Poison Spring State Park
Encyclopedia
Poison Spring State Park is an Arkansas
state park
located southeast of Bluff City
. It commemorates the Battle of Poison Spring
in the American Civil War
, which was part of the 1864 Camden Expedition
.
Confederates
and Choctaw
Indians attacked and overcame a supply wagon of Union
soldiers. The term "poison spring" arises from the apocryphal story that Confederate soldiers poisoned nearby springwater. The battle hastened the failure of the Camden expedition, but also gained notoriety for the slaughter of African-American Union soldiers from Kansas
by the Confederate forces, which took no African-American prisoners.
The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1969, and, with other sites, is part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark
. It was declared part of the National Historic Landmark
in 1994.,
The heavily wooded park features a small interpretive display and a shady trail. Sightings of deer
and woodpecker
s are common along the trail. The park provides an excellent example of the Gulf Coast forest region, consisting primarily of pine
trees, but with some oak and with dogwood
understory trees. Poison Spring State Park features outdoor interpretive exhibits and picnic sites. The historic site is located 10 miles west of Camden
on Arkansas Highway 76.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located southeast of Bluff City
Bluff City, Arkansas
Bluff City is a town in Nevada County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 158 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
. It commemorates the Battle of Poison Spring
Battle of Poison Spring
The Battle of Poison Spring was fought during the American Civil War on April 18, 1864, in Ouachita County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition.-Opposing forces:Dwindling supplies for his army at Camden, Arkansas forced Union Army Maj. Gen...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, which was part of the 1864 Camden Expedition
Camden Expedition
The Camden Expedition was a military campaign in southern and central Arkansas during the American Civil War. It involved Union forces stationed at Little Rock and Fort Smith under the command of Major General Frederick Steele...
.
Confederates
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
and Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Indians attacked and overcame a supply wagon of Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
soldiers. The term "poison spring" arises from the apocryphal story that Confederate soldiers poisoned nearby springwater. The battle hastened the failure of the Camden expedition, but also gained notoriety for the slaughter of African-American Union soldiers from Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
by the Confederate forces, which took no African-American prisoners.
The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1969, and, with other sites, is part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark
Camden Expedition Sites
Camden Expedition Sites is a National Historic Landmark consisting of eight historic sites where events of the Civil War's Camden Expedition occurred...
. It was declared part of the National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1994.,
The heavily wooded park features a small interpretive display and a shady trail. Sightings of deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s are common along the trail. The park provides an excellent example of the Gulf Coast forest region, consisting primarily of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
trees, but with some oak and with dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
understory trees. Poison Spring State Park features outdoor interpretive exhibits and picnic sites. The historic site is located 10 miles west of Camden
Camden, Arkansas
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Long an area of American Indians villages, the French also made a permanent settlement here because of its advantageous location above the Ouachita River. According to 2007 Census...
on Arkansas Highway 76.