On the last day of 1863 a minor skirmish in Searcy, Arkansas was the only recorded fighting. The Union First Arkansas Cavalry conducted a reconnaissance into Searcy County, a prewar, Unionist stronghold where there was little support for slavery.
Their foray culminated in an engagement with Confederate forces that essentially ended in a draw. The Confederates suffered 25 dead and 33 wounded, with Union forces suffering 6 dead and fewer than 10 wounded. The Union First Arkansas Cavalry returned to its base in Fayetteville, while Confederate forces retreated into nearby Carroll County.
As the war continued, more and more of Searcy County’s population opted to side with the Union, and the county descended into a morass of lawlessness and vendettas that would last throughout the remainder of the American Civil War.