Of course you have to visit the Ft Smith Historical Site and walk out to Belle Point. The rivers are, of course, much higher now than was typical for the time, due to the navigation system. Coming from the Choctaw Nation, the roads didn't cross the Arkansas -- they crossed the Poteau River near Pocola OK. The Confederates could come up the lowland between the rivers and fire on the fort from across the Poteau. The historical site has some photos of Ft Smith during the war including the 13th KS Inf, which my gggrandfather was a member of for about 3 months before deserting to "the Nation" (into the Cherokee Nation). There was a community of Cherokee near Mena AR and we assume he was "recruited" by a scout out of Ft Smith with a couple of other Cherokee from the area. All three deserted within a few months.