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Battle of Prairie Grove

February 27, 2023

For the historic site, see Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.

Battle of Prairie Grove
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the
American Civil War
DateDecember 7, 1862 (160 years ago) (1862-12-07)
Location
Washington County, Arkansas
35°58′59.2″N 94°18′38.4″W / 35.983111°N 94.310667°W / 35.983111; -94.310667Coordinates: 35°58′59.2″N 94°18′38.4″W / 35.983111°N 94.310667°W / 35.983111; -94.310667
Result Union strategic victory
Belligerents
 United States (Union)  Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
James G. Blunt
Francis J. Herron		 Thomas C. Hindman
Units involved
Army of the Frontier 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Army
Strength
c. 9,000[1] c. 11,000[1]
Casualties and losses
1,203 or 1,251 1,317 or 1,483
Prairie Grove
class=notpageimage|
Location of Prairie Grove in Arkansas

The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. While tactically indecisive, the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas.

A division of Union troops in the Army of the Frontier, commanded by James G. Blunt, was posted in northwestern Arkansas after winning the Battle of Cane Hill on November 28. The 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Army, commanded by Thomas C. Hindman moved towards Blunt's division in order to attack while it was isolated. However, Blunt was reinforced by two divisions commanded by Francis J. Herron, leading Hindman to take a defensive position on some high ground known as Prairie Grove. Herron attempted to assault Hindman's lines twice, but both attacks were beaten off with heavy casualties. Hindman responded to the repulse of each of Herron's attacks with unsuccessful counterattacks of his own. Later in the day, Blunt arrived and attacked Hindman's flank. Eventually, both sides disengaged and the fighting reached an inconclusive result. However, the unavailability of reinforcements forced Hindman's army to retreat from the field, giving the Union army a strategic victory and control of northwestern Arkansas.

Union forces reported suffering 1,251 casualties (including 175 dead); Confederate forces reported 1,317 casualties (between 164 and 204 dead). Confederate forces suffered from severe demoralization, and many conscripts deserted. The Confederates had to leave many of their dead on the field, in piles and surrounded with makeshift barriers to keep feral pigs from eating the corpses. Today, a portion of the battlefield is preserved within Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.

Background

In March 1862, a Confederate army under the command of Earl Van Dorn engaged a Union army led by Samuel Ryan Curtis at the Battle of Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas. Curtis' army soundly defeated Van Dorn's.[2] After being defeated at Pea Ridge, Van Dorn and a substantial portion of his army were reassigned across the Mississippi River, effectively ending Confederate control of the region.[3]

Following Pea Ridge, Curtis drove further into Arkansas and planned to attack Memphis, but was ordered by Henry Halleck to send half of his force to Cape Girardeau for transfer to Tennessee. Curtis complied and was forced to abandon his plan, instead heading towards Little Rock, Arkansas.[4] After a defeat in a small action near Searcy, Curtis decided that his supply line was vulnerable, and fell back, eventually reaching Helena.[5]

In September, Curtis was assigned to command the Department of the Missouri, replacing its previous commander, John M. Schofield.[6] Curtis later formed the Army of the Frontier and appointed Schofield to command the new army on October 12.[7] However, on November 20, Schofield was forced to give up command of the army due to medical issues, and command passed to Brigadier General James G. Blunt.[8] At the time of Schofield's relinquishment of command, Blunt's division was in Arkansas, while the rest of the Army of the Frontier was stationed near Wilson's Creek in Missouri, where a battle had been fought the year before.[9]

The Confederate commander in the region, Thomas C. Hindman, had previously commanded the Trans-Mississippi Department, but his firm control of the region led to protests from prominent Arkansas civilians, leading Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, to relieve Hindman of command and replace him with Theophilus Holmes.[10][11] On August 21, Holmes tasked Hindman with producing an organized army from the Confederate units in the Arkansas region and moving to regain control of Missouri for the Confederacy.[12]

In October, Blunt's force made an incursion into Arkansas, and Hindman sent 2,000 men under Marmaduke's command to intercept Blunt and prevent him from joining the main Union force near Springfield, Missouri. Marmaduke gathered at Cane Hill, a ridge near the Boston Mountains. In response, Blunt marched his troops 35 miles (56 km) in two days, meeting Marmaduke's force near Canehill, Arkansas. In the ensuing Battle of Cane Hill, which took place on November 28, Blunt's 5,000 men defeated Marmaduke's 2,000 in a nine-hour battle.[13][14]

Opposing forces

Union

Further information: Prairie Grove Union order of battle

At the beginning of the Prairie Grove campaign, the Union Army of the Frontier was commanded by Schofield.[15] Schofield's army was divided into three divisions, commanded by Blunt, James Totten, and Herron.[16] Blunt's division was known as the "Kansas Division", as many of the soldiers in the division were from Kansas. The division also contained sizable numbers of African American and Native American soldiers, which made Blunt's division unique among Union units in 1862. Totten's and Herron's divisions were both known as "Missouri Division", and contained men from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The division also contained a regiment of Arkansas cavalrymen who had remained loyal to the Union despite the secession of Arkansas.[17]

Confederate

Further information: Prairie Grove Confederate order of battle

The Confederate army present at Prairie Grove was the 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Army, commanded by Hindman.[18] Hindman's command was formed of four divisions: one of cavalry, two of infantry, and a mixed reserve division.[16] The cavalry division consisted of men from Arkansas, Texas, and Confederate Missouri, and was commanded by Marmaduke. Marmaduke's division was poorly armed. Of the army's two infantry divisions, one was commanded by Daniel M. Frost and the other by Francis Shoup. Shoup's division consisted of Arkansas infantrymen, while Frost's division was mostly Missourians, although some Arkansas troops were included. The reserve division was commanded by John S. Roane, and was poorly equipped, organized, and led (Holmes stated that Roane was "useless as a commander"). Of Hindman and his division commanders, all had previous military experience. In particular, Hindman, Frost, and Roane had all seen action in the Mexican War.[19]

Maneuvering to battle

Hindman's offensive

Battle of Prairie Grove, December 7, 1862
 
Dawn: Hindman's flank march
 
4:00 pm: Blunt arrives on the field

After the Battle of Cane Hill, Hindman decided to send his entire army towards Cane Hill in order to assault Blunt.[20] If all went according to Hindman's plan, he would be able to assault Blunt's position from both the front and along both flanks.[21] At this time, Union forces menaced the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi.[22] On November 11, the Confederate government ordered Holmes to send 10,000 troops to reinforce Vicksburg. Holmes replied that two-thirds of his troops were in northwest Arkansas to oppose a Federal threat. Even so, he ordered Hindman to bring his troops to Little Rock.[23][24] Holmes tried to dissuade Hindman from his plan to attack Blunt and the two generals engaged in an argument over the telegraph. Hindman had a forceful personality and won the argument with Holmes.[25] By December 1, Hindman had gathered between 11,000 and 12,000 troops near Van Buren.[note 1] The Confederate infantry and artillery moved out of their camps on December 3.[26]

Blunt's intelligence services alerted him to Hindman's preparations by the evening of December 2; a courier immediately set out for the telegraph station at Elkhorn Tavern. The messages included a situation report for Curtis in St Louis and an urgent request for Totten to send reinforcements. Blunt prepared to defend himself by posting William Weer's 2nd Brigade and William F. Cloud's 3rd Brigade on high ground south of Newburg with elements of Frederick Salomon's 1st Brigade watching Hogeye Road. A cavalry outpost was set up on Cove Creek Road to watch for Hindman's advance. Every morning from December 3 to 6, Blunt had his troops on the alert, with wagons packed and ready to move quickly.[27]

On November 27, Curtis ordered Totten back to St Louis to be a witness at a court-martial. The unpopular Totten's departure pleased his soldiers and Daniel Huston Jr. assumed command of the 2nd Division. [28] Within a few hours of receiving Blunt's telegraphed call for help, on the morning of December 4, Herron started the 2nd and 3rd divisions on "an epic of human endurance".[18] From the afternoon of December 3 to the morning of December 7, Huston's and Herron's divisions marched 105 and 120 mi (169 and 193 km) respectively. Herron's two divisions averaged 30 mi (48 km) per day over rough roads in intensely cold weather with short stops to eat and sleep.[29] In the early hours of December 6, Herron received a message from Blunt asking for cavalry. Herron promptly dispatched Dudley Wickersham with a 1,600-man provisional cavalry brigade which reached Blunt at 9:00 pm that same day after a 35 mi (56 km) march.[30]

Hindman's new plan

On December 5, Joseph O. Shelby's 1,200-man Confederate cavalry brigade began pressing back the 400 troopers of the 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment that guarded the Cove Creek Road. Blunt knew that if Hindman continued to use Cove Creek Road, it would be easy for him to cut off the Confederate retreat route. Blunt assumed correctly that Hindman intended to turn to the west and approach Newburg. However, Hindman's plan would change.[31] The bad weather slowed down the march of Hindman's soldiers, so he postponed his planned attack until December 7. He believed that the nearest Union forces were near Springfield, but what he did not know was that Blunt anticipated the Confederate offensive and that Union reinforcements were approaching.[32]

On December 6, near mid-day, the 2nd Kansas Cavalry abandoned its blocking position on Cove Creek Road and withdrew northwest toward Newburg.[32] That afternoon, James C. Monroe's Confederate cavalry brigade, supported by other units, skirmished with the 2nd Kansas Cavalry on Reed's Mountain. By nightfall Monroe's troopers occupied that terrain feature on the road to Newburg.[33] That evening, Hindman and his commanders received startling intelligence that Herron's two divisions would reach Blunt the following day. Hindman realized that attacking Blunt at Newburg would simply push him back toward Herron's reinforcements. The Confederate commander knew that marching back to Van Buren would demoralize his soldiers, so he changed his plan. Hindman's new plan called for the army to march north on Cove Creek Road to Prairie Grove. At that location he would first crush Herron's force, then swing around and smash Blunt.[16] The risk was that Hindman might be caught between the two Union forces if Blunt found out what was happening. At 4:00 am on December 7, the Confederate army began to march north along Cove Creek Road.[34] Shelby's cavalry brigade was in the lead.[35]

Morning clashes

Early on December 7, Marmaduke's 2,000 cavalrymen reached Prairie Grove and discovered 650 Union troopers of the 6th Missouri and 7th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry regiments nearby. Helped by the fact that many Confederates wore captured blue uniforms, Shelby's troopers surprised and routed their opponents, especially the 7th Missouri.[35] The Union 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment soon appeared on the Fayetteville Road and was also routed when the Missourians fled through their ranks and Shelby's Confederates charged into them, as was the 6th Missouri and 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment (Union).[35] The Confederate pursuit continued east past the Illinois River, but ended when it encountered the leading elements of Herron's main column. Shelby was briefly captured, then rescued during a melee with the 1st Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.[36] During the early morning action, Marmaduke's horsemen inflicted casualties of 10 killed, 19 wounded, and 262 captured on the Union cavalry and seized 21 wagons. Herron's approaching infantry ignored the panicked Union horsemen and its bold front convinced Marmaduke to pull back to the west side of the river.[37]

By the time Frost's 6,300-strong division reached Prairie Grove, Hindman had lost his nerve and set up a defensive line.[35] The Confederate commander might have attacked Herron at once with Frost's powerful division.[35] Fearing that Blunt might intervene, Hindman ordered Frost to face southwest and block the Fayetteville Road. While Hindman waited for Shoup's Arkansas division, Herron had time to push Marmaduke out of his way and reach the Illinois River. When Shoup's 3,200 soldiers arrived at 10:00 am, Shoup assumed a defensive position on the high ground at Prairie Grove.[38] After directing the deployment of Frost's troops, Hindman returned to Prairie Grove. He scolded Shoup for not attacking Herron, but allowed the Arkansas soldiers to remain in position.[39]

Blunt's march

When Hindman's army started north on Cove Creek Road, Monroe's 400 Confederate horsemen were left at Reed's Mountain to deceive Blunt, while Hindman's main force proceeded against Herron.[40] In the early morning, a Union officer detected Hindman's column marching along the Cove Creek Road. This information was reported to Union headquarters, but Blunt was not there and the critical message was not forwarded for two hours. At about 9:00 am, Blunt was at Newburg expecting to be attacked when he finally realized that Hindman's army was no longer there. By 10:00 am Blunt had gotten his division marching north on Fayetteville Road. Blunt sent William R. Judson with 400 cavalry and two M1841 mountain howitzers up the Cove Creek Road. Judson's column got within 0.5 mi (0.8 km) of Prairie Grove and fired its howitzers for 30 minutes, but withdrew when confronted by superior forces.[41]

Wickersham's provisional cavalry brigade led Blunt's column as it hurried north on the Fayetteville Road. Believing that Rhea's Mill was his destination, Wickersham turned his brigade onto Bottom Road. By the time Blunt realized what had happened, his division was marching toward Rhea's Mill. Wickersham's mistake turned out to Blunt's advantage because it brought his division to the battlefield by the least obstructed route. By 1:00 pm Blunt's division reached Rhea's Mill where the soldiers rested. A half-hour later, Wickersham headed east on the Viney Grove Road toward Prairie Grove where the thunder of cannon was heard. Salomon's brigade stayed at Rhea's Mill guarding the wagon train. By 2:30 pm the infantry followed the cavalry. Since the countryside was flat, the different regiments spontaneously quit the road and set out cross-country at a rapid pace.[42]

Battle

 
Battle of Prairie Grove. North is down.

On December 7, the Confederate divisions of Shoup and Marmaduke aligned along the length of Prairie Grove.[43] Later that morning, Herron's Union division reached the field, and, not suspecting that he faced a substantial portion of the Confederate army, opened up an artillery bombardment.[44] Herron was soon joined by Huston's division.[45] Only about 3,500 men, half of the men of the two divisions, were fit to take the field after the grueling march to reach the battlefield.[46] After Herron and Huston had fully deployed their troops, Herron reopened the artillery barrage, which had paused earlier. The Confederate artillery attempted to respond, but their cannons were of inferior quality and lacked the range to properly respond.[46] In addition, the Confederates were also short of artillery ammunition. As a result, the Union gunners were able to wreak havoc in the Confederate line.[47]

Confident after watching the result of the artillery bombardment, Herron sent his two brigades, commanded by Colonel William W. Orme and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Bertram, towards the Confederate line near a farm owned by Archibald Borden.[48][49] Herron's troops made contact with the main Confederate line and the 20th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and the 19th Iowa Infantry Regiment overran a Confederate artillery battery.[50] However, a counterattack by elements from the brigades of James F. Fagan and Dandridge McRae (both of Shoup's Confederate division) drove off the Wisconsin unit, and brigade commander Bertram was wounded.[51] After the repulse of Bertram's attack, some of Orme's men joined in the fight, only to be driven off.[52] An abortive Confederate counterattack was then driven off by Herron's artillery.[49][53] The two Union regiments that were the hardest engaged—Bertram's 20th Wisconsin and Orme's 19th Iowa—both suffered losses of approximately fifty percent.[54]

 
The Borden Farm was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the day.

After the defeat of Herron's division, Huston deployed some of his men into the fray. The 26th Indiana attacked Marmaduke's Confederate cavalry, and were driven off by a force that included Shelby's brigade and Quantrill's Raiders.[55] Huston ordered the 37th Illinois to charge towards the Borden house, and the Illinois soldiers experienced initial success.[56] However, a Confederate counterattack drove the 37th Illinois back to the main Union line.[57][50] Fagan and Shelby led their men further on towards Herron's main line, and the two brigades were joined by a third under Emmett MacDonald. This attack was also defeated, as the combined fire of Herron's artillery and the survivors of Orme's brigade broke the Confederate assault.[58]

Wickersham's 1,600 Union cavalry reached the battlefield, followed at 3:15 pm by Blunt with his staff and escort. A messenger from Blunt soon alerted Herron that his division was coming. As the news spread, Herron's men gave a cheer.[59] Blunt opened fire on the Confederate army with 30 cannons.[1] Hindman responded by ordering Frost to use his division to counter Blunt. Frost, in turn, sent a brigade commanded by Mosby M. Parsons to the left of Shoup's position. A brigade of dismounted Texas cavalry from Roane's command was also sent to the front, forming to the left of Parsons' brigade.[60] Blunt's forces then prepared to attack the new Confederate left, strengthened by the addition of the 20th Iowa, one of Huston's Union regiments. The 20th Iowa and the First Indian Home Guard assaulted the Confederate line, only to be repulsed. The Confederates responded to the abortive Union assault with another counterattack, using several of McRae's brigade.[61]

Further down the line, Weer's Union brigade began advancing towards Parsons' line. In response, Parsons moved his brigade forward from his original position, creating a confused fight between the two armies' main lines.[62] Eventually, Parsons realized that his line was longer than Weer's, and pushed hard on both flanks of the Union position. Weer was forced to retreat, and Parsons began a counterattack.[63] This attack was driven off by Blunt's massed artillery.[50] As darkness fell, both sides gradually disengaged. While Hindman still held the field, he had no reinforcements and was running out of ammunition.[64] Meanwhile, the Union armies had been reinforced by trailing elements of Herron's command.[49] The Confederate army was forced to withdraw from the field, suffering many losses to desertion in the process.[1] While the fighting was inconclusive, the Confederate withdrawal gave the Union a strategic victory.[1][50]

Aftermath

 
Map of Prairie Grove Battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program

Union forces reported suffering 1,251 casualties, including 175 dead, 813 wounded, and 263 missing.[35] Confederate forces reported 1,317 casualties, including 164 dead, 817 wounded, and 336 missing.[35][65] The Encyclopedia of Arkansas gives slightly different casualty numbers: 175 killed, 808 wounded, and 250 missing for the Union and 204 killed, 872 wounded, and 407 missing for the Confederates.[50] These reported totals may be too low, as slightly wounded soldiers were not often counted. In addition, Confederate forces suffered from severe demoralization and lost many conscript soldiers during and after the campaign to desertion.[1][66] The Confederates were forced to leave many of their dead on the field, and had to pile the bodies into heaps and surround them with makeshift barriers to keep feral pigs from eating the corpses.[67] The retreat of the Confederate forces from the field gave Union forces control of northwestern Arkansas.[1]

On December 23, Blunt learned that Schofield was on his way to rejoin the army and take overall command. Blunt and Herron decided to attempt one last strike at Hindman's Confederate army before Schofield, who was concerned about the potential of Holmes reinforcing the Confederate's army, arrived.[68] Hindman had made his camp in the vicinity of Van Buren, Arkansas, and Blunt and Herron reached Van Buren on December 29. In the Battle of Van Buren, Blunt's Union forces drove off Hindman's Confederates in disarray, and the remains of the Confederate army left the area.[69][66]

Battlefield preservation

Some of the battlefield area is preserved in Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, ten miles from Fayetteville, Arkansas.[70] The state park contains over 900 acres (360 ha) of the battlefield.[71] The Civil War Trust, a division of the American Battlefield Trust, and its partners have acquired and preserved 351 acres (142 ha) of the battlefield.[72] The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[73]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Shea, p. 114 numbers the Confederate force at "roughly" 12,000; yet in the article that Shea wrote about the battle, in Heidler and Heidler, "Encyclopedia of The American Civil War", p. 1558, Shea states the number at 11,000; Josephy, p. 364 states number at "11,300 and 22 cannons"; Eicher, p 392 and Faust, p. 599 state the number at 11,000; Kennedy, p. 148 states c. 11,000; Christ, p. 36 states the number as "approximately" 9,000

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kennedy 1998, p. 143.
  2. ^ Christ 2010, pp. 20–22.
  3. ^ Shea & Hess 1992, pp. 307–308.
  4. ^ Shea & Hess 1992, p. 295.
  5. ^ Shea & Hess 1992, pp. 299–302.
  6. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 20–21.
  7. ^ Shea 2009, p. 29.
  8. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 71–72.
  9. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 72–73.
  10. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 4–9.
  11. ^ Christ 2010, p. 28.
  12. ^ Shea 2009, p. 12.
  13. ^ Kennedy 1998, p. 140.
  14. ^ Christ 2010, p. 44.
  15. ^ Christ 2010, p. 31.
  16. ^ a b c Eicher 2001, p. 392.
  17. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 22–29.
  18. ^ a b Christ 2010, p. 34.
  19. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 85–88.
  20. ^ Christ 2010, pp. 33–34.
  21. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 109–110.
  22. ^ Eicher 2001, p. 386.
  23. ^ Battles & Leaders 1987, p. 448.
  24. ^ Josephy 1991, p. 363.
  25. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 112–113.
  26. ^ Shea 2009, p. 114.
  27. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 114–115.
  28. ^ Shea 2009, p. 72.
  29. ^ Shea 2009, p. 128.
  30. ^ Shea 2009, p. 131.
  31. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 116–117.
  32. ^ a b Shea 2009, pp. 120–121.
  33. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 122–124.
  34. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 125–127.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g Eicher 2001, p. 393.
  36. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 141–142.
  37. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 137–142.
  38. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 148–150.
  39. ^ Shea 2009, p. 153.
  40. ^ Faust 1986, p. 599.
  41. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 201–206.
  42. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 207–210.
  43. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 150–152.
  44. ^ Christ 2010, pp. 34–35.
  45. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 155–158.
  46. ^ a b Shea 2000, p. 1558.
  47. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 158–162.
  48. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 164–167.
  49. ^ a b c Christ 2010, p. 35.
  50. ^ a b c d e Montgomery, Don (July 8, 2020). "Prairie Grove, Battle of". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  51. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 171–174.
  52. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 174–177.
  53. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 177–180.
  54. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 180–181.
  55. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 186–189.
  56. ^ Eicher 2001, p. 395.
  57. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 190–192.
  58. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 193–195.
  59. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 210–212.
  60. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 215–217.
  61. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 219–223.
  62. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 225–226.
  63. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 233–235.
  64. ^ Christ 2010, p. 35-36.
  65. ^ Battles & Leaders 1987, p. 459.
  66. ^ a b Christ 2010, p. 36.
  67. ^ Shea 2009, p. 244.
  68. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 268–269.
  69. ^ Shea 2009, pp. 270–281.
  70. ^ Shea 2000, p. 1559.
  71. ^ "Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park". Arkansas State Parks. from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  72. ^ "Land Saved – Prairie Grove". battlefields.org. American Battlefield Trust. from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  73. ^ "NRHP Inventory Form" (PDF). arkansaspreservation.com. United States Department of the Interior. (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2020.

Bibliography

  • Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Vol. 3. Secaucus, N.J.: Castle. 1987 [1883]. ISBN 0-89009-571-X. Original edition at the Internet Archive.
  • Christ, Mark K. (2010). Civil War Arkansas 1863. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-4087-2.
  • Eicher, David J. (2001). The Longest Night, A Military History of the Civil War. New York: Simon & Schuster Press. ISBN 978-0-684-84944-7.
  • Faust, Patricia L. (1986). Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 978-0-06-273116-6.
  • Kennedy, Frances H. (1998). The Civil War Battlefield Guide (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-74012-5.
  • Josephy, Alvin M., Jr. (1991). The Civil War in the American West. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN 978-0-394-56482-1.
  • Shea, William L. (2009). Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-3315-5.
  • Shea, William L. (2000). "Prairie Grove, Battle of". In Heidler, David S.; Heidler, Jeanne T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 1558–1559. ISBN 978-0-393-04758-5.
  • Shea, William L.; Hess, Earl J. (1992). Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-4669-4.

Further reading

  • Baxter, William. Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-55728-591-1.
  • Cozzens, Peter. "Hindman's Grand Delusion". Civil War Times Illustrated 39 (October 2000): pp. 28–35, 66–69.
  • Hatcher, Richard W., Earl J. Hess, William G. Piston, and William L. Shea. Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove: A Battlefield Guide, with a Section on Wire Road. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-8032-7366-5.
  • Monaghan, Jay (1955). Civil War on the Western Border: 1854–1865. New York: Bonanza Books.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battle of Prairie Grove.

February 27, 2023
battle, prairie, grove, historic, site, prairie, grove, battlefield, state, park, part, trans, mississippi, theater, theamerican, civil, wardatedecember, 1862, years, 1862, locationwashington, county, arkansas35, 983111, 310667, 983111, 310667, coordinates, 98. For the historic site see Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park Battle of Prairie GrovePart of the Trans Mississippi Theater of theAmerican Civil WarDateDecember 7 1862 160 years ago 1862 12 07 LocationWashington County Arkansas35 58 59 2 N 94 18 38 4 W 35 983111 N 94 310667 W 35 983111 94 310667 Coordinates 35 58 59 2 N 94 18 38 4 W 35 983111 N 94 310667 W 35 983111 94 310667ResultUnion strategic victoryBelligerents United States Union Confederate StatesCommanders and leadersJames G Blunt Francis J HerronThomas C HindmanUnits involvedArmy of the Frontier1st Corps Trans Mississippi ArmyStrengthc 9 000 1 c 11 000 1 Casualties and losses1 203 or 1 2511 317 or 1 483Prairie Groveclass notpageimage Location of Prairie Grove in Arkansas The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7 1862 While tactically indecisive the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas A division of Union troops in the Army of the Frontier commanded by James G Blunt was posted in northwestern Arkansas after winning the Battle of Cane Hill on November 28 The 1st Corps Trans Mississippi Army commanded by Thomas C Hindman moved towards Blunt s division in order to attack while it was isolated However Blunt was reinforced by two divisions commanded by Francis J Herron leading Hindman to take a defensive position on some high ground known as Prairie Grove Herron attempted to assault Hindman s lines twice but both attacks were beaten off with heavy casualties Hindman responded to the repulse of each of Herron s attacks with unsuccessful counterattacks of his own Later in the day Blunt arrived and attacked Hindman s flank Eventually both sides disengaged and the fighting reached an inconclusive result However the unavailability of reinforcements forced Hindman s army to retreat from the field giving the Union army a strategic victory and control of northwestern Arkansas Union forces reported suffering 1 251 casualties including 175 dead Confederate forces reported 1 317 casualties between 164 and 204 dead Confederate forces suffered from severe demoralization and many conscripts deserted The Confederates had to leave many of their dead on the field in piles and surrounded with makeshift barriers to keep feral pigs from eating the corpses Today a portion of the battlefield is preserved within Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park Contents 1 Background 2 Opposing forces 2 1 Union 2 2 Confederate 3 Maneuvering to battle 3 1 Hindman s offensive 3 2 Hindman s new plan 3 3 Morning clashes 3 4 Blunt s march 4 Battle 5 Aftermath 5 1 Battlefield preservation 6 References 6 1 Notes 6 2 Citations 6 3 Bibliography 7 Further reading 8 External linksBackground EditIn March 1862 a Confederate army under the command of Earl Van Dorn engaged a Union army led by Samuel Ryan Curtis at the Battle of Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas Curtis army soundly defeated Van Dorn s 2 After being defeated at Pea Ridge Van Dorn and a substantial portion of his army were reassigned across the Mississippi River effectively ending Confederate control of the region 3 Following Pea Ridge Curtis drove further into Arkansas and planned to attack Memphis but was ordered by Henry Halleck to send half of his force to Cape Girardeau for transfer to Tennessee Curtis complied and was forced to abandon his plan instead heading towards Little Rock Arkansas 4 After a defeat in a small action near Searcy Curtis decided that his supply line was vulnerable and fell back eventually reaching Helena 5 In September Curtis was assigned to command the Department of the Missouri replacing its previous commander John M Schofield 6 Curtis later formed the Army of the Frontier and appointed Schofield to command the new army on October 12 7 However on November 20 Schofield was forced to give up command of the army due to medical issues and command passed to Brigadier General James G Blunt 8 At the time of Schofield s relinquishment of command Blunt s division was in Arkansas while the rest of the Army of the Frontier was stationed near Wilson s Creek in Missouri where a battle had been fought the year before 9 The Confederate commander in the region Thomas C Hindman had previously commanded the Trans Mississippi Department but his firm control of the region led to protests from prominent Arkansas civilians leading Jefferson Davis President of the Confederate States to relieve Hindman of command and replace him with Theophilus Holmes 10 11 On August 21 Holmes tasked Hindman with producing an organized army from the Confederate units in the Arkansas region and moving to regain control of Missouri for the Confederacy 12 In October Blunt s force made an incursion into Arkansas and Hindman sent 2 000 men under Marmaduke s command to intercept Blunt and prevent him from joining the main Union force near Springfield Missouri Marmaduke gathered at Cane Hill a ridge near the Boston Mountains In response Blunt marched his troops 35 miles 56 km in two days meeting Marmaduke s force near Canehill Arkansas In the ensuing Battle of Cane Hill which took place on November 28 Blunt s 5 000 men defeated Marmaduke s 2 000 in a nine hour battle 13 14 Opposing forces EditUnion Edit Brigadier GeneralJames G Blunt Brigadier GeneralFrancis J Herron Further information Prairie Grove Union order of battle At the beginning of the Prairie Grove campaign the Union Army of the Frontier was commanded by Schofield 15 Schofield s army was divided into three divisions commanded by Blunt James Totten and Herron 16 Blunt s division was known as the Kansas Division as many of the soldiers in the division were from Kansas The division also contained sizable numbers of African American and Native American soldiers which made Blunt s division unique among Union units in 1862 Totten s and Herron s divisions were both known as Missouri Division and contained men from Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin and Indiana The division also contained a regiment of Arkansas cavalrymen who had remained loyal to the Union despite the secession of Arkansas 17 Confederate Edit Major GeneralThomas C Hindman Further information Prairie Grove Confederate order of battle The Confederate army present at Prairie Grove was the 1st Corps Trans Mississippi Army commanded by Hindman 18 Hindman s command was formed of four divisions one of cavalry two of infantry and a mixed reserve division 16 The cavalry division consisted of men from Arkansas Texas and Confederate Missouri and was commanded by Marmaduke Marmaduke s division was poorly armed Of the army s two infantry divisions one was commanded by Daniel M Frost and the other by Francis Shoup Shoup s division consisted of Arkansas infantrymen while Frost s division was mostly Missourians although some Arkansas troops were included The reserve division was commanded by John S Roane and was poorly equipped organized and led Holmes stated that Roane was useless as a commander Of Hindman and his division commanders all had previous military experience In particular Hindman Frost and Roane had all seen action in the Mexican War 19 Maneuvering to battle EditHindman s offensive Edit Battle of Prairie Grove December 7 1862 Dawn Hindman s flank march 4 00 pm Blunt arrives on the field After the Battle of Cane Hill Hindman decided to send his entire army towards Cane Hill in order to assault Blunt 20 If all went according to Hindman s plan he would be able to assault Blunt s position from both the front and along both flanks 21 At this time Union forces menaced the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg Mississippi 22 On November 11 the Confederate government ordered Holmes to send 10 000 troops to reinforce Vicksburg Holmes replied that two thirds of his troops were in northwest Arkansas to oppose a Federal threat Even so he ordered Hindman to bring his troops to Little Rock 23 24 Holmes tried to dissuade Hindman from his plan to attack Blunt and the two generals engaged in an argument over the telegraph Hindman had a forceful personality and won the argument with Holmes 25 By December 1 Hindman had gathered between 11 000 and 12 000 troops near Van Buren note 1 The Confederate infantry and artillery moved out of their camps on December 3 26 Blunt s intelligence services alerted him to Hindman s preparations by the evening of December 2 a courier immediately set out for the telegraph station at Elkhorn Tavern The messages included a situation report for Curtis in St Louis and an urgent request for Totten to send reinforcements Blunt prepared to defend himself by posting William Weer s 2nd Brigade and William F Cloud s 3rd Brigade on high ground south of Newburg with elements of Frederick Salomon s 1st Brigade watching Hogeye Road A cavalry outpost was set up on Cove Creek Road to watch for Hindman s advance Every morning from December 3 to 6 Blunt had his troops on the alert with wagons packed and ready to move quickly 27 On November 27 Curtis ordered Totten back to St Louis to be a witness at a court martial The unpopular Totten s departure pleased his soldiers and Daniel Huston Jr assumed command of the 2nd Division 28 Within a few hours of receiving Blunt s telegraphed call for help on the morning of December 4 Herron started the 2nd and 3rd divisions on an epic of human endurance 18 From the afternoon of December 3 to the morning of December 7 Huston s and Herron s divisions marched 105 and 120 mi 169 and 193 km respectively Herron s two divisions averaged 30 mi 48 km per day over rough roads in intensely cold weather with short stops to eat and sleep 29 In the early hours of December 6 Herron received a message from Blunt asking for cavalry Herron promptly dispatched Dudley Wickersham with a 1 600 man provisional cavalry brigade which reached Blunt at 9 00 pm that same day after a 35 mi 56 km march 30 Hindman s new plan Edit On December 5 Joseph O Shelby s 1 200 man Confederate cavalry brigade began pressing back the 400 troopers of the 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment that guarded the Cove Creek Road Blunt knew that if Hindman continued to use Cove Creek Road it would be easy for him to cut off the Confederate retreat route Blunt assumed correctly that Hindman intended to turn to the west and approach Newburg However Hindman s plan would change 31 The bad weather slowed down the march of Hindman s soldiers so he postponed his planned attack until December 7 He believed that the nearest Union forces were near Springfield but what he did not know was that Blunt anticipated the Confederate offensive and that Union reinforcements were approaching 32 On December 6 near mid day the 2nd Kansas Cavalry abandoned its blocking position on Cove Creek Road and withdrew northwest toward Newburg 32 That afternoon James C Monroe s Confederate cavalry brigade supported by other units skirmished with the 2nd Kansas Cavalry on Reed s Mountain By nightfall Monroe s troopers occupied that terrain feature on the road to Newburg 33 That evening Hindman and his commanders received startling intelligence that Herron s two divisions would reach Blunt the following day Hindman realized that attacking Blunt at Newburg would simply push him back toward Herron s reinforcements The Confederate commander knew that marching back to Van Buren would demoralize his soldiers so he changed his plan Hindman s new plan called for the army to march north on Cove Creek Road to Prairie Grove At that location he would first crush Herron s force then swing around and smash Blunt 16 The risk was that Hindman might be caught between the two Union forces if Blunt found out what was happening At 4 00 am on December 7 the Confederate army began to march north along Cove Creek Road 34 Shelby s cavalry brigade was in the lead 35 Morning clashes Edit Early on December 7 Marmaduke s 2 000 cavalrymen reached Prairie Grove and discovered 650 Union troopers of the 6th Missouri and 7th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry regiments nearby Helped by the fact that many Confederates wore captured blue uniforms Shelby s troopers surprised and routed their opponents especially the 7th Missouri 35 The Union 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment soon appeared on the Fayetteville Road and was also routed when the Missourians fled through their ranks and Shelby s Confederates charged into them as was the 6th Missouri and 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment Union 35 The Confederate pursuit continued east past the Illinois River but ended when it encountered the leading elements of Herron s main column Shelby was briefly captured then rescued during a melee with the 1st Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 36 During the early morning action Marmaduke s horsemen inflicted casualties of 10 killed 19 wounded and 262 captured on the Union cavalry and seized 21 wagons Herron s approaching infantry ignored the panicked Union horsemen and its bold front convinced Marmaduke to pull back to the west side of the river 37 By the time Frost s 6 300 strong division reached Prairie Grove Hindman had lost his nerve and set up a defensive line 35 The Confederate commander might have attacked Herron at once with Frost s powerful division 35 Fearing that Blunt might intervene Hindman ordered Frost to face southwest and block the Fayetteville Road While Hindman waited for Shoup s Arkansas division Herron had time to push Marmaduke out of his way and reach the Illinois River When Shoup s 3 200 soldiers arrived at 10 00 am Shoup assumed a defensive position on the high ground at Prairie Grove 38 After directing the deployment of Frost s troops Hindman returned to Prairie Grove He scolded Shoup for not attacking Herron but allowed the Arkansas soldiers to remain in position 39 Blunt s march Edit When Hindman s army started north on Cove Creek Road Monroe s 400 Confederate horsemen were left at Reed s Mountain to deceive Blunt while Hindman s main force proceeded against Herron 40 In the early morning a Union officer detected Hindman s column marching along the Cove Creek Road This information was reported to Union headquarters but Blunt was not there and the critical message was not forwarded for two hours At about 9 00 am Blunt was at Newburg expecting to be attacked when he finally realized that Hindman s army was no longer there By 10 00 am Blunt had gotten his division marching north on Fayetteville Road Blunt sent William R Judson with 400 cavalry and two M1841 mountain howitzers up the Cove Creek Road Judson s column got within 0 5 mi 0 8 km of Prairie Grove and fired its howitzers for 30 minutes but withdrew when confronted by superior forces 41 Wickersham s provisional cavalry brigade led Blunt s column as it hurried north on the Fayetteville Road Believing that Rhea s Mill was his destination Wickersham turned his brigade onto Bottom Road By the time Blunt realized what had happened his division was marching toward Rhea s Mill Wickersham s mistake turned out to Blunt s advantage because it brought his division to the battlefield by the least obstructed route By 1 00 pm Blunt s division reached Rhea s Mill where the soldiers rested A half hour later Wickersham headed east on the Viney Grove Road toward Prairie Grove where the thunder of cannon was heard Salomon s brigade stayed at Rhea s Mill guarding the wagon train By 2 30 pm the infantry followed the cavalry Since the countryside was flat the different regiments spontaneously quit the road and set out cross country at a rapid pace 42 Battle Edit Battle of Prairie Grove North is down On December 7 the Confederate divisions of Shoup and Marmaduke aligned along the length of Prairie Grove 43 Later that morning Herron s Union division reached the field and not suspecting that he faced a substantial portion of the Confederate army opened up an artillery bombardment 44 Herron was soon joined by Huston s division 45 Only about 3 500 men half of the men of the two divisions were fit to take the field after the grueling march to reach the battlefield 46 After Herron and Huston had fully deployed their troops Herron reopened the artillery barrage which had paused earlier The Confederate artillery attempted to respond but their cannons were of inferior quality and lacked the range to properly respond 46 In addition the Confederates were also short of artillery ammunition As a result the Union gunners were able to wreak havoc in the Confederate line 47 Confident after watching the result of the artillery bombardment Herron sent his two brigades commanded by Colonel William W Orme and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Bertram towards the Confederate line near a farm owned by Archibald Borden 48 49 Herron s troops made contact with the main Confederate line and the 20th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and the 19th Iowa Infantry Regiment overran a Confederate artillery battery 50 However a counterattack by elements from the brigades of James F Fagan and Dandridge McRae both of Shoup s Confederate division drove off the Wisconsin unit and brigade commander Bertram was wounded 51 After the repulse of Bertram s attack some of Orme s men joined in the fight only to be driven off 52 An abortive Confederate counterattack was then driven off by Herron s artillery 49 53 The two Union regiments that were the hardest engaged Bertram s 20th Wisconsin and Orme s 19th Iowa both suffered losses of approximately fifty percent 54 The Borden Farm was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the day After the defeat of Herron s division Huston deployed some of his men into the fray The 26th Indiana attacked Marmaduke s Confederate cavalry and were driven off by a force that included Shelby s brigade and Quantrill s Raiders 55 Huston ordered the 37th Illinois to charge towards the Borden house and the Illinois soldiers experienced initial success 56 However a Confederate counterattack drove the 37th Illinois back to the main Union line 57 50 Fagan and Shelby led their men further on towards Herron s main line and the two brigades were joined by a third under Emmett MacDonald This attack was also defeated as the combined fire of Herron s artillery and the survivors of Orme s brigade broke the Confederate assault 58 Wickersham s 1 600 Union cavalry reached the battlefield followed at 3 15 pm by Blunt with his staff and escort A messenger from Blunt soon alerted Herron that his division was coming As the news spread Herron s men gave a cheer 59 Blunt opened fire on the Confederate army with 30 cannons 1 Hindman responded by ordering Frost to use his division to counter Blunt Frost in turn sent a brigade commanded by Mosby M Parsons to the left of Shoup s position A brigade of dismounted Texas cavalry from Roane s command was also sent to the front forming to the left of Parsons brigade 60 Blunt s forces then prepared to attack the new Confederate left strengthened by the addition of the 20th Iowa one of Huston s Union regiments The 20th Iowa and the First Indian Home Guard assaulted the Confederate line only to be repulsed The Confederates responded to the abortive Union assault with another counterattack using several of McRae s brigade 61 Further down the line Weer s Union brigade began advancing towards Parsons line In response Parsons moved his brigade forward from his original position creating a confused fight between the two armies main lines 62 Eventually Parsons realized that his line was longer than Weer s and pushed hard on both flanks of the Union position Weer was forced to retreat and Parsons began a counterattack 63 This attack was driven off by Blunt s massed artillery 50 As darkness fell both sides gradually disengaged While Hindman still held the field he had no reinforcements and was running out of ammunition 64 Meanwhile the Union armies had been reinforced by trailing elements of Herron s command 49 The Confederate army was forced to withdraw from the field suffering many losses to desertion in the process 1 While the fighting was inconclusive the Confederate withdrawal gave the Union a strategic victory 1 50 Aftermath Edit Map of Prairie Grove Battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program Union forces reported suffering 1 251 casualties including 175 dead 813 wounded and 263 missing 35 Confederate forces reported 1 317 casualties including 164 dead 817 wounded and 336 missing 35 65 The Encyclopedia of Arkansas gives slightly different casualty numbers 175 killed 808 wounded and 250 missing for the Union and 204 killed 872 wounded and 407 missing for the Confederates 50 These reported totals may be too low as slightly wounded soldiers were not often counted In addition Confederate forces suffered from severe demoralization and lost many conscript soldiers during and after the campaign to desertion 1 66 The Confederates were forced to leave many of their dead on the field and had to pile the bodies into heaps and surround them with makeshift barriers to keep feral pigs from eating the corpses 67 The retreat of the Confederate forces from the field gave Union forces control of northwestern Arkansas 1 On December 23 Blunt learned that Schofield was on his way to rejoin the army and take overall command Blunt and Herron decided to attempt one last strike at Hindman s Confederate army before Schofield who was concerned about the potential of Holmes reinforcing the Confederate s army arrived 68 Hindman had made his camp in the vicinity of Van Buren Arkansas and Blunt and Herron reached Van Buren on December 29 In the Battle of Van Buren Blunt s Union forces drove off Hindman s Confederates in disarray and the remains of the Confederate army left the area 69 66 Battlefield preservation Edit Some of the battlefield area is preserved in Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park ten miles from Fayetteville Arkansas 70 The state park contains over 900 acres 360 ha of the battlefield 71 The Civil War Trust a division of the American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved 351 acres 142 ha of the battlefield 72 The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 73 References EditNotes Edit Shea p 114 numbers the Confederate force at roughly 12 000 yet in the article that Shea wrote about the battle in Heidler and Heidler Encyclopedia of The American Civil War p 1558 Shea states the number at 11 000 Josephy p 364 states number at 11 300 and 22 cannons Eicher p 392 and Faust p 599 state the number at 11 000 Kennedy p 148 states c 11 000 Christ p 36 states the number as approximately 9 000 Citations Edit a b c d e f g Kennedy 1998 p 143 Christ 2010 pp 20 22 Shea amp Hess 1992 pp 307 308 Shea amp Hess 1992 p 295 Shea amp Hess 1992 pp 299 302 Shea 2009 pp 20 21 Shea 2009 p 29 Shea 2009 pp 71 72 Shea 2009 pp 72 73 Shea 2009 pp 4 9 Christ 2010 p 28 Shea 2009 p 12 Kennedy 1998 p 140 Christ 2010 p 44 Christ 2010 p 31 a b c Eicher 2001 p 392 Shea 2009 pp 22 29 a b Christ 2010 p 34 Shea 2009 pp 85 88 Christ 2010 pp 33 34 Shea 2009 pp 109 110 Eicher 2001 p 386 Battles amp Leaders 1987 p 448 Josephy 1991 p 363 Shea 2009 pp 112 113 Shea 2009 p 114 Shea 2009 pp 114 115 Shea 2009 p 72 Shea 2009 p 128 Shea 2009 p 131 Shea 2009 pp 116 117 a b Shea 2009 pp 120 121 Shea 2009 pp 122 124 Shea 2009 pp 125 127 a b c d e f g Eicher 2001 p 393 Shea 2009 pp 141 142 Shea 2009 pp 137 142 Shea 2009 pp 148 150 Shea 2009 p 153 Faust 1986 p 599 Shea 2009 pp 201 206 Shea 2009 pp 207 210 Shea 2009 pp 150 152 Christ 2010 pp 34 35 Shea 2009 pp 155 158 a b Shea 2000 p 1558 Shea 2009 pp 158 162 Shea 2009 pp 164 167 a b c Christ 2010 p 35 a b c d e Montgomery Don July 8 2020 Prairie Grove Battle of Encyclopedia of Arkansas Retrieved June 2 2021 Shea 2009 pp 171 174 Shea 2009 pp 174 177 Shea 2009 pp 177 180 Shea 2009 pp 180 181 Shea 2009 pp 186 189 Eicher 2001 p 395 Shea 2009 pp 190 192 Shea 2009 pp 193 195 Shea 2009 pp 210 212 Shea 2009 pp 215 217 Shea 2009 pp 219 223 Shea 2009 pp 225 226 Shea 2009 pp 233 235 Christ 2010 p 35 36 Battles amp Leaders 1987 p 459 a b Christ 2010 p 36 Shea 2009 p 244 Shea 2009 pp 268 269 Shea 2009 pp 270 281 Shea 2000 p 1559 Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park Arkansas State Parks Archived from the original on February 5 2020 Retrieved April 2 2020 Land Saved Prairie Grove battlefields org American Battlefield Trust Archived from the original on May 25 2019 Retrieved March 18 2020 NRHP Inventory Form PDF arkansaspreservation com United States Department of the Interior Archived PDF from the original on December 27 2019 Retrieved April 2 2020 Bibliography Edit Battles and Leaders of the Civil War Vol 3 Secaucus N J Castle 1987 1883 ISBN 0 89009 571 X Original edition at the Internet Archive Christ Mark K 2010 Civil War Arkansas 1863 Norman University of Oklahoma Press ISBN 978 0 8061 4087 2 Eicher David J 2001 The Longest Night A Military History of the Civil War New York Simon amp Schuster Press ISBN 978 0 684 84944 7 Faust Patricia L 1986 Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War New York Harper amp Row ISBN 978 0 06 273116 6 Kennedy Frances H 1998 The Civil War Battlefield Guide 2nd ed Boston New York Houghton Mifflin ISBN 978 0 395 74012 5 Josephy Alvin M Jr 1991 The Civil War in the American West New York Alfred A Knopf Inc ISBN 978 0 394 56482 1 Shea William L 2009 Fields of Blood The Prairie Grove Campaign Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press ISBN 978 0 8078 3315 5 Shea William L 2000 Prairie Grove Battle of In Heidler David S Heidler Jeanne T eds Encyclopedia of the American Civil War A Political Social and Military History New York W W Norton amp Company pp 1558 1559 ISBN 978 0 393 04758 5 Shea William L Hess Earl J 1992 Pea Ridge Civil War Campaign in the West Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press ISBN 0 8078 4669 4 Further reading EditBaxter William Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove Fayetteville University of Arkansas Press 2000 ISBN 978 1 55728 591 1 Cozzens Peter Hindman s Grand Delusion Civil War Times Illustrated 39 October 2000 pp 28 35 66 69 Hatcher Richard W Earl J Hess William G Piston and William L Shea Wilson s Creek Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove A Battlefield Guide with a Section on Wire Road Lincoln University of Nebraska Press 2006 ISBN 978 0 8032 7366 5 Monaghan Jay 1955 Civil War on the Western Border 1854 1865 New York Bonanza Books External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battle of Prairie Grove Battle of Prairie Grove at the Springfield Greene County Library District Battle of Prairie Grove at the Historical Marker Database Portals American Civil War Arkansas Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Battle of Prairie Grove amp oldid 1138914678, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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