MACARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY
MACARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY: On September 10, 1863, Confederate forces under the command of General Sterling Price evacuated Little Rock in advance of Federal forces, thus ending the Little Rock Campaign. By 7 p.m., civil authorities formally surrendered the capital of Arkansas, making it the fourth Southern capital to come under Federal control. The Little Rock Campaign was significant for several reasons. It effectively restricted Confederate Arkansas to the southern half of the state, ending plans to use the state as a staging ground for efforts against Missouri. Politically, it started the process of establishing a loyal state government under Lincoln’s Presidential Reconstruction. Among the first Federal troops to enter Little Rock and capture the Arsenal were soldiers from the 3rd Iowa Cavalry. The framed flag from that regiment will be on temporary exhibition, along with ribbons from the unit’s various campaigns, including Pea Ridge, Vicksburg and Little Rock. Also on exhibition is the regimental flag from the 37th Arkansas Infantry, which was captured by Iowa forces at the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863. Survivors of the 37th Arkansas Infantry participated in the defense of Little Rock in September 1863. Both flags are on loan from the State Historical Museum, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and have never been exhibited in Arkansas before. The exhibit is free to the public and can be seen from September 11 to October 19 Wednesdays through Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This event was posted Sept. 8, 2013 and last updated Sept. 13, 2013
