Many area residents may not be aware of Clark County’s Revolutionary War connections. There are several veterans of the conflict known to be buried in the county, serving as a reminder of the area’s rich and lengthy history.

     One veteran, John Caruthers, Sr., fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain. He was born in 1746 and served as a Ranger in the South Carolina militia. Pension and service records indicate that Caruthers, who previously resided in Independence County, Arkansas, moved to Clark County before 1839.  He lived in the area with his grandson and died in Clark County in 1841. While his precise burial site has not been pinpointed, in 1996 the Arkadelphia DAR chapter and the Nathaniel Miles chapter of Hurst, Texas, placed a marker in his honor in the Okolona Cemetery, Highway 51 South, a location believed to be in the vicinity of his grave.

     Morgan Cryer was born in South Carolina in 1753 and served for three years in that state’s militia as a Private in the 6^th Regiment. After the war he moved around a bit, making his way to Clark County about 1815. When he died in 1833 he was buried near the Military Road, with the words “A Soldier of the Revolution” on his tombstone. Since road construction destroyed the site, in 1968 the Arkansas Highway Department placed a marker to commemorate his service at the southwest end of the Caddo River bridge in Caddo Valley.

     Another veteran known to be buried in Clark County is Benjamin Crow. Crow was born about 1756 in Virginia and served as a sergeant during the war. After living for a time in several different states, he made his way to Clark County in 1819 and died here after 1830. The marker was placed by the DAR in 1971 north of Highway 26 near Christian Campground Road.