Vimy Ridge Memorial by Jimmerman Fish

QUESTION: I live on Vimy Ridge Road in Saline County, near Benton to be exact and am wondering if the name of the street has any Civil War significance. We’ve got a Civil War marker in the neighborhood and I was just wondering…?  Thanks, Mel.

SCUTTLEBUTT: None to speak of…..

SKINNY: “Settled by  a number of Germans who came to Saline County by way of Pennsylvania in the 1880’s, the community that is now known as Vimy Ridge was called Germania up until the first World war,” according to Michelle Wallace, contributing writer for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Vimy Ridge was a World War I battlefront. Our friends at Wikipedia informed the plainclothesman that “The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement which took place April 9-12, 1917. Historians attribute the success of the Canadian Corps in capturing the ridge to a mixture of technical and tactical innovation, meticulous planning, powerful artillery support, and extensive training, as well as the failure of the German Sixth Army to properly apply the German defensive doctrine.”

According to Wallace (Saline County’s Vimy Ridge residents rename town after World War I battle, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/5/06), “The battle of Vimy Ridge was deemed a success for the Allied Forces and the Germans in Otter Township, Saline County, saw fit to rename the Germania community in honor of the occasion.”

CHECK THIS OUT: As far as the Civil War goes Mel, here’s an interesting excerpt from “The History of Benton,” that I found at (http://www.benton.ar.gov/):

“In 1860, on the eve of the American Civil War the population of Arkansas had grown to 435,450 (including 111,115 slaves and 11,481 slave owners).  In 1860, Saline County’s population was 6,640 (including 749 slaves), and the population of Saline Township was 1,076 (not including slaves).  The relatively small number of slaves in the county was due in part to the poor soils that restrained the development of plantation agriculture.

The majority of Arkansas’ 1860 convention delegates represented areas where slave ownership was prevalent.  Hence, when President Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion on May 6^th, and Virginia along with Robert E. Lee joined the Confederacy, it is not surprising that Arkansas chose secession rather than fight against other slave states.  During the Civil War (1861-1865), Saline County provided several regiments (i.e., 15 full companies) of Confederate troops.  However, this did not prevent the fall of Little Rock to Union forces in 1863.  Subsequently, Benton was occupied by as many as 4 regiments of Union troops.  They were based at Fort Bussy, which was located near the current-day intersection of Carpenter and Military Roads, where Walgreen’s Drug Store now sits.  Built in the 1850s, the Shoppach House near Main Street and Military Road, is the oldest structure in Benton and was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War.  During 1863 and 1864, there were several skirmishes between Union and Confederate troops near Benton (e.g., Battle of Hurricane Creek on Old Military/Stagecoach Road).  Also in 1864, Union forces based in Little Rock and led by Major General Steele encountered mud and rain at Benton during a nearly disastrous military campaign to drive Confederate forces from southwest Arkansas.”

For the rest of this article and more on the history of Benton go to: www.benton.ar.gov/about/benton_history.doc

CHECK THIS OUT:The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in Arkansas by sanctioning events, encouraging research and education programs related to Civil War Arkansas, and preserving the sites that witnessed the Civil War in Arkansas. The Civil War Sesquicentennial will be celebrated between 2011 and 2015.  Check out the website and take part in these upcoming events (you can even suggest an event of your own).

National Park Service

CHECK THIS OUT: The National Park Service has an awesome map marking the civil war battle sites in Arkansas.