Welcome to Marks’ Mills State Park , one of 52 beautiful,
historic state parks, each with their own special mission. The
other thing they each have is a geocache. This adventure is based
around visiting all 52 state parks. Each park cache has a clue that
you will need to find the final, 53rd cache located somewhere in
the state. Just download the clue sheet and start your adventure. We
encourage you to upload photos on the geocaching.com page when
you find one and also to tell us about your visit to the park on
the state park blog. As an extra incentive, For
a limited time you can pick up an Arkansas State Park geocoin at
the final location and send it on it's way to visit parks
throughout the world!
Marks’
Mills State Park
In the spring of 1864, three Civil War battles took place in south
central Arkansas that were part of the Union Army's "Red River
Campaign." Arkansas's three state historic parks that commemorate
these battles--Poison Spring, Marks' Mills and Jenkins' Ferry--are
part of the Red River Campaign National Historic Landmark. In 1834,
John H. Marks established a saw and flour mill in what is now
Cleveland County in south Arkansas. The homesite, located east of
Cemetery Park on the Old Camden-Pine Bluff Road, was where the
Battle of Marks’ Mills took place on April 25, 1864. The skirmish
was the second portion of the Red River Campaign, the purpose of
which was to take Texas away from the Confederate troops. On April
20, 1864, a 150-wagon supply train from Pine Bluff reached the
Union soldiers. Upon learning that Confederate forces, now joined
by General Edmund Kirby Smith's army from Louisiana, had crossed
the Ouachita River downstream (to the south), Steele felt it safe
to send the train, plus 60 additional wagons, in a northward
direction back to Pine Bluff for more supplies. This time, though,
he sent an escort force of more than 1,200 men, including 240
cavalry and six artillery pieces. As the Union wagon train slowly
made its way to Pine Bluff through virtually impassible mud on
April 25, General Smith assembled an attack force of several
thousand men, who intercepted the train at Marks' Mills. The
overwhelmed Northerners were once again surrounded on all sides,
but managed to fight back for several hours. This time, there was
no escape. Nearly all Union survivors were captured. After this
devastating blow, General Steele abandoned all intentions of
marching to Shreveport on his way to capture Texas, and began to
plan his retreat from Camden back to Little Rock. The only escape
route he knew was Military Road that ran north through Princeton
and Jenkins' Ferry, the final section of the Red River Campaign.
The historic site is located southeast of Fordyce at the junction
of Ark. 97 and Ark. 8.
Please check the park Web site for hours of operation. Park Permit
Number PT34004
Plan some time for each of the parks and enjoy your visit. Learn
about natural, cultural and state history. Take in a hike, a swim,
a boat ride. Go fishing, cycling or just relax. For more
information on geocaching in an Arkansas State Park visit our
geocaching page. For information on
geocaching throughout the Natural State visit Arkansas
Geocaching. Have a great time and we’ll see you in a
park!
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