Eyewitness Account of the Battle of Prairie Grove - Part 2

View of Blocker's Artillerymen

The narrative below is part two of an eyewitness account of the Battle of Prairie Grove (December7, 1862) written by an unidentified officer in Captain Blocker's section of the Arkansas Light Artillery from camp on December 11, 1862.  Part one of the account can be accessed by clicking here.

"...I will now endeavor to give you the full particulars of how our gallant little band (Capt. Blocker’s battery) went into the fight, and, as nearly as I can, how we came out of it. On Sunday morning, while marching in line of battle, our battery was ordered, from the rear of the column of artillery, to the front, and, as soon as we discovered the enemy, were ordered to go into battery, which we did. We remained some time in our first position, when we received orders to limber up and change our position for a better one. Again we got well fixed and ready for action, when the enemy opened on us very briskly with their artillery. We responded, and, after firing 4 or 5 rounds, of such luxuries as we had in store for them, we succeeded in silencing heir batteries. We were then ordered to cease firing, which we did, for about three quarters of an hour, when we were ordered to commence firing again. We opened very briskly, with solid shot, spherical, case and shell. After firing 7 or 8 rounds, we were again ordered to cease firing, and await further orders from Gen. Shoup, but, unfortunately, the order for us to recommence firing arrived too late for us to save ourselves, as the enemy had charged and were within 30 paces of our battery. They received the contents of two of our pieces, when we were compelled to fall back, and our battery (save one piece) fell into the hands of the enemy for a short time. Perhaps you may think it strange that we surrendered our battery so quick; but you will not, when I inform you, that we had not a shadow of a support from the commencement to the close of the fight, nor until our battery was lost! Such, however, is the fact, and it pains me to have it to say. The blame must rest where it belongs. * * * * * * *  Each and every man stood to his post, until two men and forty three horses were killed, and 11 brave men severely wounded. Eleven men are missing, and, no doubt, killed or captured by the enemy. The enemy advanced upon us with their artillery, under cover of their infantry, until within range of our battery, when they opened a most disastrous fire on us, from both arms. Hail from Heaven never fell thicker than shot, shell and Minnie balls did, for minutes. Having no support, Capt. Blocker ordered our ment o fall back and save themselves, when the enemy were within 30 paces of our guns; and how so many of them escaped with whole skins, is a mystery to me.

"When ordered to fall back, we discovered our men [support] forming about 200 yards in rear of our battery. We passed their lines, when they advanced and opened a “soul-searching” fire on the Abolitionists, which caused 152 of the blue bellies to turn up, besides wounding many more. Our men then charge dand drove them from our guns, with considerable loss to the enemy. Thank fortune, they did not have time to move a single piece from its original position.

"During the evening we returned and brought away our guns and 2 caissons and ammunition. My piece, No. 4, on the left, suffered most in (?) – all the horses, 12 in number, being killing, and8 were severely wounded and 2 missing – probably killed. My gun-team was composed of a fine grey horse, that had just been purchased for me, and, of course, presented a splendid target for the enemy to play on."

To learn more about the Battle of Prairie Grove, see photographs of the battlefield and read official accounts of the fighting, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

An Eyewitness Account of the Battle of Prairie Grove - Part One

Cannon at Prairie Grove

The following was written by an unidentified officer in Captain W.D. Blocker's section of Arkansas Light Artillery and provides an outstanding first person account of the role of the Confederate field artillery in the Battle of Prairie Grove (December 7, 1862).

I've transcribed the entire account and will be presenting it here in two posts. This is part one:

"In Camp near Van Buren, Dec. 11, 1862.

"On the 3d inst. our army commenced a movement from this camp, in the direction of Boston Mountain, for the purpose of meeting the enemy, they having a strong position near Cane Hill, on the divide of the mountain. On approaching the mountain, our forces were divided and crossed it by two different passes: The Missouri force, under Gen. Parsons, by way of Cane Hill, and the remaining forces by what is known as the Cove Creek route.

"Gen. Parsons found about 3,000 Abolitionists, under Gen. Blunt, encamped at Cane Hill, and succeeded in utterly routing them, in double quick time, capturing a considerable train of wagon and some prisoners. Gen. Blunt succeeded in forming a junction with the main body of their army 10 miles south of Fayetteville, where the bloody battle of Prairie Grove was fought, and where we achieved another glorious victory.

"The enemy’s force may be safely estimated at 15,000 or 16,000 – 12,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry, and 4 or 5 light and heavy batteries. Their force was all engaged, while the portion of our army engaged did not exceed 10,000 effective men. We had only two batteries actually engaged – Capts. West’s and Blockers.

"This memorable battle was fought, and this glorious victory achieved, on Sunday, 7^th inst. Our advance guard opened the fight early in the morning, by surprising and capturing 140, Federal cavalry. Fortunately, they turned out to be a portion of the 1^st Arkansas Federal cavalry, composed of Arkansas Jayhawkers and deserters. God grant they may share the fate all such traitors deserve.

"The general engagement commenced about 12  o’clock, M., and continued until dark, when both armies withdrew from the scene of action. About 8 o’clock P.M., a Federal flag of truce made its appearance at Gen. Hindman’s Headquarters, asking permission to remove their wounded and bury their dead, which was granted. During the night, our army (or a portion of it) were ordered to fall back to Boston Mountain – I supposed for the purpose of renewing the fight on the following day, provided the enemy were not satisfied with the previous day’s exercise.

"On the following morning, the Federal Generals despatched a message to Gen. Hindman, requesting a personal interview with him at their headquarters. Gen. Hindman consented, and the result of the meeting was, the Yankees acknowledged themselves badly whipped, turned over to us the spoils of the battle-field, and fell back in the direction of Fayetteville.

"The enemy’s loss is very heavy, while our’s is heavy enough, God knows. The opinion of many of our officers is, that we killed about 4 to 1. For my own part, I have no idea of the loss on either side, as I had no opportunity to go over the battle ground, after the fight, except where our battery fought, was charged and captured by the enemy, and afterwards recaptured by Col. Hawthorn’s gallant regiment, who fought most desperately, and justly deserve the praise and most hearty thanks of our army. Col. Brooks’, Col. McRae’s and Col. Pleasants’ regiments fought nobly, and acquitted themselves creditably." - End of Part One. Look for Part Two in the next post.

You can see more about the Battle of Prairie Grove, including official reports, photographs of the battlefield and links to related points of interest, at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

The "Real" Rooster Cogburn?

Charles Portis has said that the unforgettable character Rooster Cogburn from his 1968 novel "True Grit" was actually a composite of the Deputy U.S. Marshals that once rode out of Fort Smith, but there is strong circumstantial evidence that he relied heavily on a real life one-eyed marshal named Cal Whitson.

Whitson, in fact, was the only Deputy U.S. Marshal with one eye to ride from Fort Smith in the decades after the Civil War and there is much about him that resembles the character made famous by John Wayne. Rooster will be reborn later this month when the new version of "True Grit" hits theaters.

For those unfamiliar with the story, a young girl from Yell County named Mattie Ross seeks out a man with "grit" - in this case, Deputy U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn - to track down the man who killed her father. The two set off to Winding Stair Mountain (in Oklahoma south of Fort Smith) to apprehend the outlaw and bring him to justice in the court of Hanging Judge Isaac C. Parker.

The Rooster Cogburn in the book and movie is a former Civil War soldier who works as a Deputy U.S. Marshal in the Western District of Arkansas. Working from Fort Smith, the old soldier is missing an eye and is a rough and tumble character of the first order.

Calvin W. Whitson, similarly, was a former Civil War soldier who worked beginning in 1889 as a Deputy U.S. Marshal in Fort Smith. His father had died in Van Buren in a murder that strongly resembled the death of Mattie's father as described in the book. Whitson joined the 3rd Arkansas Cavalry (U.S.) in 1863 when he was still one month shy of his 18th birthday, but was discharged the following year after being severely wounded in action. The wound blinded him in one eye. He went on to work in law enforcement after his son was killed helping to apprehend an outlaw in the Indian Territory.

In an interesting note, while checking out Cal Whitson's military service record this week, I noticed that some of his service cards were transcribed by a government employee named "Daggett." The name is familiar to all fans of "True Grit" because young Mattie constantly speaks of her feared attorney, "Lawyer Daggett."

If you would like to read more about Cal Whitson, the man who may have been the "real" Rooster Cogburn, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/roostercogburn.

The Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas - December 7, 1862

Borden House at Prairie Grove

Today (December 7th) marks the 148th anniversary of the Battle of Prairie Grove, one of the largest Civil War battles west of the Mississippi River.

Having slipped past General James G. Blunt's division of the Union Army of the Frontier and emerged onto the Ozark Plateau of Washington County, Arkansas, Confederate General Thomas Hindman prepared to battle the divided Federal army in detail. His plans were dashed, however, when he learned that General Francis J. Herron's Union division had made a desperate march south to reinforce Blunt, who had been relaying rumors that the Confederates might be contemplating an attack.

By the time Hindman and his 11,000 men and 22 pieces of artillery emerged at the site of the present town of Prairie Grove, Herron was already passing through Fayetteville and heading southwest to Cane Hill. Hindman's cavalry collided with Herron's advance troops on the road between Prairie Grove and Fayetteville (the two locations are about twelve miles apart) and fighting erupted.

Apparently unsure of the situation he was facing and concerned that Blunt might hear the sounds of the fighting and come up behind him, Hindman pulled back to a strong position along a ridge overlooking a wide expanse of fields and prairie. His right flank was anchored around the Borden House and apple orchard, from which point his line extended some three miles down the crest of the ridge to near Prairie Grove Church.

Scene of Heavy Fighting

The two armies battled throughout the day of December 7, 1862. Herron launched repeated attacks up the ridge to the Borden farm, while the Confederates counterattacked down into the face of the Federal guns. Then, later in the day, Blunt arrived at the west end of the battlefield with his division and heavy fighting erupted there as well. When nightfall finally brought the combat to an end, the Confederates had not been driven from their position, but did not have enough ammunition left to resume the battle the next morning. Hindman withdrew back into the mountains that night.

More than 2,400 men were reported killed, wounded or missing in the Battle of Prairie Grove. You can learn more about the battle, read transcripts of reports, view photographs of the battlefield as it appears today and read an in depth account of the action by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

Battle of Reed's Mountain, Arkansas - December 6, 1862

Original Road over Reed's Mountain

Today (December 6th) is the 148th anniversary of the Battle of Reed's Mountain, the final preliminary fight to the Battle of Prairie Grove, the anniversary of which is tomorrow.

Following the Battle of Cane Hill one week earlier, Union General James G. Blunt had kept his division at Cane Hill. The other division of the Army of the Frontier was in southern Missouri and Confederate General Thomas Hindman saw an opportunity in the miles that separated the two wings of his enemy's army. If he could push north rapidly and place his own army between the two Federal divisions, he might be able to destroy each individually before they could unite and outnumber him.

Driving north through the Boston Mountains, he struck the Cove Creek Road in northern Crawford County and crossed into Washington County on the morning of December 6, 1862. Aware that a small force of Union soldiers had been at the intersection of the Cove Creek and Cane Hill roads, to watch for Confederate movements, Hindman ordered Colonel J.C. Monroe to advance ahead of the main army and drive the Federals over Reed's Mountain where they would not be able to see his main body as it came north. Reed's Mountain is a rugged slope that separates the Cane Hill (now spelled Canehill) area from the Cove Creek Valley.

Cove Creek Valley from Reed's Mountain

Monroe moved forward rapidly and attacked the Federal pickets, driving them up and over the crest of Reed's Mountain. Union reinforcements moved up and the two forces battled back and forth for the top of the mountain. The hard-fighting Arkansas cavalrymen of Monroe's brigade, however, kept the Federals on their side of the mountain and effectively screened the northward march of Hindman's main army.

The battle would pale in comparison to the vicious fighting that would take place the next day at the Battle of Prairie Grove, but it was highly significant as it allowed Hindman to slip past Blunt and put himself into position to deliver what he hoped would be a crushing defeat to the Federals in Northwest Arkansas.

Learn more about the battle at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARReedsMountain.

Schedule of Events for Battle of Prairie Grove Reenactment

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

I received this from Holly April Houser Cherry, Historical Park Interpreter at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park and am passing it along to provide you with more information on the activities going on at the park for this weekend's Battle of Prairie Grove Reenactment. This is one of the major history-related events in Arkansas and I hope you can make it out!

 

Saturday, December 4th - All Day - Sutlers Row open along the historic stone wall. 

Book signing starting at 9 a.m. - Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign by Dr. William Shea - Latta Barn.

7:00 A. M. – Reveille.  (A bugle call at about sunrise signaling the first military formation of the day)

8:00 A. M.  – 5:00 P.M. – Latta barn is open with gift shop & book store.

9:00 A. M. -11:00 A. M.  - All Camps open to public.

9:15 A.M. - Company Drill (by maneuver companies) at Drill Area

10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. - Latta kitchen open with fireplace cooking demonstrations by Janice Neighbor.

10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. – Demonstration of the traditional art of spinning thread, and discuss the basics of making cloth by members of Wool and Wheel Handspinners at Morrow House.

10 A. M. – noon - The Civil War Garden - Washington County Master Gardeners - Inquire in the Latta House

10 A. M. - "A Call to resist the invading abolitionist hordes” - Porch of the Latta House by Ian Beard, Old Statehouse Museum

10:00 A.M. - Bayonet Drill (optional and open to all infantry troops) at Drill Area.

10:30 A.M. - Battalion drill and arms inspection by park personnel - Weapons inspection.  Public viewing near respective camps drills area.  

12:00 P. M - "A plea for the citizenry of Arkansas to retake her rightful place in the Union of States" - Porch of the Latta House by Ian Beard, Old Statehouse Museum

12:00 P. M. – Spectator viewing line open preparing for Demonstration.  

12:15 P.M. - Form for battle, arms inspection by park personnel – Public viewing from Spectator Safety line.

12:45 P.M. – All camps closed to public, movement of troops & spectators to battlefield area

1:00 P.M. – Presentation marking 148^th anniversary of the battle.

1:10 P.M. - Explanation of battle and last reminder about crowd safety

1:15 P.M. - Battle demonstration near the Borden House.  Battle commences.

2:00 P.M. - Wounded gathered to hospitals for medical demonstrations by US & CS surgeons. Battle ends.

2:30 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.  – All Camps re-open to the public.

3:30 P.M. - Period "rounders" (baseball) game at Ozark village by church and school. 

5:00 P.M.  – All Camps closed to public, last self guided tour ends

 

Sunday, December 5th - All Day - Sutlers Row open along the historic stone wall. 

7:00 A. M. – Reveille.  (A bugle call at about sunrise signaling the first military formation of the day)

8:00 A. M.  – 5:00 P.M. – Latta barn is open with gift shop & book store.

8:00 A. M.  to 11:00 A. M. – Late arrivals to register at Latta barn.

8:30 A. M. – Generals & Chiefs of Staff Call - Joint Federal/Confederate– Location: Latta Barn

9:00 A. M. -11:00 A. M.  - All Camps open to public, self guided tour begins.

9:15 A.M. - Company Drill (by maneuver companies) at Drill Area.

10:00 A.M. - Period Church service at log church & catholic mass at the Jim Parks Shelter

10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. - Latta kitchen open with fireplace cooking demonstrations by Janice Neighbor.

11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. - Demonstration of the traditional art of spinning thread, and discuss the basics of making cloth by members of Wool and Wheel Handspinners at Morrow House.

11:00 A.M. - Bayonet drill (special demonstration by picked squad only) at Drill Area.

11:00 A.M. - Battalion drill and arms inspection by park personnel - Weapons inspection.  Public viewing near respective camps drills area. 

12:00 P. M. – Spectator viewing line open preparing for Demonstration.  

12:15 P.M. - Form for battle, arms inspection by park personnel - Public viewing from Spectator Safety line.

12:45 P.M. – All camps closed to public, movement of troops & spectators to battlefield area.

1:00 P.M. – Presentation marking 148^th anniversary of the battle.

1:10 P.M. - Explanation of battle and last reminder about crowd safety

1:15 P.M. - Battle demonstration near the Borden House.  Battle commences.

2:00 P.M. - Wounded gathered to hospitals for medical demonstrations by US & CS surgeons. Battle ends.

2:15 P.M. – All camps open to public, no tours.

3:00 P.M. – End of reenactment – Closing of all encampments to public.

Battle of Prairie Grove Reenactment set for this Weekend (Dec. 4-5)

Prairie Grove Battlefield

The hugely popular reenactment of the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, will take place this weekend at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in Northwest Arkansas.

The park is located on U.S. Highway 62 in Prairie Grove 12 miles west of Fayetteville and can be easily accessed from I-540 by taking the Farmington exit and traveling west on U.S. 62 to the battlefield.

Here is the basic information from the State Park Service:

The original Battle of Prairie Grove, fought on December 7, 1862, saw about 22,000 soldiers fighting most of the day, with about 2,700 killed, wounded, or missing. Every even-numbered year, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park hosts a battle reenactment.

Borden House at Prairie Grove

During the weekend there will be many activities including tours through the Union, Confederate, and civilian camps, various military drills, cooking, spinning, and lace making demonstrations along with other living history programs. “Sutlers Row” features a number of vendors selling 19th century reproduction, books, and souvenirs.

The battle demonstration begins at 1 p.m. each day, featuring charges and counterattacks by Union and Confederate infantry and cavalry. The reenactment is held on the actual battlefield near the historic Borden House.
 
Admission: Free. Parking $5 per vehicle. 

You can read more about the original battle by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1. While there, be sure to follow the links at the bottom of the page to see official reports, eyewitness accounts, photographs of the battlefield and to learn more about related historic sites in the area.