On Monday, January 26, 2009, David Hoge and I of the Arkansas Railroad Club had a guided boat tour of Napoleon, Arkansas, a pre-Civil War ghost town in eastern Arkansas at the mouth of the Arkansas River (where it runs into the Mississippi River).  The tour was given by Mark McElroy, the County Judge of Desha County, Arkansas. This town flooded just after the Civil War, partly caused by Union troops when they cut a hole in a dike. It now lies under the Arkansas River, except for a 151-foot high hill on Napoleon (or Cat) Island, which has part of the old Napoleon Cemetery (the rest of this cemetery apparently washed away in the 1970s). We found one tombstone belonging to Henry Smith, who died in 1859. His wife was buried there also. Of special interest regarding this tombstone was the fact that Mr. Smith was born on January 26, 1817 - meaning we had found it on his birthday!! He'd be 192 years old.

The day began about 9:50 a.m. with a 20-mile boat ride up the Mississippi River a few miles east of Kelso, Arkansas, to where the Arkansas River runs into the Mississippi. It was 34 degrees and a few sprinkles of rain, very cold and windy. But it's much better to search ghost towns on cold days as opposed to warm summer days because the place would have been full of mosquitoes and snakes in the warmer weather. From the boat, we saw Eagles and other birds, plus several long barges heading south on the Mississippi. The barges created some high wakes and made the trip a little bumpy, but it was fun.

Photos that are not credited were taken by myself, Ken Ziegenbein. Others were taken by David Hoge and are credited. These photos are not to be used in other web pages without permission, but this entire website can be forwarded to anyone you want.

Here's some maps showing where we went:


The two blue stars show where we were. The one on the right is the Napoleon Cemetery, the one on the left is the site of the Napoleon Marine hospital (but no remnants of it were found). The Arkansas River is located between the blue stars and the remnants (if any) of Napoleon itself is under the river. The Mississippi River is the wider river to the right.


The yellow pins represent the GPS coordinates of our location. We think the riverport town of Napoleon lies between these points. Also, the location of the Arkansas River has changed frequently in this area over the years, even as recently as 2008, so even some current  maps of the area show it flowng to the left of the center island. Judge McElroy said he had obtained old tax records which gave him the exact site of the Marine Hospital. We went there, but found nothing, even using a metal detector.(Map provided by David Hoge)


Ready to get on the boat. David was holding it in place while Mark McElroy parked his truck. That's the Mississippi River.


From the boat. Note the bird. I'm not sure what this one was.


David on the boat. The Mississippi is a wide river, to say the least.


Judge Mark McElroy (left) and Ken Ziegenbein, taken by David Hoge. (Do I look cold or what?)


Ken Ziegenbein with camera and lots of layers of clothes. (Taken by David Hoge)


Me keeping warm. It was windy and cold (34 degrees), plus we were moving at a good clip against the north wind.


Mark McElroy, who owns the boat and was an excellent 'captain' of the 'ship.' (Taken by David Hoge)


This is Napoleon Island. Hunters and campers use it and occasionally some timber is taken. It's only accessible via boat.


David and Judge McElroy on shore. Note the layers of silt. The first two places we docked were too muddy - we'd sink into the sand like quicksand, but were determined to go onshore after having spent 30 minutes on the boat getting here. This place was more solid. The river to the left is the Arkansas River.


We left the boat behind, hoping the current wouldn't take it away. It was anchored on a shrub at left.


On Napoleon Island. The Arkansas River once flowed where Mark and David are walking, washing out some of the grave sites in the 1970s. The remaining graves are up the hill to the right. You can see where 4-wheelers have been running, used by hunters and campers.


Mark McElroy (left) and myself at the Napoleon Cemetery searching for other markers.  It was obvious that there were other burials here. There were lots of sunken, square gravesites around, but no other markers except the ones seen here. Remember that it was last used over a hundred years ago.


Here's the tombstone of Henry Smith.


'Henry Smith - Born In Stewart Co. Tenn  Jan 26, 1817 - Died at Napoleon, Ark  Sep 26, 1859 - Aged 42 years'


'Cecilia L - Wife of Henry Smith - Died July 30, 1871 - Aged 39 years' (She had lived 12 years longer than he, and seeing she was 39 at time of her death, she was 27 years old when Mr. Smith died)


Angel sculpture.




There were obviously more burial sites here at one time. You could see the sunken graves, but this was the only tombstone found. We're at the top of the hill, the highest point in the whole area (151 feet high).


David and Judge McElroy.




The cemetery.


Taken from Napoleon (or Cat) Island looking west. That area of sandy shore straight ahead in the center of the photo is where the pre-Civil War Napoleon hospital was located according to old tax records. The cemetery, where I'm standing, was east-northeast of the town on this high point (151 feet high). I am looking west-southwest. The town itself is now under the Arkansas River between here and the land across the river, where the hospital was located. Judge McElroy said when the river was low and had a slightly different course over 10 years ago, he once saw some railroad ties in the town and some foundations at this site.


Ready to leave for the old hospital site. Mark and David and I wore these plastic masks at times to help deflect the cold wind.


Moving across the Arkansas River to the land where the hospital once was.


This is the area I was looking at from the cemetery. The old military hospital was at this location 160 years ago.


Mark and David had easy walking here.


Mark McElroy and Ken Ziegenbein in the area of the Marine Hospital. Even with the metal detector, nothing was found, so the foundations of the hospital may have washed away like everything else. (Taken by David Hoge)


Was the hospital in this field? We found no evidence. You can see why I prefer the cold weather to warmer weather in this situation. Can you imagine the snakes that would be here in the summer?




Mark McElroy searching the island with a metal detector. (Taken by David Hoge)


On our way back to civilization.

Sound Quicklime movie of above scene (2 MB)

Higher resolution movie (8 MB)


It was raining lightly here. Napoleon Island is in the distant center, the mouth of the Arkansas River is to the left of this island and the Mississippi goes to the right of the island. The combined rivers are very wide at this point.




A barge.


Looking behind our boat.


Back home on shore. The barge passes, going south.


Judge McElroy moving the boat so it can be hooked back to his truck.






I saw these geese on the levy, taken from the truck. They all had just taken off.

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