Civil War Hideouts

[DanielFrew]

Spent quite a bit of time over the last month running down leads and visiting hideouts that were used during the Civil War here in Northwest Arkansas.



Dan

 

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[RGINN]

Cool. I had ancestors in Benton County that participated in the war between the states. That first pic is pretty cool. It looks pretty simple at first but when you start lookin closer that's some slightly advanced stonework goin on there. Can you tell us more about that one?

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Welcome.
Time well spent!
Do you plan on detecting these "hideouts"?
GL
Peace ✌

 

[DanielFrew]

 

[DanielFrew]

I do plan on going back to all of them.

Dan

 

[Tnmountains]

I would like to know more about the first picture also. A lot of work went into raising that old stone. I would almost think Native American.

 

[DanielFrew]

I don't have any information on this one. Found it at an intersection of two creeks. Didn't see any signs of an old roadbed or trail in the area. Its approximately 2 miles from some larger rock shelters that were used by Native Americans.

 

[DanielFrew]

I would like to know more about the first picture also. A lot of work went into raising that old stone. I would almost think Native American.

I came across a reference in two books from the late 1800s that talked about a rock house built of dry stacked stone. In the first book the author was of the opinion that it was an old Native American shelter but the second book referred to it as a bushwhacker hideout. Took me 5 trips to the area and about 10 miles of bushwhacking total to locate it. In my opinion it was not erected by Native Americans, because it has the window.

 

[DanielFrew]

I bushwhacked to the one in the second picture after reading a reference to it in a another late 1800s book on the history of Logan County Arkansas. The story goes it was used as a Bushwhacker Hideout. The rocks are stack a few feet high with small gaps along the way for then to shoot from.

 

[DanielFrew]

Found this referenced in a document on saltpeter mines in the state. If you look at the opening of the mine you can see my daughter and niece.

 

[RGINN]

I would say it's not prehistoric Indian. Could be historic Cherokee or historic whites. (By historic I mean after Columbus) The presence of a window that large says to me it wasn't used as a storage for farm products or maybe a 'fort', but something that people actually stayed in for a while. Which could be bushwhackers or some old hermit. Interesting construction, and I never underestimate the ability of people living back in the hills, as there are guys there who can make you a working motor out of an old tin can and a chicken heart, as I heard one comedian say.

 

[DanielFrew]

This is another one I checked out based on stories. Some say it was on Native American shelter and others a Civil War era hideout. I can tell you that the hole in the back of the small cave was cut out. The hole may lend more validity to the bushwhacker story.

Dan

 

[stefen]

The dwellings are similar construction to the Cliff Dwellings in the Four Corners area of the southwest and abandoned in about 1200 BC.

The 2 left side pics are the same structure from different angles. The roof is a ledge or projection with the walls stacked below. The pic posted later shows the roof material more clearly.

The upper right pic looks like another structure possibly below another ledge or maybe in a cave front.

I have seen numerous structures built both by Native Americans and others in the Four Corners area and in the bottom of the Grand Canyon area on the Havasupi Indian Reservation. All doors and windows have ledger and sill stonework. Craftsmanship in most cases is superior. Have also found Kiva's, Hogans, pens, walls and granaries of similar quality.

Between the 1980's and 1990's I had the opportunity to be the Architectural Consultant for 2 for several adjoining Rancho's in Temecula, California, where Stone Masons from Mexico were building several thousand feet of un-grouted chipped and fitted granite stone walls with taper-walled pilasters every 20 feet or so. The stones were fitted so tightly with smaller chips that it would be impossible to fit a knife blade into the cracks. The workmanship was superior to any of it's type...

I'm not familiar with stone work on the eastern seaboard, though it may exist.

 

[RGINN]

I been down to Mesa Verde a few times and it is similar to that type of construction in that it's rocks stacked up. The Anasazi used a type of stone they were able to cut pretty easily so it fitted together better. In this structure looks like they pretty much used the rock just laying around and didn't trim or shape it. Maybe too hard or too much work. And you're right about the Mexican stoneworkers. Some of those guys can still do stonework pretty much like the Mayans did.

 

[TheMastermind]

Neat! My interest is piqued.

 

[DanielFrew]

My opinion was based on the fact that I have never seen any Native American stone work here in Arkansas that included a window. Could it be Native American? Sure could! I will have to post up some Rock Shelters I've visited.

 

[Plumbata]

These are extremely cool, thanks for sharing the pictures. I'd expect a cache or 2 of weapons or valuables to be buried near some of these structures/formations.

 

[stefen]

I been down to Mesa Verde a few times and it is similar to that type of construction in that it's rocks stacked up. The Anasazi used a type of stone they were able to cut pretty easily so it fitted together better. In this structure looks like they pretty much used the rock just laying around and didn't trim or shape it. Maybe too hard or too much work. And you're right about the Mexican stoneworkers. Some of those guys can still do stonework pretty much like the Mayans did.

Do you recall the doorways at Mesa Verde?

Narrow at the ground so a persons feet would fit side by side, then the door tapered upwards to fit the hips and then the shoulders...very clever construction...Unique only to the cliff dwellings...

 

[stefen]

My opinion was based on the fact that I have never seen any Native American stone work here in Arkansas that included a window. Could it be Native American? Sure could! I will have to post up some Rock Shelters I've visited.

I totally agree although I'm not familiar with any eastern Native American making stone structures. However, a person must keep an open mind as to any possibility.

There are stone ruins in the southeast mountain regions attributed to some South and Central American Indians that migrated around the 1200's, as well. And brought their languages also. They supposedly evolved into a tribe (or tribes) in the region. I need to search my files to get the exact names, dates and the like.

 

[DanielFrew]

Need to make it back out to Mesa Verde. We were out there a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.