The Memphis and Little Rock Railroad was the first railroad to run in Arkansas. It was chartered in 1853, but when the Civil War began, only two sections were complete. One, running from DeValls Bluff to north of Little Rock, was finished in January 1862. Confederates used the M&LR to ship troops to Memphis, and it became a major asset to Union forces after DeValls Bluff was taken in 1863, carrying men and supplies from the White River to Little Rock. The M&LR proved a tempting target for Confederates, who attacked it frequently during 1864.