Search for son part of Civil War tour of Van Buren

 

story and photos by Joel Rafkin
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About 400 people hopped aboard vans and buses to take tours of four historic Civil War sites in Van Buren on Saturday (Oct. 8).

The Civil War Tour of Van Buren was presented by the Crawford County Civil War Committee. The tour is one of at least an annual Civil War commemorative event to occur from 2011 through 2015, said Sheila Bell, chairwoman of the committee. The year 2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War.

Six buses were loaned to the group by the Van Buren Boys Club, Butterfield Church and University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. The four 2-hour-long tours began at 10 a.m and were spaced an hour and half apart with a maximum group size of 100 people each. Leadership Crawford County volunteers helped keep the event running smoothly and historical reenactments were staged by members of the N.W. 15th Arkansas Infantry. Tickets were $10 and will fund future events.

The first stop was Fairview Cemetery after departing from the Van Buren Depot. Leita Spears played Ruby Stewart, a mother looking for her wounded Confederate soldier son. The Confederate section of the cemetery contains many graves marked "unknown Confederate soldier." Many of the casualties resulted from the lack of sufficient food, clothing and medicine during the 1861-1862 time period. Others died in the battles of Van Buren, Dripping Springs, Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove.

The group proceeded to the Drennen-Scott house. Federal troops fired two (blank) rounds from a 3-inch cannon. Tom Wing, history professor at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and director of the Drennen-Scott Historic Site, gave details on the artillery, the battle of Van Buren in 1862 and the history of Charles Scott who was a Confederate supporter. The bluff the house sits atop was an ideal location for Federal troops to fire across the Arkansas River.

Then it was down to the wharf. Many Confederate troops were camped out along the river. They were taken by surprise when Federal soldiers stormed into downtown Van Buren via Logtown Hill. The ferry and steamboats were used by Confederate troops as they retreated and attempted escape from Federal Brigadier General James Blunt.

The final stop on the tour was at the Crawford County Courthouse — the oldest continuously working courthouse west of the Mississippi. Camp life was portrayed here along with a rifle demonstration. The courthouse also served as a hospital and place for women to gather and make uniforms and bandages for Confederate Troops.

Douglas Kidd portrayed Dr. Thurston and demonstrated in detail the medical procedures of the era. His medical tent included a large collection of authentic tools. Kidd said contrary to popular belief, the doctors of the era were skilled and not hacks. The large amount of amputations performed were under orders to preserve life over limb. In the time it took to save a single limb, ten amputations could be performed, he added.