152nd anniversary of the Battle of Poison Springs this weekend

The 152nd anniversary of the Battle of Poison Springs takes place this weekend April 15-16. The event is at Poison Springs Battleground State Park, which is located 10 miles west of Camden on Highway 76. The park marks a Civil War battle that occurred in 1864 when Confederate troops captured a Union forces supply train. The battle was part of the Red River Campaign during the war.

According to a news release sent about the event, soldiers will camp at the battleground site that weekend and their camp will be open for visitors to see during this time span. There will be educational stations set up on site to experience life as a soldier during the Civil War. The camp will be open to school tours on Friday too. On Saturday vendors will be on site and there will be a re-enactment of the battle at 1:30 p.m. A vintage dance will be held that night with instructors available to teach dances of the time period.

Museum tours will also be available during the weekend of the McCollum-Chidester House, which was built in 1847 and located at 926 W Washington Street in Camden.

The weekend’s events are a collaborative project of Poison Springs Battleground State Park and the Ouachita County Historical Society. For more details, call 870-836-0248.