Fort Lookout, also known as Redoubt A, is a defensive earthworks erected during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

on the outskirts of

Camden, Arkansas Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County, Arkansas, Ouachita County in the south-central part of the U.S. state portals, U.S. state of Arkansas. The city is located about 100 miles south of Little Rock. Situated on bluffs overlo ...

. It was the northernmost of a series of five

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...

s built in defense of the city by

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

forces in early 1864, preparatory to the Union Army's

Camden Expedition The Camden Expedition (March 23 – May 3, 1864) was the final Military campaign, campaign conducted by the Union Army in south Arkansas during the American Civil War, Civil War. The Offensive (military), offensive was designed to cooperate w ...

(March–May 1864). The site has been designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

as part of the Camden Expedition Sites, a collection of military sites related to the expedition.

Description

Fort Lookout is a rectangular earthworks located on a bluff overlooking a bend in the

Ouachita River The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the United States, U.S. U.S. state, states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River (Louisiana), Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It i ...

. Immediately west of the main works is an L-shaped redoubt which commands potential fording sites at the base of the bluff. Each of these sites was capable of mounting at least six guns of the period. The site is located about west of United States Route 79, off Gravel Pit Road. The main earthworks has been partially compromised by the construction of a home near its midsection. The rest of the site has reverted to forest, and is otherwise in good condition. Remnant trenches lead away from the main works along the ridge to the east.

History

Brigadier General General Alexander T. Hawthorn, a Camden native, had been given the task of organizing the city's defenses. From January to March Confederate troops and slave labor worked to develop a series of five redoubts, mainly to protect the southern and western land-based approaches to the city. Union Major General

Frederick Steele Major General Frederick Steele (January 14, 1819 – January 12, 1868) was an American military officer who served in the Army in the Mexican-American War, Yuma War, and American Civil War. He is most noted for capturing the Arkansas state capi ...

, in command of the forces occupying

Little Rock Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

, was ordered to move southwest to effect a junction with Major General

Nathaniel Prentice Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union general during the Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local debating societies and entered ...

' Red River Campaign, a push to take

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

and eventually gain a Union foothold in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. Steele's force left Little Rock on March 23, 1864, passing through thinly-populated southwestern Arkansas. His advance was blunted at the

Battle of Prairie D'Ane The Battle of Prairie D'Ane (April 9 – 13, 1864), also known as the Skirmish at Prairie D'Ane, Battle of Gum Springs, or Battle of Moscow, was fought in present-day Nevada County, Arkansas, as part of the Camden Expedition, during the American ...

(April 9–13). Needing provisions, Steele ordered his forces to march on Camden, which they occupied on April 15 after it was abandoned by its small number of defenders. During the Union's brief (ten-day) occupation, the defenses were expanded with additional trenches and earthworks. Steele was prompted to reconsider the continued occupation of Camden after supply-related initiatives were set back at Poison Spring (April 18) and Marks' Mills (April 25), and withdrew from Camden toward Little Rock on April 26. Camden's defenses were further expanded after Confederate forces reoccupied the city. A weak point that was known to both sides, the waterfront area, was fortified in October 1864. By the end of the year a complete trench line encircled the city.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Lookout 1864 establishments in Arkansas

Lookout A lookout or look-out is a person in charge of the observation of hazards. The term originally comes from a naval background, where lookouts would watch for other ships, land, and various dangers. The term has now passed into wider parlance. ...

American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Buildings and structures in Camden, Arkansas

National Register of Historic Places in Ouachita County, Arkansas Ouachita River Redoubts

Description

History

See also

References

External links