Searcy Landing in the Civil War

Marmaduke's pontoon bridge at Searcy Landing was part of his move south in August 1863. His cavalry division was falling back to join Sterling Price's defensive line near Little Rock, and the Little Red lay in the way. On August 14 the gunboat Cricket steamed up the river, captured the steamboats Kaskaskia and Tom Sugg and burned the bridge, leaving some of Marmaduke's men stranded on the east bank. The crew stacked cotton bales as cover. The raid also confirmed for the Union commanders that Marmaduke was heading south, which helped General Davidson plan the advance on Little Rock.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Greers Ferry Dam and Lake — 25 mi
  The Corps of Engineers dam on the Little Red River that President Kennedy dedicated on October 3, 1963, with a visitor center, a trout hatchery below the dam and a lake of 340 miles of shoreline.

More markers nearby

• Guerrilla War on the Little Red — steps away
• Action at Whitney's Lane — 1.7 mi
• White County Court House — 2.4 mi
• Naval Combat at West Point — 6.1 mi