During the Civil War, Wild Haws, now LaCrosse, was a crossroads at the largest cotton plantations in Izard County and saw repeated movement by both Union and Confederate forces. In 1861, volunteers of the 7th and 14th (McCarver’s) Arkansas Infantry regiments marched through Wild Haws on their way to the Confederate training camp at Smithville. Union troops passed through many times, including Gen. Samuel Curtis with cavalry, artillery and Illinois infantry on May 1, 1862; Fifth Kansas Cavalry troops on July 6, 1862; a company of the Eighth Missouri State Militia Cavalry on Dec. 29, 1863; detachments of the First Nebraska on Jan. 23 and Feb. 16, 1864; and the Eleventh Missouri Cavalry on March 3 and 12. Co. K of the First Nebraska looked for Confederates at Wild Haws on March 10, then camped near town. Troopers of Gen. James McBride’s 3rd Missouri Cavalry (C.S.) had a skirmish with Union cavalry here in 1862. Confederates also rendezvoused near Wild Haws in 1864, Col. T.R. Freeman’s Cavalry rode through, and Gen. Joseph O. Shelby recruited troops in this area that summer.