DeValls Bluff: A Major Union Riverport

Rising from the Boston Mountains, the White River meanders 720 miles to its junction with the Arkansas River in the southeastern part of the state. Its fast-moving water prevented the build-up of silt that made rivers such as the Arkansas difficult to traverse for much of the year, allowing the White River to accommodate deeper-draft vessels than most other rivers in the state. With tall bluffs towering over the White River, DeValls Bluff was easily defendable and became the most important port on the river during the Civil War. Union gunboats could easily travel to the town, providing security for steamboats carrying supplies that were then transferred for railroad transport to Little Rock. On March 22, 1864, the steamboat Des Arc was moored at DeValls Bluff when cotton in her hold caught fire. The U.S.S. Signal towed her across the river to protect other vessels docked nearby and, when the flames grew out of control, sank her with cannon fire. The Des Arc was later raised and continued serving as a White River packet until 1871. Union gunboats including the U.S.S. Signal, U.S.S. Romeo, U.S.S. Fawn, and U.S.S. Marmora plied the waters of the White River, seeking Confederate targets and protecting cargo and troop transports, while steamboats carried cargo to DeValls Bluff for transfer to the railroad.

De Valls Bluff, Arkansas · United States