150th Anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas

Elkhorn Tavern at Pea Ridge National Military Park

This week marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. The battle was fought in Northwest Arkansas on March 7-8, 1862.

One of the most important battles of the Civil War and one of the largest engagements west of the Mississippi River, Pea Ridge is regarded by many as the battle that saved Missouri for the Union. Extremely bloody and fought over a vast area, it culminated a campaign by General Samuel Curtis (US) to drive the Missouri State Guard of General Sterling Price (CS) out of its home state.

Confederate Cannon at Pea Ridge

The fight, also called the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place when a Confederate army led by General Earl Van Dorn stormed out of the Boston Mountains and onto the Ozark Plateau of Northwest Arkansas. Using a long and exhausting night march to swing his army around the Federal camps behind Little Sugar Creek, Van Dorn attacked the right flank and rear of the Union army on the morning of March 7, 1862.

Leetown area of Pea Ridge Battlefield

The battle opened near the little community of Leetown in Benton County, Arkansas. One division of the Confederate army attacked through fields and woods in a desperate assault on the Union right flank. General Curtis rushed reenforcements to his men in that sector of the field and intense fighting erupted.

Disaster struck the Confederates making the attack, however, when General Ben McCulloch, who was leading the attack, was killed. General James McIntosh then rose to the command but was killed just fifteen minutes later. Colonel Louis Hebert then took command, but a combination of terrain, smoke, friendly fire and determined Union resistance broke the Confederate apart and he was captured. In just an hour or so, three Confederate division commanders were killed or captured.

View of the Pea Ridge Battlefield from the Mountain

As the fighting neared an end near Leetown, the second Confederate attack came down the Telegraph Road from directly behind the main Union line. This assault was more successful and through an afternoon of heavy fighting drove the Federals from the area around Elkhorn Tavern and back into the middle of the battlefield. Had darkness not ended the drive, Van Dorn might well have won the Battle of Pea Ridge.



Union cannon at Pea Ridge Battlefield

It did not happen that way. In his rush to get his army into battle, General Van Dorn had failed to properly see to his logistics and supply train and darkness found his army without food and almost out of ammunition. When the fighting resumed the next morning, he was not prepared to meet the now reorganized Union army.

After blasting the Confederate positions with artillery fire on the morning of March 8, 1862, General Curtis moved his army forward and drove Van Dorn from the field.

The site of the battle is now preserved as Pea Ridge National Military Park, one of America's finest national park areas. Driving and walking tours take visitors to all key areas of the battlefield and the mountains in the park offer outstanding views of the entire field.

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

War Eagle Mill & Bridge - Northwest Arkansas

War Eagle Mill & Bridge

One of the most charming scenes in the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas is the view of the War Eagle Mill and Bridge from across the historic mill pond.

The current structure is the latest version of a mill that has stood on the banks of War Eagle Creek (sometimes called the War Eagle River) since the 1830s. Originally built by Sylvanus Blackburn, the mill was a thriving enterprise for two decades before the Civil War.

War Eagle Mill

The first structure was washed away by a flood in 1848, but was quickly replaced. When the Civil War swept with brutal force across the Ozarks, the War Eagle Mill was used to grind grain for both the Union and Confederate armies (at different times, of course!). After the Battle of Pea Ridge, a portion of General Earl Van Dorn's shattered Southern army passed by the mill during their retreat from the battlefield.

The second mill, like most such structures in the region, did not survive the war but was burned before the end of the conflict. The brutual economic conditions of the years after the Civil War prevented the rebuilding of War Eagle Mill until 1873. After it returned to operation, however, the mill served the people of the area for many decades to come.

The present structure, completed in 1973, is the fourth operating mill to stand on the site and is a recreation of previous structures. It is open to the public and is the focal point of major art & craft shows each fall and spring. It is also one of the most picturesque locations in Northwest Arkansas.

To learn more about War Eagle Mill, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/wareagle.

Battle of Pea Ridge - Pea Ridge, Arkansas

Note: This is part of our continuing look at Civil War related historic sites to observe Confederate History Month.

The War Between the States developed slowly following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. Both sides worked desperately to organize armies and supply systems on a scale never before attempted on the American continent. Even after months, the armies were barely learning their business when Union authorities ordered their men into action. The result was the Battle of First Manassas or Bull Run, a smashing Confederate victory. The Southern army, however, was almost as disorganized by victory and unable to pursue its defeated foe through the mud of Northern Virginia.

It was west of the Mississippi River, however, that the two sides first took killing to a new level. The war in Missouri was bitter and bloody as two armies fought for control of the state. By March of 1862, the Union Army of the Southwest has pushed across the line into Arkansas and was in position at a place called Pea Ridge. The Confederate forces trying to oppose them were disorganized and barely functional, but the sudden arrival from the east of Major General Earl Van Dorn energized the Southern army and put it on the offensive.

Van Dorn dreamed of greatness, telling his wife that he planned to advance deep into Missouri and even take St. Louis. Unfortunately for his men, he failed to recognize the danger posed by the Union army that blocked his way into the Show Me State.  Dividing his army, Van Dorn swept around the right flank of the Federal army which was commanded by Major General Samuel Curtiss. The move proved disastrous.  Not only did Van Dorn lose operational control of his full army, but he advanced so fast that his worn out and hungry infantrymen could not keep pace. Making matters worse, his ammunition wagons and other supplies were left to follow the rear in favor of speed.

On March 7-8, 1862, the two armies battled for control of a sweeping area of fields, woods and mountains in what became known as the Battle of Pea Ridge or Elkhorn Tavern. It was one of the largest battles ever to take place west of the Mississippi and was one of the greatest battles of the war to that point. More than 3,000 men were killed, wounded and captured and Curtiss achieved a remarkable 180 degree reverse of front of his army while under direct attack from a larger Confederate army. In the end, the Federals prevailed and Van Dorn's smashed army disappeared in bits and pieces back into the mountains of Arkansas.

To learn more about this remarkable battle in the West, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

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.

Memorial Day, Part Three - Pea Ridge Battlefield, Arkansas

One of the most significant battles of the Civil War took place not in Virginia or Tennessee, but far to the west and high in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.

The Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, was a major turning point of the war in the west and firmly established Union control of the state of Missouri. It was also one of the bloodiest battles of the first year of the war, with thousands of men - Northern and Southern - shedding their blood for the causes for which they fought.

The battle began on March 6, 1862, in the eleventh month of the Civil War, and raged for two days. By the time the killing had stopped, more than 3,000 men had been killed, wounded or captured. A disaster for the Confederate forces, led by General Earl Van Dorn, the Union victory achieved by General Samuel Curtis was one of the most complete of the war.

The site today is one of the most pristine battlefield areas in the country. The Pea Ridge National Military Park preserves 4,300 acres where the two armies maneuvered and fought. Features include a visitor center, driving tour, walking trails, overlooks and the restored Elkhorn Tavern around which heavy fighting took place. For those living in the western parts of the South, Pea Ridge is an excellent place for a Memorial Day trip to explore the cost of the bloodiest war in American history. The entrance fee is only $5.

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

Anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas

This weekend will mark the 147th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas.

Also called the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, this Civil War engagement was fought on March 7-8, 1862, over thousands of acres of land in the far northwest corner of Arkansas. The site is now preserved as the Pea Ridge National Military Park.

The battle was one of the largest engagements of the Civil War in the West and involved over 26,000 men. An estimated 3,000 were killed, wounded or captured.

Pea Ridge was of critical importance because it halted a Confederate drive to invade Missouri early in the war, preserving that state for the Union. Had General Earl Van Dorn achieved victory in the battle, his plan was to march as far north as St. Louis. Everything seemed in his favor as the fighting started. He had more men, more cannon and managed to steal a march around the right flank of General Samuel Curtis's Union army and attack it from behind.

It was not to be. Van Dorn lost complete control of his army during the fighting and to make matters worse had left vital supplies behind as he marched north out of the Boston Mountains. By the end of the first day's fighting, his army was battered, exhausted and running out of supplies.

Van Dorn's failures allowed General Curtis to achieve one of the great victories of the war. Even though he had been surprised by a rear attack, hard fighting by a small portion of his army allowed him to turn his entire force in time to drive the Confederates from the field in the second day of the battle.

Pea Ridge National Military Park now preserves more than 4,000 acres of critical battlefield and offers a visitor center, driving tour, walking trails, cannon, monuments and the restored Elkhorn Tavern. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.