In 1861, Smithville was the seat of Lawrence County, where most residents supported secession while others remained loyal to the Union. At least 17 Confederate companies were raised in the county, other troops were later conscripted, and slaves and Unionists sought refuge in Federal camps. As the war continued, civilians endured privation and lawlessness. After the war, Smithville lost its county seat status when Sharp County was carved from Lawrence, and freed people established a post-war village south of Smithville called “Little Africa.” Because Smithville stood at a strategic crossroads, troops from both sides came into the area during the war. The 5th Illinois Cavalry occupied the town in May 1862 and skirmished with partisans west of town on June 17. Most of the fighting involved Confederate irregulars, and although neither side controlled the area, both exhausted its supplies. Other fighting in what was then Lawrence County occurred on Oct. 7, 1863, near Evening Shade, on Feb. 8, 1864, at Morgan’s Mill, and on April 13, 1864, near Spring River. Confederate troops also passed through during Price’s 1864 Missouri Raid, recruiting men.