Battle of Prairie Grove 151st Anniversary

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

December 7th marked the 151st anniversary of the bloody Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.

The massive battle erupted when Major General Thomas Hindman emerged from the Boston Mountains with his Confederate army in an attempt to flank the Union army of Brigadier General James G. Blunt before it could be reinforced by the division of Brigadier General Francis J. Herron.

When Hindman came out of the mountains at the site of the modern town of Prairie Grove, Herron's column was at nearby Fayetteville having completed a forced march south from Missouri into Northwest Arkansas. The main Union force, under Blunt, was to the west at Cane Hill (now spelled Canehill).

Hindman succeeded in placing his force directly between the two Union columns and his plan was to overwhelm Herron's Division before it could unite with the main body under Blunt. After initial fighting on the Fayetteville road, the Confederate army took up a defensive position along the Prairie Grove ridge and welcomed the Union attack.

Over the hours that followed, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War in the West took place on the ridges and open ground of Washington County, Arkansas.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

New Fayetteville Section Now Online

A new section exploring the history, historic sites and natural wonders in and around the beautiful Northwest Arkansas city of Fayetteville is now online.

To visit, please click www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fayetteville.

Consistently ranked as one of the top ten places in America to live and work, Fayetteville is a charming and progressive city located on a plateau surrounded by the beautiful Ozark mountains. Founded in 1828 and incorporated in 1836, it is the home of the University of Arkansas and sits in one of the most historic regions of the South.

During the Civil War, major engagements were fought within 30 miles of Fayetteville. The Battle of Pea Ridge, to the north, was one of the largest encounters of the war to that point when it took place on March 7-8, 1862. It was followed on December 7th of that same year by the Battle of Prairie Grove. Both battlefields are now beautifully preserved park areas within easy access of the city.

Other historic sites in and around the city include the site of the Battle of Fayetteville, numerous historic homes and structures, the Confederate and National cemeteries, Devil's Den State Park and the Cane Hill battlefield.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fayetteville.

Southern Ghosts Part Nine - Fayetteville, Arkansas

This photograph was taken in the fall of 2006 at the Confederate Cemetery in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Notice the strange anomaly in the right hand side of the photograph.

The cemetery looks out over the scene of the Battle of Fayetteville, a Civil War engagement fought for control of the city on April 18, 1863.

The fighting surged through the valley visible at the top of the photograph and many of the Confederate dead were buried here on the slope of East Mountain. Around 20 Confederates were killed in the battle.

The Confederate Cemetery is noted locally for strange photographs like this one and some have claimed to see unusual lights along the ridge after dark. Of a number of pictures taken on this particular day, this was the only one to show anything unusual.

If you would like to learn more about the Battle of Fayetteville, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/battleoffayetteville.

New Pages Now Online

Two new sections went online today at www.exploresouthernhistory.com.

The first explores the history of the Battle of Olustee, Florida. Olustee was the largest Civil War battle in Florida. In addition, it was statistically the greatest Union defeat of the war. An estimated 40% of the 5,500 Union troops that marched into the battle were killed, wounded or captured. The new pages explore the history of the battle and provide an online tour of Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park. To visit the new section, please click www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.

The second new section explores the history of the Battle of Fayetteville, Arkansas. This Civil War battle was one of the last major Confederate attempts to retake control of Northwest Arkansas. The section features information on the history of the battle and photographs of the battlefield as it appears today. To visit the new section, please click www.exploresouthernhistory.com/battleoffayetteville.