why was the battle of prairie grove important

Carroll had about 400 men (less than one quarter of his brigade's strength on paper), and two mountain howitzers, which were positioned on the Confederate right. FAQ He sent forward the 2nd Kansas Cavalry Regiment and an artillery battery associated with the regiment that was armed with two mountain howitzers. Carroll ordered his men to form a line and then fire a single volley at the advancing Federal troops before withdrawing. The fight occurred when Union Army troops marched through Confederate-held lands. He decided to push a cavalry force into the Cane Hill[15] (which was also known as Boonsboro)[16] area to distract Blunt, and then move the rest of his force into the rear of Blunt's force and defeat the Federal division before reinforcements from Springfield could arrive. 6th Kansas Cavalry: Col William R. Judson 180 men. HINDMAN had fully four miles the start with the front of his column, his men enthusiastic with the prospect of gaining our rear and cutting off our trains of over 200 wagons and a fresh supply of commissary stores. J.H. Atkinson article on Civil War Battle of Prairie D' Ane, undated Federal troops under Brigadier General James G. Blunt had entered northwestern Arkansas, and Major General Thomas Hindman of the Confederate Army sent a force under Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke to Cane Hill to collect supplies, in the opening stages of a campaign in which Hindman hoped to catch Blunt's command while it was isolated from the rest of the Federal Army of the Frontier, which was near Springfield, Missouri. Death has reaped a terrible harvest to-day. The Confederates under MajorGeneral Thomas C. Hindman attempted to prevent this change of supply base by continually skirmishing with the Union troops. Prairie Grove, Battle of - Encyclopedia of Arkansas The enemy fought with desperation. The regional map was then combined with a more detailed map of the immediate battlefield area supplied by Arkansas State Parks (shown below). Saint Charles June 17, 1862 As part of the Operations on White River, the USS Mound City, St. Louis, Lexington, Conestoga, and transports proceeded up White River on the morning of June 17. Union boats began landing troops near Arkansas Post on the evening of January 9, 1863. Major General John McClernand, therefore, undertook a combined force movement on Arkansas Post to capture it. The whole night was occupied in this work. The Confederates reached Van Buren on 10 December, demoralized, footsore, and ragged. [25] Leaving on November 27 with 5,000 men,[24] Blunt's force reached Rhea's Mill the next morning;[28] Rhea's Mill was only 7 miles (11km) from Cane Hill. In late 1862 Confederate forces had withdrawn from southwest Missouri and were wintering in the wheat-rich and milder climate of northwest Arkansas. [22] Wanting to stop the Confederates' supply-gathering in the Cane Hill area and believing himself abandoned by Schofield, Blunt decided to go on the offensive. After Reconstruction, Arkansas was officially readmitted to the Union in 1868. This document discusses the process of creating all of the elements of the 3D battlefield landscape including the terrain, vegetation, homes, and more. Cloud had arrived on the scene with parts or all of three artillery batteries, as well as portions of the 3rd Indian Home Guard and the 11th Kansas Infantry. The Confederates made a stand at Reed's Mountain, but were forced to withdraw. Atkinson article on Civil War Battle of Prairie D' Ane, undated. Several software packages were used in creating the 3D visualizations of the Prairie Grove battlefield. Return of the Armies: The Battle of Prairie Grove The parcel maps were scanned by Tom Maringer and made public in 1998. D. Confederates were able to disable Union ships. In addition to the homes themselves, each homestead typically included an orchard, garden, woodpile, barn, springhouse, smokehouse, chicken coop, corncrib and assortment of sheds, workshops, and fences. (Fields of Blood, 146). This movement was probably initiated by Colonel Thomas Ewing and the 11th Kansas Infantry. Blunt's division slammed into the surprised Confederates and drove them back onto the hill. Come, all ye sons of Iowa, Come listen to my song. Instantly our (BLUNT's) guns were unlimbered, and two full batteries belched forth shell and shot into the enemy's left. Blunt brought up artillery, including four mountain howitzers that fired on the Confederate lines at very short range. See the article in its original context from. | Union forces controlled Indian Territory north of the Arkansas River following this battle. They turned up the foot of the bed and . [43] On the other side of town were 200 Confederate soldiers commanded by MacDonald, but they too were forced to withdraw. Publication date 1910 Topics Prairie Grove, Battle of, Ark., 1862 Publisher [n. p. Collection library_of_congress; americana Digitizing sponsor Sloan Foundation Contributor The Library of Congress Language English. Clark answered that there would be no surrender. They rallied and attempted to charge the batteries, many of them almost reaching the mouths of the cannon; but another volley of canister sent them howling to the wilderness, and closed their fire. | Final renderings of Hugh Rogers and William Rogers homes can be seen below: Little is known about the Thompson and West homes. After about half an hour of fighting on the mountain, visibility became very poor due to smoke. [49] Not long after the artillery duel opened, the Confederate forces withdrew,[50] moving down the Van Buren Road. Governor Dale Bumpers signed the legislation creating Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in 1971, which allowed state funding for the staffing needs as well as other projects. Blunt continued to pursue, and several miles south of the William Morrow house, Confederate troops led by Colonel Charles A. Carroll laid an ambush for Blunt's leading elements. HERRON's forces fought like tigers, but the enemy were overwhelming them with numbers, and they already began to falter. 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. Running short of ammunition, Van Dorn abandoned the battlefield. Rights. One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Washington County, AR | Dec 7, 1862 Nine months after their victory at Pea Ridge, the Union Army of the Frontier in the area was geographically divided. Newburg. A. Hopkins's Kansas Battery arrived and was deployed to the rear, with the 2nd Kansas Cavalry in support. 1st Brigade. It was common practice in the mid-19th century throughout the Midwest to leave corn stalks standing in a field throughout winter. [20] On November 23, Federal reports credited the Confederates at Cane Hill with over 8,000 men,[21] while Blunt had about 6,000 men with him. Afraid that Blunt would be able to attack his rear, and facing Herron to the north, Hindman chose instead to set up a defensive position atop a line of low hills near Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Victory at Prairie Grove a few weeks later solidified Union control of the region. Arkansas State Archives Plowed fields were shown with alternating rows of plowed dirt. [26][27] Furthermore, most of the Confederate cannons were obsolescent. When Abraham Lincoln, the newly inaugurated President of the United States, called for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion, this proved the catalyst for the southern state of Arkansas to secede and join the Confederacy. By recreating the historic battlefield landscape in 3D we have illustrated how similar the historic landscape is to the modern landscape. Shea, William L. Thunder in the Ozarks: The Battle of Prairie Grove. North & South June 2006: 12-23. A museum, home tours and interactive maps are also available. The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies has collaborated with state agencies to recreate the setting of the battle using historic documents and maps. Advanced Search Then the Confederates moved in on the Union rear and front, causing a rout. //]]> This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The Confederates counterattacked, were halted by Union canister, and then moved forward again. Regrouping, the Union forces, with the help of artillery, advanced again and forced the Confederates to retire in disorder to Waldron. Hindman placed his large force between the two Union divisions, turning on Herron first and routing his cavalry. Mosby M. Parsons' Rebel brigade swept across the farm fields of prairie toward Blunt's artillery. Logistics was difficult in the Ozark Mountains and played a major role in the operation and timing of campaigns in the region. 22, pt. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. The Union lost 198 wagons and all the corn. They were headed to Saint Charles, attempting to resupply Major General Samuel R. Curtiss army near Jacksonport. The fight for Reed's Mountain had lasted about an hour and a half. On the Federal side, six cannons from the 2nd Indiana Battery. Special events at the park include a December reenactment of the battle, with a two-day schedule of activities; a yearly Memorial Day tribute; and the Prairie Grove Clothesline Fair over Labor Day weekend. [47], Marmaduke had formed a line near Newburg that Blunt considered to be a strong one. Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540, European Exploration and Settlement, 1541 through 1802, Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood, 1803 through 1860, Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861 through 1874, Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900, Early Twentieth Century, 1901 through 1940, World War II through the Faubus Era, 1941 through 1967, Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 19682022, http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/prairiegrovebattlefield/default.aspx, http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/National-Register-Listings/PDF/WA0452.nr.pdf. Located just seven miles south- west of modern Prairie Grove, the settlement was the location of a mill, farms and Cane Hill College, one of the state's most important early educational institutions. All Rights Reserved. Blunt held the field after the battle, and had driven Marmaduke from the area, while the Confederates had escaped with their supply train and drawn Blunt further south:[72] Blunt's Federals were now much closer to the main Confederate force than to their reinforcements. A noble victary had been won, and HINDMAN had been outgeneraled. In the game, Gen. Hindman must defeat Union General Francis Herron's Army before General Blunt's Army can . Our officers were brave leaders; They led us with good will. [18], Marmaduke's cavalry remained in the general area, raiding mills and collecting supplies. Arkansas was a Confederate state during the Civil War, though it had initially voted to remain in the Union. The Battle of Fayetteville took place in the heart of the downtown area of the Arkansas city. Battle of Prairie Grove - Prairie Grove, Arkansas Although most of Marmadukes raiders crossed the St. Francis River, they suffered heavy casualties and ended the expedition. BATTLE OF PRAIRIE GROVE Sung by: PRAIRIE GROVE. On December 6, Hindman learned of Herron's approach, and decided to confront Herron first instead of Blunt. Learning of Van Dorns approach, the Federals marched north to meet his advance on March 7. The result is the numerous images of the historic landscape and structures of 1862 found throughout this website. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. [7][8] On May 31, Major General Thomas C. Hindman took command of Confederate forces in Arkansas, Missouri, and the Indian Territory. [51] However, Scott and Burgess state that the wagons would already have been safe by that point, and that Marmaduke was instead trying to create an opportunity for Hindman to advance with the main Confederate force and attack Blunt. From these maps, a regional map was clipped and created centered on the Prairie Grove area (11.5 miles by 9 miles). B. | The Federal commander decided to attack, and the men he had with him, who were joined by the 11th Kansas Infantry not long after, advanced against the Confederate line. Skirmishing continued throughout the afternoon of April 11, forcing Steele to divert the line of march forces away from Shreveport toward Camden. ABOUT YOUR TOUR This self-guided drive gives an overview of the Prairie Grove Battlefield. J.H. Union Major. Recommended Reading: Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign (Civil War America ) (Hardcover). The following Confederate attack, however, was stopped. While Blunt did not order the maneuver he quickly endorsed it even chastising a regimental commander for not showing enough initiative when he failed to follow the unorthodox procedure. The Rebels eventually attacked Williams in the front and rear, forcing him to retreat north into a marsh where his men regrouped and fell back to Camden. Carroll's men began to panic, and the Confederate retreat became more disorganized; Carroll later referred to the conduct of his own soldiers as "disgraceful". // Blunt's forces fought somewhat sporadically until being recalled off the ridge. Curtis was able to change his supply base, but Hindman, despite suffering defeat at Hills Plantation, remained between Curtis and Little Rock, his objective. Arkansas State Archives Bowden, Bill. The Union vanguard encountered Colonel Joe Shelbys brigade, which fought a delaying action to protect their supply trains. Print. As the infantry moved slower than the cavalry, it was causing a delay. The booming of every gun seemed to add strength and speed to man and beast. THE BATTLE AT PRAIRIE GROVE, ARK. - The New York Times Print. Even during the Great Depression, the reunions continued with the last surviving Confederate veterans in the area attending the August, 1938, event. Since the battle of "Kane Hill" the forces of Gen. BLUNT have been occupying a radios of country of some sixteen miles, comprising Dutch Town Mills, Boonsboro, or Kane Hill and Ray's Mills, the great wheat and corn district of Arkansas, Gen. SALOMON's brigade occupied Ray's Mills; the other two brigades Dutch Town and Boonsboro. Guides and finding aids Blunt, disturbed by his precarious position, telegraphed Herron and ordered him to march immediately to his support from Springfield. Hindman maintained a field command of Arkansas troops and, becoming aware of the Union Army's precarious tactical position, convinced his replacement to allow him to mount an expedition into northwest Arkansas. Bledsoe's second gun was repositioned, and two cannons from Shoup's Arkansas Battery were advanced to the front. [44] The two Confederate cannons were able to temporarily slow the Federal advance, but fire from Hopkins's battery caused the Confederate cannoneers to withdraw. Battle of Prairie Grove Active efforts are underway to acquire additional land for the park and preserve its integrity. The battle was actually named after the Prairie Grove Church, which was used as a hospital after the battle. > Just when it looked as if the Rebel attack would roll up Herron's troops, Blunt's men assailed the Confederate left flank. Arkansas Civil War Battles - Legends of America The house was rebuilt by Archibald Borden several years later and is reported by Caldonia Ann Borden to have closely resembled the original. The rebuilt home is still located at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park today and was the basis for the 3D model of the Borden home. Battle of Cane Hill - Canehill, Arkansas - ExploreSouthernHistory.com Flags of truce were sent from both lines to pick up the wounded. Cabells forces ambushed approaching Union troops and momentarily halted their advance. The Union troops assaulted twice and were repulsed. One of the pictures compared with a 3D rendering of the Morton home can be seen below. The Federals repulsed the attacks and finally crossed with all their men and supply wagons, many of which they were compelled to abandon in the swamp north of Saline. The heaviest casualties of the battle were felt during this attack by the 10th Missouri Confederate Infantry, which was caught in the open, at the flank of the Confederate forces. The fall of Little Rock further helped to contain the Confederate Trans-Mississippi theater, isolating it from the rest of the South. [58] Blunt had aggressively pushed ahead with only a small force from the 6th Kansas Cavalry, hoping to capture the Confederate cannons. Helena July 4, 1863 As part of Grants Operations Against Vicksburg, Lieutenant General Theophilus Holmess troops attacked Helena to relieve pressure on Vicksburg, Mississippi. [76], On December 3, Hindman moved his army north from Van Buren to attack Blunt; the day before, Blunt had suspected that the Confederates were going to be on the move, and ordered the two divisions at Springfield to join him, while he took up defensive positions near Cane Hill. Any possibility of the Confederates taking Fort Gibson was gone. "Battle of Prairie Grove" poem/song, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas. The Battle of Prairie Grove - JSTOR Prairie DAne April 10-13, 1864 As part of the Camden Expedition, Major General Fred Steeles Union forces, combined with Brigadier General John M. Thayers division, marched south from the Cornelius Farm. [63] Both Shea and Scott and Burgess take the position that the Confederates did present a flag of truce at the end of the battle as a ruse to give the battered Confederate forces time to break contact and leave the area. National Park Service Battle Descriptions In addition, it is included in the Battlefield Trails - Civil War series list. The whole skirt of the woods was filed with them. The Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862, was the last time two major armies of almost equal strength faced each other for supremacy in northwest Arkansas. The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. Chalk Bluff May 1, 1863 As part of Marmadukes Second Expedition Into Missouri, Union Brigadier General William Vandever pursued Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke to Chalk Bluff, where the Confederates hoped to cross the St. Francis River. By Atkinson. Devils Backbone September 1, 1863 As part of the Operations to Control Indian Territory, Union Major General James G. Blunt ordered Colonel William Cloud to continue in pursuit of the Confederate forces that had withdrawn from Fort Smith and were chased to Old Jenny Lind. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Listen Now . > HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE FRONTIER, RAY's MILLS, ARK., Sunday, Dec. 7, 1862. The Prairie Grove Battlefield Park Commission dedicated the structure in 1965, which houses the parks museum. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Description: On Sunday, December 7, 1862, two armies collided at an obscure Arkansas hamlet named Prairie Grove in a desperate battle that effectively ended Confederate offensive operations west of the Mississippi River. The Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park is nationally known as one of the most intact Civil War battlefields. The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. Both armies then commenced strengthening their pickets. Thus, Helena continued as an essential Union enclave in the Trans-Mississippi theater and served as a base for the expedition that captured Little Rock, Arkansas. As the surviving Federals rolled back down the hill toward the safety of Union lines, Confederate soldiers spontaneously pursued and attempt to break Herron's lines. The Battle of Prairie Grove--Reading 2 - U.S. National Park Service Cloud claimed that one of the mountain howitzers opened the ensuing artillery duel, while Confederate staff officer John Newman Edwards claimed that the Confederate artillery fired first. [38] Van Antwerp found that the reason for the holdup was that an infantry unit had been placed as the second unit in the marching column. These resources were instrumental in creating 3D models of all of the homes in the battle area. This money and future funding enabled the commission to purchase fifty additional acres and relocate several historic structures of the area to the park: the Morrow House, the Latta House, and a smokestack from nearby Rheas Mills. Battle of Prairie Grove poem, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas. Final renderings of the Borden house and associated structures can be seen below: The Morton home and cellar was where families from the surrounding area took shelter during the battle. [67], Both sides were able to view the results of the battle as having accomplished their goals. This section discusses the process of creating the 3D landscape where the Battle of Prairie Grove took place in 1862. More than 10,000 Arkansans black and white, Union and Confederate lost their lives. [19] While Marmaduke had around 2,000 men, Federal intelligence placed the Confederate strength at 5,000 men. Marmaduke was pushed back but Blunt found himself 35miles deeper into Arkansas and that much farther from the remainder of his army. [59] Either 2 miles (3.2km)[58] or 4 miles (6.4km) south of the Morrow house, the Confederates laid a trap. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 1970. Rifles for Watie is a children's novel by American writer Harold Keith.It was first published in 1957, and received the Newbery Medal the following year.. Set during the American Civil War, the plot revolves around the fictional sixteen-year-old Jefferson Davis Bussey, who is caught up in the events of history.Actual historical personages (e.g. [24] While Blunt's men had plentiful ammunition, Marmaduke's Confederates were short on both ammunition and percussion caps. The lead portion of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry was in the front, along with the 1st Indian Home Guard. A few hearty cheers went up for the Stars and Stripes, and all was hushed but the groans of the wounded and dying. Rights. Arkansas saw a great deal of fighting during the Civil War. Unearthed Civil War shell is blown up; park dismayed Elongated balls are a major class of Civil War-era artifacts found on battlefields. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Hindman had issued a series of unpopular, but effective, military decrees which gave political opponents ammunition to have him removed from overall command. Harris moved forward with elements of the 11th Wisconsin, 33rd Illinois, and the 1st Indiana Cavalry, moved forward, he blundered into an ambuscade. [55] The Confederate troops tended to fire over the heads of the Federal troops. ArcGIS was used to compile all of the map information associated with the site including the 3D terrain data. Blunt aligned his two brigades and sent them forward toward the Morton house on the same ridge to the west of the Borden house. In early November, the other two divisions of the Army of the Frontier fell back to the vicinity of Springfield, Missouri, while Hindman's Confederates occupied Van Buren, Arkansas. A Yankee Cavalryman Views - JSTOR Wheat fields were presumed to have not been planted in rows and to have been cut or harvested only to leave the stalk of the plant. [60] In a hollow that was wider than the portion of the valley to the north, Carroll aligned men from Shelby's command and Monroe's Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. Though most Arkansans initially supported the decision to secede, a significant minority opposed the move from the beginning. Major-General Patrick Cleburne was the states most notable military leader. Marker is at the intersection of East Douglas Street (U.S. 62), on the right when traveling . Abbreviations used Military rank MG = Major General BG = Brigadier General Col = Colonel Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel Maj = Major The Federals also had a numerical advantage in artillery:[25] thirty guns to six. It was where the Confederates surrendered. Arkansas State ParksPrairie Grove Battlefield.
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