JACKSONPORT, Arkansas — In early March, Jacksonport State Park unveiled a new exhibit that focuses on the Civil War through the eyes of a young Arkansas man who fought for the Confederacy.

“We Knew Nothing of War: Questions of a Civil War Soldier” follows William E. Bevens of Jacksonport as he experienced the tedium and horrors of war with the First Arkansas Infantry, which saw action at the battles of Shiloh, Chickamauga, Atlanta, and Nashville.

The exhibit also gives insight to the life of those who remained in Arkansas and the impact the war had on those remaining at home.

Jacksonport State Park, on the banks of White River, was occupied by both Confederate and Union forces.

The centerpiece of the park is the 1872 courthouse, which houses exhibits that tell the story of the historic river town. The park also includes a courtyard, a campground, a pavilion, a playground, a picnic area, a swimming beach, a wildflower conservation area, a trail and boat ramp with access to the White River.

www.arkansasstateparks.com/jacksonport/
870-523-2143