March 18, 1867

The town of Burrowsville in Searcy County was renamed Marshall after county Unionists pushed to change the town’s name to honor U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall. In January 1864, a Union expedition from Springfield, Missouri, had camped in Burrowsville for two weeks and raided the area, pursuing Confederate partisans. Union forces had burned the courthouse and looted the town. County government ceased to function, and Governor Isaac Murphy appointed the county officers for the next term (1864–1866). After the war, the political situation remained so volatile that U.S. troops had to be stationed in Burrowsville for a few months to keep peace.