White County, Arkansas

White County Historical Society

WCHS Program - August 2004

Mark Christ of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program is a modern-day warrior for Civil War battlefields.  He is fighting to preserve them, although they are rapidly disappearing.  He brought his message of preservation to the White County Historical Society Monday, August 23, 2004, at Harding Place.  Christ said more than 770 Civil War battle sites have been documented in Arkansas, ranging from brief skirmishes to full-scale battles.  Only about 45 of these have been identified by the state as preservation possibilities, he said.  A former journalist, Christ has written or edited several Civil War books for the University of Arkansas Press.   His presentation made White County preservationists wonder about the future of the battleground of Whitney’s Lane on the eastern edge of Searcy, the county’s most significant battle of the Civil War.