May 17, 1864

The Capture of Dardanelle (Yell County) marked the opening action of Confederate Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby’s summer operations north of the Arkansas River, much of which focused on trying to thwart shipping operations on the White River and raiding the Memphis to Little Rock Railroad. In this Confederate victory, besides capturing about 100 Union cavalrymen, the Confederates freed eighty-six Southern prisoners and seized eleven army wagons, four sutler stores, several commissary wagons, and several freed slaves. Confederate casualties were unreported, as were Union casualties other than the 100 Yankees who surrendered.