Naval Combat at West Point / Combat on the Little Red River

Naval Combat at West Point / Combat on the Little Red River (HM26TN)

Location: Searcy, AR 72143 White County
Country: United States of America
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N 35° 12.458', W 91° 36.764'

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Naval Combat at West Point

The U.S. gunboat Cricket steamed up the Little Red River Aug. 14, 1863, hunting the Confederate steamboats Kaskaskia and Tom Sugg. She captured the vessels at Searcy Landing and destroyed a pontoon bridge. While the flotilla steamed downriver, 500 Confederate cavalrymen led by Col. G.W. Thompson attacked. The Kaskaskia's pilot was wounded, and Confederate troops tried to board her, but were repelled. The Cricket fired her cannons at the attackers and some rounds hit West Point, damaging several houses as the vessels struggled downstream.

Combat on the Little Red River

The Confederates pursued the Cricket and steamers down the river, attacking again about four miles below West Point without success. The Cricket met the U.S.S. Lexington farther downstream, and the Confederates struck again as the fleet steamed down the Little Red. The Lexington opened fire with her 8-inch guns, and Thompson called off the attack. The Confederates suffered 8 casualties, including Maj. L.A. Gilkey, who fell mortally wounded. Union troops lost 2 men killed and 6 wounded in the only naval engagement of the 1863 Little Rock Campaign.

Details

HM Number	HM26TN
Series	This marker is part of the series
Tags	Waterways and Vessels, US Civil War
Year Placed	2012
Placed By	Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, City of West Point, White County Historical Society, White County Civil War Round Table, Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council
Marker Condition	No reports yet
Date Added	Friday, April 13th, 2018 at 10:01pm PDT -07:00

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Locationbig map

UTM (WGS84 Datum)	15S E 626273 N 3896950
Decimal Degrees	35.20763333, -91.61273333
Degrees and Decimal Minutes	N 35° 12.458', W 91° 36.764'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds	35° 12' 27.48" N, 91° 36' 45.84" W
Driving Directions	Google Maps
Area Code(s)	501
Which side of the road?	Marker is on the right when traveling South
Closest Postal Address	At or near 698 AR-36, Searcy AR 72143, US
Alternative Maps	Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap