Fort Lookout (Arkansas) facts for kids
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Fort Lookout
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | Camden, Arkansas |
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| Built | 1864 |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001183 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1994 |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1994 |
Fort Lookout, also known as Redoubt A, is a historic military site in Camden, Arkansas. It was a defensive structure built during the American Civil War. This fort was made from earth, like a big dirt wall, to help protect the city.
Fort Lookout was the northernmost of five similar forts, called redoubts. These forts were built by the Confederate States Army in early 1864. They were made to defend Camden from the Union Army during the Camden Expedition. Today, Fort Lookout is a special place. It is part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark. This means it's an important historical site related to the Civil War.
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What is Fort Lookout?
Fort Lookout is a rectangular earthwork. This means it's a fort shaped like a rectangle, built using earth and dirt. It sits on a high piece of land, called a bluff. This bluff is about 50 feet (15 meters) above a curve in the Ouachita River.
Right next to the main fort is a smaller, L-shaped redoubt. This smaller fort was built to protect places where soldiers might try to cross the river. Both parts of the fort could hold at least six cannons back then.
The fort is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of United States Route 79. You can find it off Gravel Pit Road. Part of the main fort has been changed because a house was built there. But most of the site is still in good shape. It has grown back into a forest. You can still see old trenches leading away from the main fort along the ridge.
History of Fort Lookout
Building Camden's Defenses
In early 1864, the city of Camden needed protection. Brigadier General Alexander T. Hawthorn, who was from Camden, was put in charge of building these defenses. From January to March, Confederate soldiers and enslaved people worked hard. They built five redoubts, or small forts. These forts were mostly meant to protect the southern and western sides of the city from land attacks.
The Camden Expedition
Meanwhile, Union Major General Frederick Steele was in charge of forces in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was ordered to move southwest. His goal was to meet up with Major General Nathaniel P. Banks for the Red River Campaign. This campaign aimed to capture Shreveport, Louisiana, and gain control of Texas for the Union.
Steele's army left Little Rock on March 23, 1864. They marched through a part of Arkansas that didn't have many people. Their advance was slowed down at the Battle of Prairie D'Ane in April. Steele's soldiers needed supplies. So, he ordered them to march to Camden.
Union Occupation of Camden
The Union army reached Camden on April 15. The small number of Confederate defenders had left the city. So, Steele's forces occupied Camden. They stayed there for ten days. During this time, the Union soldiers added more trenches and earthworks to the city's defenses.
However, Steele faced problems getting supplies. His efforts were set back by battles at Poison Spring on April 18 and Marks' Mills on April 25. Because of these losses, Steele decided not to stay in Camden. He withdrew his troops and marched back toward Little Rock on April 26.
After the Expedition
After the Union forces left, Confederate soldiers reoccupied Camden. They continued to improve the city's defenses. One area that was known to be weak was the waterfront. This area was fortified in October 1864 with the Camden Water Battery. By the end of that year, a complete line of trenches surrounded the entire city.
