Confederates under Col. Robert Brooks, testing the strength of Union positions along the Arkansas River, attacked Federal troops at Dardanelle on Jan. 14, 1865. Maj. J.D. Jenks' 276 Union soldiers fought Brooks' 1,500 soldiers for 4 hours before the Confederates withdrew. Sgt. William Ellis of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry, wounded 4 times in the fight, was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor. Dardanelle Rock, a major landmark on the river, is protected today as part of the state system of natural areas.