The Last Battle Traditional Cache
Old River Runner: My job assignment has changed such that I am no longer travelling past here every 2 weeks. That makes maintenance a problem and I have not found a local cacher willing to take it on. This one has had a good run, but it's time to retire it. Thanks to all who found it! -- ORR
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The Battle at Ditch Bayou was the largest battle to occur in Chicot County and the last significant battle on Arkansas soil.
It is the morning of June 6, 1864. Rain has created a muddy mess. To your left are four cannon. To your right are 600 cavalrymen and two more cannon. These men serve under Confederate Colonel Colton Green. To your front is Ditch Bayou, and 700 yards beyond that, 3,000 troops under Union Major General A.J. Smith. Among them is the 8th Wisconsin with its mascot, Old Abe, the War Eagle.
As the Union troops advance, the cannon thunder with grape and canister. The seasoned troops close the gaps in their line and keep coming. They pour volley after volley toward your position. However, most of the Confederate troops are hidden in trees while the Union soldiers are caught in the open.
The battle rages for six hours. The mile long Federal line reaches the edge of the bayou. They have suffered high casualties, 132 killed, wounded, or missing. Federal losses would be higher had the black powder smoke not created a protective fog.
Finally ammunition dwindling, the Confederates make an orderly withdrawal and march past Lake Village. They have only four killed and 33 wounded. The Union troops bury their 33 dead on the battlefield and carry their wounded into town. Some of the seriously wounded men suffer for months until they die in a hospital.
The battle at Ditch Bayou was a Federal effort to drive Confederates away from the Mississippi River, where the Confederates had been harassing Union shipping. Even though the Confederates were outnumbered here, they were able to inflict heavy damage to their enemy. They had the advantage of six cannons, the protection of heavy timber and knowledge of the area.
Muddy conditions caused the Northern infantry to attack across an open field without artillery support. After crossing the field under heavy fire, they discovered that they were trapped in the open field and were separated from the Confederates by Ditch Bayou. Union losses were 33 killed, 98 wounded, and one missing.
You’re looking for a cylindrical micro cache. Please replace the log exactly as you found it, using the straw piece to hold the log, making it easier to remove and insert back into the cache container.
Watch out for the nearby passing traffic, as this is a busy place. Take care as you enter or exit the parking area. And after your hunt, take a minute to think about what happened at this place over 140 years ago and the war that tore our country apart for 4 bloody years.
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Treasures
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