JT's Cache Traditional Cache

******CONGRATULATIONS TO MATHSEEKER ON THE FIRST TO FIND!!!********* My son got interested in Geocaching and wanted to place one. So here it is! Be careful where you step and were you reach, as there may be snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlers in the area. This cache is TB friendly, so feel free to drop one off! If it has been raining, don't pull your vehicle all the way into the small drive, you will probably get stuck!

A little history about this area. Highway 38 is a very old highway that dates back to before the war of Northern Aggression. It was originally known as the Little Rock-Des Arc Road. The road this cache is on is named after my family, as this farm was started by them several generations ago. This road is actually very old, and once was part of a larger network of roads that led to Searcy. Just to the east of here is a small creek that separates this road from Highway 13. Prior to Highway 13 being built, there was another small road that led to Searcy as well. Either road was used, but the main reason for there being 2 roads this close was during periods of rain, the creek would prevent passage from either side. 

Many palo-indian artifacts have been found along the creek. Some of them even dating back as far as the Clovis era. 

Hickory Plains is the site of a Skirmish that took place here during the war. 

This skirmish was part of a larger expedition launched to gather information and destroy Confederate supplies north of the Arkansas River. Several Confederate forces, including troops under Brigadier General Joseph Shelby, operated in this area during the summer of 1864. Federal forces used expeditions like this one to gather intelligence.

In August 1864, Federal commanders in Little Rock learned about Confederate cavalry operating near the Little Red River in north-central Arkansas. Brigadier General Joseph West received orders to lead a force of Union cavalry to capture or disperse these troops. Divided into two provisional brigades, the force was stationed at both Little Rock (Pulaski County) and DeValls Bluff (Prairie County). West departed the capital city with one brigade, while a second brigade under the command of Colonel Washington Geiger moved out of DeValls Bluff.

Moving to the northwest to meet the remainder of the Union force, Geiger and his men departed DeValls Bluff at noon on August 6. After covering about twenty miles, the Federals camped near Des Arc (Prairie County). The next day, the command moved toward Hickory Plains.

As the Union forces moved forward, they surprised a line of Confederate pickets. Under the command of Colonel Sidney Jackman, these troops were part of Shelby’s cavalry brigade. A short skirmish ensued, which led to the Confederates suffering four killed and seven captured; the Federals did not suffer any casualties. The Confederates fell back and broke off from the engagement. Geiger’s men did not pursue the enemy and continued their march to link up with the remainder of the command.

The Federal troops that were engaged in the skirmish met their counterparts near Bull Creek later that day, and the entire force moved northward to Searcy Landing. The remainder of the expedition covered ten more days, and several more skirmishes took place, as well as the destruction of facilities used to support the Confederate war effort.

Ultimately proving to be a brief skirmish in a larger movement, this engagement did warn Confederate forces that Union troops were moving toward the Little Red River. Although little was accomplished in the fighting, the warning given to the Confederates allowed them to fall back and avoid any large engagements.

The site of the skirmish itself is unknown, but the Confederate Campsite is known to a few in the area. We remain pretty tight lipped about it because of a rumor of Confederate Gold being hidden in the area.