Skirmish at Jonesboro, Arkansas
Craighead County was a Confederate stronghold throughout the Civil War. Numerous forces, on both sides, traveled through Jonesboro. On August 1, 1862, the Federals surprised an encampment of Confederates south of Jonesboro and captured 24 men, three wagons, and 30 horses. They marched the men in gray two miles to Jonesboro and locked their new prisoners in the new courthouse at Jonesboro. The following morning was a hot humid Saturday and the Confederates attacked the Union soldiers. The skirmish took place on the Craighead Courthouse grounds on August 2nd.
Confederate forces under the command of Captain Mitchell A. Adair, 30th Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A. of the Trans-Mississippi Army attacked the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry, U.S.A. under the command of Lt. Charles Porter. Seven Yankees were killed and Lt. Ellison was the lone Confederate killed in the action. This freed the Confederates that were locked in the court house.
About The Civil War Discovery Trail
The Civil War Discovery Trail teaches the story of the Civil War and its enduring impact on the America we know today by linking more than 600 sites in 31 states, the District of Columbia, and three international destinations.
Along the Trail visitors may explore such varied destinations as Ford's Theatre, scene of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination; Antietam National Battlefield, the site of the bloodiest one-day battle in American history; Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tenn., just one of the grand antebellum manors in Mississippi and Tennessee; and Port Hudson, Louisiana, where hundreds of African American soldiers first proved their mettle in combat. Those on this journey will experience battlefields, historic homes, Underground Railroad stations, cemeteries, and parks. The trail aims to bring history to life by exposing visitors not only to military history, but also to the political, social, and human components of the war.
With regular additions of sites specially selected for their historic significance and educational value, the Civil War Discovery Trail is constantly expanding. Although individual sites are independently owned and operated, the Discovery Trail is overseen and administered by the Civil War Trust. Please check back often to find new and exciting journeys in Civil War history and to discover ways you can help preserve these sites for generations to come.
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