In search of something to do, I drove an hour and a half down into Clark County and saw the sights. My first stop was Jenkins Ferry, one of three southern Arkansas Civil War battlefields preserved by the state. At none of them is there much to see. Jenkins Ferry consists of a picnic area in a swampy woods along the Saline River. I hung around for 45 minutes looking for birds, but there weren’t many of them to see either.
In April, 1864, a Union army … you can read about it on the sign.
There was also this monument, which gives some idea of how well the battlefield is maintained. It reads, “Erected in memory of the soldiers of the Confederacy, who gave their lives for the cause at the battle of Jenkins Ferry, April 30, 1984. Dedicated September 19, 1938, by the James F. Fagan and Jenkins Ferry Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. We honor their valor and sacrifice.”
From the battlefield, I went to the Clark County Historical Society Museum in Sheridan. It’s a typical local historical museum, filled with random old stuff donated by local citizens, although this one had some cool displays and a “village” of old buildings that could have been interesting if taken care of. As is, the whole place feels likely to rot away within a few years. In the museum, I found this photo of Jenkins Ferry. I don’t know when it was taken.
Here are a few other random shots from the museum.
