteries. Some markers and monuments remain well-maintained, while others have disintegrated due to neglect and vandalism. In some cases, damaged markers and memorials have been replaced, and some monuments have been removed or relocated.

Most of the earliest memorials were established in cemeteries where Civil War soldiers are buried. These cemetery markers can be found in Fayetteville (Washington County), Little Rock (Pulaski County), and Camden (Ouachita County), as well as other places. Other early markers of Civil War events were placed in Helena (Phillips County) and Pea Ridge (Benton County) because of the major battles fought in those places. Many of the state’s Civil War markers and memorials were placed on anniversaries of important events, including the fiftieth and 100^th anniversaries of the Civil War and its military engagements, the centennial celebration of the state of Arkansas in 1936, and the bicentennial celebration of the United States in 1976. Even in the twenty-first century, further markers and memorials continue to be established and dedicated. In 2010, the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission began placing specially designated markers throughout the state.

The following chart includes battlefield markers, memorials, monuments, cemeteries containing significant Civil War burials, and museums possessing Civil War artifacts and information. Every attempt has been made to be complete while avoiding duplication of entries. Locations or events listed more than once on this chart are the result of multiple markers placed at different times to commemorate the events of the Civil War. Vandalism and natural events sometimes damage or destroy markers and memorials, and new markers and memorials are still being created every year. Alternate spellings of place names and non-standard identification of events (such as calling engagements or skirmishes “battles”) reflect the words inscribed on the monuments or markers.

A large number of groups participate in the commemoration of Civil War events and in dedicating and maintaining markers and memorials of the war. National and state groups, such as branches of the National Park Service and of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, are examples of such organizations. County and city historical societies also provide such services, as do veterans’ organizations and societies consisting of the descendants of soldiers, including the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Sons of Union Veterans, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Often, dedications of markers consist of brief ceremonies, but they sometimes include picnics, celebrations, and even historic reenactments. Some locations also feature similar events annually, either on the anniversary of the events commemorated or on holidays such as Memorial Day.

In the early twenty-first century, Confederate monuments became a flashpoint of cultural contention, especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Those supporting the removal of Confederate monuments from the public square noted that many such monuments were installed as part of a backlash against the civil rights movement of the twentieth century. In Arkansas, the charge that such monuments distorted local history frequently referenced the Bentonville Confederate Monument, located in a part of the state known for its Unionist leanings during the Civil War, and the Hot Springs Confederate Monument, located at the exact site of two public lynchings in the city. However, heritage groups such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of Confederate Veterans regularly spoke up in defense of the monuments, and Republican Party leaders in Arkansas and across the South worked to pass laws that would hinder any locality from removing such monuments. For example, in 2019, state Senator Mark Johnson produced SB 515, the “Arkansas Heritage Protection Act,” which would have mandated the preservation of monuments, located on public property, that commemorate several military conflicts, including the Civil War. The bill failed to pass, but in 2021 Sen. Johnson put forward the similar SB 553, which passed the Senate on April 6, 2021, and the House on April 20, 2021.

For additional information:
Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/learn/commemorative-programs/civil-war-sesquicentennial?msclkid=aa050e69c00e11ecb50f792399758ee3(accessed April 3, 2023).

Porter, Walter Wright. “Place, Memory, and the Civil War: Historic Memory and the Mechanisms of Interpretation at Civil War Sites in Arkansas.” PhD diss., Arkansas State University, 2016.

Simpson, Stephen. “Monument Law Raises Questions.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, February 14, 2022, pp. 1B, 2B. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/feb/14/arkansas-cities-raise-questions-about-how-new/ (accessed April 3, 2023).

Steed, Stephen. “Statues Fall, Raising Fresh Debate.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 21, 2020, pp. 1A, 6A–7A.

Towns, W. Stuart. Arkansas Civil War Heritage: A Legacy of Honor. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2013.

Wickline, Michael R. “Measure to Protect Monuments Gets Senate Salute.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 7, 2021, p. 4A.

Staff of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas