March 4, 1862 - The Confederates come down from the Mountains

Snow blankets Pea Ridge Battlefield (NPS Photo)

On the morning of March 4, 1862, 150 years ago today, Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn marched his Army of the West out of the Boston Mountains and onto the Ozark Plateau of Washington and Benton Counties, Arkansas.

As the Confederates moved out, Brigadier General James McIntosh's cavalry brigade was ordered to take the lead. This was a standard military move. The cavalry would move out ahead of the main body to clear the roads of any enemy pickets, to scout and to secure the route of march.

Part of this movement was spearheaded by Colonel Elkanah Greer and the Third Texas Cavalry. Organized at Dallas in June of 1861, the Third Texas was a seasoned regiment, having fought at Wilson's Creek, Chustenahlah and other actions:

The Boston Mountains

     At 7 o'clock on the morning of the 4th we left our encampment on Boston Mountains, my regiment going in advance.
     That night we encamped near Fayetteville. The day had been very cold, with quite a snow-storm during the morning.  - Col. E. Greer, Third Texas Cavalry, CSA, March 1862.

The Missouri State Guard, under Major General Sterling Price, stepped off in the wake of the cavalry from its camps near Cove Creek. Price later described how Van Dorn had ordered him to march with only three days rations and supplies:

Cove Creek Road

...That officer having arrived at Cove Creek and assumed command of the Confederate forces in Western Arkansas, I gladly placed myself and my army under his orders, and in obedience to these toop up the line of march in the direction of Bentonville on the morning of March 4, provided with three days' cooked rations, leaving my baggage and supply trains to follow slowly in the rear. - Gen. Sterling Price, CSA, March 22, 1862.

The total force under Price consisted of 6,818 men with eight batteries of field artillery. General Ben McCulloch marched with a similar size force, but due to his death in the coming battle did not file a report on his movements.

Gen. Earl Van Dorn, CSA

Brigadier General Albert Pike, meanwhile, had linked up with Colonel Stand Watie's First Cherokee Rifles at Cincinnati on the western border of Arkansas and on the 4th pushed on into Northwest Arkansas to link up with Van Dorn's army. 

The Confederate army was assembling for battle and, for one of the few times in a major battle during the war, would outnumber its opponent. The Battle of Pea Ridge was now three days away.

They day and night of March 4th were bitterly cold in the mountains and, as Colonel Greer later noted, heavy snow fell, particularly in the higher elevations. Van Dorn himself was sick with fever and had been with the army less than 24 hours, but insisted on the immediate advance.The weather, the terrain and his failure to properly organize his supply system would haunt him in the days to come.

I will continue to post on the Battle of Pea Ridge over coming days so be sure to check back often. You can read more about the battle anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.
 

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

Borden House at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

December 7th is remembered today as Pearl Harbor Day and today marks the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Before 1941, however, most Arkansans easily remembered December 7th as the anniversary of the Battle of Prairie Grove.
Both battles sent shockwaves through the Natural State and many promising young men gave their lives in the service of their counties.

The Battle of Prairie Grove developed as Confederate Major General Thomas C. Hindman successfully maneuvered his army around the Union force of Union Brigadier General James G. Blunt at Cane Hill (see yesterday's post: The Battle of Reed's Mountain).

Using Colonel J.C. Monroe's cavalry brigade to maintain the impression of a developing battle on the slopes of Reed's Mountain, Hindman marched his main army up the Cove Creek valley and emerged near Prairie Grove. Now on the main Fayetteville to Cane Hill road directly between Blunt and his approaching reinforcements under Brigadier General Francis J. Herron, the Confederate general turned his army toward Fayetteville hoping to destroy Herron before the two wings of the Union army could unite.

It was a good plan and might well have worked had Hindman's army been seasoned and even reasonably equipped and supplied. There was nothing he could do about that.

View of Prairie where Herron formed his men.

With his infantry pouring from the Cane Hill Road at Prairie Grove, Hindman send John S. Marmaduke's cavalry division across the nearby Illinois River and up the Fayetteville Road to find Herron. The Union general, in turn, was driving his men hard hoping to link up with Blunt before the Confederates could attack him at Cane Hill.

The two forces collided on the old Fayetteville Road. Colonel Jo Shelby's Missouri Brigade attacked, driving the Union cavalry back on the main body of Herron's command. Herron, in turn, came forward aggressively, pushing Shelby back to and over the river.

View of the Borden House from the Prairie.
(House is in trees atop the ridge at the center).

Realizing that the critical battle was underway, Hindman formed his infantry and artillery in a line that stretched for about three miles along the crest of the ridge at Prairie Grove. The men did not entrench, but used fences, trees, buildings and rocks as defenses. Herron moved his force across the Illinois River and formed his ranks in the wide open prairie below, his lines of soldiers, cannon and flags in clear and panoramic view of the Confederates on the ridge.

The primary battle opened with a massive artillery exchange. The ground shook for miles and the boom of nearly 50 pieces of artillery could be heard far in every direction. At Cane Hill, Blunt heard the cannon fire and knew he was in trouble. He quickly began to pull his force back from its isolated position there and marched along a roughly semi-circular route for Prairie Grove.

Borden House Orchard, where hundreds fell.

At 1 p.m., Herron made an open field assault on the Confederate right flank. Moving forward across open ground in clear view, with flags flying, the Federal troops hit the bottom of the ridge and surged up. The Confederates there waited until they were within 60 yards and then opened on them with a deadly sheet of fire. The attack was broken and the Union soldiers started withdrawing back onto the prairie.

The Confederates surged after them, storming down the ridge and right into the muzzles of Herron's massed cannon.  Driven back themselves, the Southern soldiers returned back up the ridge to their original position. Another Union attack followed, leading to heavy and bloody fighting around the Borden house and orchard on the ridge. A Union officer later estimated that 250 men were killed or wounded in the yard of the Borden house alone. The attack failed and the Federals withdrew back onto the prairie.

Western Overlook, where Blunt attacked.

As the afternoon continued, General Blunt reached the field with his force and took up a position on Herron's right, extending the Union line to match that of the Confederates. The battle continued with a fury unlike anything seen west of the Mississippi, with the possible exception of the fight earlier that year at Pea Ridge.  Hindman penned a vivid description a few weeks later:

...There was no place of shelter upon any portion of the field. Wounds were given and deaths inflicted by the enemy's artillery in the ranks of the reserves as well as in the front rank. During five hours, shell, solid shot, grape and canister, and storms of bullets swept the entire ground. Many gallant officers, and many soldiers equally brave fell dead or wounded, but their comrades stood as firm as iron. Volunteers maintained their reputation. Conscripts rose at once to the same standard, and splendidly refuted the slanders put upon them... Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman, C.S.A.


Blunt and Herron believed they were outnumbered, estimating the strength of Hindman's army as 28,000. The actual number was closer to 11,000. The two armies were actually very close in size, although the  Union had a vast superiority in artillery, supplies and small arms.

After a day of bloody fighting that saw attack and counter-attack along the entire length of the field, night finally field. Hindman was still in position on the ridge, while Blunt and Herron occupied the prairies and fields below. Neither army had been able to drive the other off and Blunt had escaped from his exposed position at Cane Hill. Hindman slipped away into the mountains that night, beginning his return to Van Buren and Fort Smith. His men were hungry and he did not have enough ammunition for a second day of fighting.

Although the numbers are estimates at best, the Confederates lost 164 killed, 817 wounded and 336 missing or captured. The Federals reported similar losses of 175 killed, 813 wounded and 264 missing or captured. The wounded from both sides were treated in makeshift hospitals both on the field and in nearby Fayetteville. Hundreds of them died from their wounds.

I will continue posting on the Prairie Grove Campaign tomorrow. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

Over the Boston Mountains - December 27, 1862

The Union Army of the Frontier moved out from its camps at Prairie Grove and Cane Hill (now spelled Canehill) on the morning of December 27, 1862, 147 years ago today.

Well aware of the risks of trying to converge their entire force onto a single road and then move the resulting logjam over the Boston Mountains, which rise abruptly just south of Prairie Grove, Generals Blunt and Herron decided to cross the mountains by two separate routes.

Herron moved to the left via the Wire or Telegraph Road, which followed the old Butterfield Stage Line route over the mountains by staying primarily on the crests of the ridges. Much of this old road remains in use today and a portion can be hiked at Devil's Den State Park (shown above).

Blunt, meanwhile, move south via the Cove Creek Road, which follows the creek of that name south through the mountains. The original road crossed the winding creek nearly 40 times and as the soldiers marched on December 27th, they were forced to wade through the icy water over and over.

It had snowed the week before and there was still snow and ice in the mountains. Although the troops were in good spirits, the march was miserable. A member of Blunt's division wrote that water was high and the little streams that fed the creek and the creek itself were deep and fast. The icy water at the fords was often waist or chest deep. The soldiers were marching so fast and wading so much water that they did not have time to dry out and marched in sodden boots and wet clothes. It was also reported that it took as many as 12 horses to pull each of the army's 12 cannon over the mountains, sometimes with the assistance of as many as 50 men pulling on ropes.

By midnight on December 27th, the two wings of the army were approaching their planned bivouac at Oliver's Store, then a well-known landmark in northern Crawford County. Thus far the Confederate forces to the south had not detected the danger that was rapidly approaching via the mountains.

I'll continue to retrace the daily events of the raid tomorrow. Until then, you can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vanburenbattle1. You can learn more about Devil's Den State Park at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ardevils1.

Cove Creek Road - Washington County, Arkansas

This is Cove Creek Road at the point where it emerges from the Boston Mountains in southern Washington County, Arkansas.

This road was a major transportation artery for both armies during the Civil War.

During the first week of December, 1862, the Confederate army of Gen. Thomas Hindman advanced up the Cove Creek Road in a march that would lead to the Battle of Prairie Grove. Hindman hoped to catch the Union forces of Generals James G. Blunt and Francis J. Herron divided and defeat them in detail. The effort failed and the Battle of Prairie Grove was a bloody tactical stalemate.

The Confederate force withdrew back down this road following the battle. Blunt and Herron followed later in the month, advancing by both the Cove Creek and Telegraph or "Wire" Roads. Their advance resulted in the late December battles of Dripping Springs and Van Buren.

For the rest of the war, the Cove Creek Road was an important connector between Van Buren and Fort Smith and the Northwest Arkansas counties of Washington and Benton. There were numerous small encounters along the road, many of them involving irregular or guerilla bands.

Large sections of the original road can still be followed today. A graded road passing through southern Washington and northern Crawford Counties, it is little changed from the days of the Civil War.

Battle of Cane Hill, Part Eight

This is part eight of a nine part series on the Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas. To read the previous posts first, please scroll down the page.

This view looks down into the Cove Creek Valley from the mountain separating the valley from the old Cane Hill settlements. The historic road followed by the troops ran through what is now a wooded area to the left of the modern road seen here.

Withdrawing ahead of the final Union attack on his lines along the crest of the mountain, Gen. Marmaduke fell back into the valley. He had successfully delayed Blunt's advance throughout the day, but with darkness approaching he decided to move his men back to a safer position.

The outnumbered Confederates pushed down the ridge to Cove Creek and turned south on the historic Cove Creek Road. Reforming his men from the fighting on the mountain, Gen. Blunt soon followed, despite the fact that the sun was beginning to set over the mountains to the west.

Our series on the Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas, will conclude in our next post. You can always read more about the battle by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARCaneHill.

Battle of Cane Hill, Part Five

This is part five of a continuing series on the Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas. To read the previous posts first, please scroll down the page.

The spectacular view of Blunt's approaching army quickly convinced the Confederate commanders that they were seriously outnumbered. Deciding to withdraw into the Boston Mountains (a spur of the Ozarks) where they could hope to wage a more competent defense, they ordered their men to fall back again. The Southern troops withdrew from their second position, skirmishing as they went.

To delay the advance of the Union army, Markaduke stopped from time to time on ridges along the way and deployed his men into line of battle, forcing the Federal troops to do the same. Then, once the Union forces had deployed out and were ready for battle, he would slip away from his latest position and force them to form again for the march.

By doing this, he significantly delayed Blunt's advance, forcing the Union troops to deploy into line of battle, back into column, back into line of battle and so on for much of the day.

Finally, however, Marmaduke reached his objective, the high ridge that separates the Cane Hill communities from the Cove Creek Valley. This mountain provided a strong defensive position for the Confederates and also protected the Cove Creek Road, the only feasible avenue of retreat available to them.

Our series on the Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas will continue. Until the next post, you can learn more by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARCaneHill.html.

The Boston Mountains, Part Two

Continuing our look at the Boston Mountains of Arkansas, this view looks from a ridge across the valley of Cove Creek.

A major Civil War landmark, Cove Creek flows south through the Boston Mountains from the Ozark Plateau of Washington and Benton Counties into Crawford County on the Arkansas River. It merges with Lee Creek in northern Crawford County and flows into the Arkansas River at Van Buren.

The valley provided a natural route through the mountains for the movement of large bodies of troops. Confederate troops followed Cove Creek on numerous occasions, most notably during the days leading up to the Battle of Prairie Grove. Federal troops, in turn, used the valley to move south prior to the fights at Dripping Springs and Van Buren.

Dripping Springs, Part Two

Continuing our look at the Battle of Dripping Springs, Arkansas, this photo shows the historic Cove Creek Road. The old road still leads south from Prairie Grove into Crawford County, passing through the spectacular scenery of the Boston Mountains.

This was the road followed by General J.G. Blunt's men as they pushed south from Cane Hill to a planned junction with General F.J. Herron's force at Oliver's Store north of Dripping Springs. Blunt's troops passed down this section of the road on the morning of December 27, 1862.

Although this photograph was taken during the summer, the 1862 movement was actually made in the dead of winter. Soldiers wrote in their journals and letters home that the mountains were covered with snow and ice and that Cove Creek was filled with freezing water and slushy ice.

Blunt and Herron undertook the expedition despite the severe weather in hopes of surprising the Confederate forces camped in and around Van Buren. A Confederate cavalry force was camped at Dripping Springs north of Van Buren to watch for such movements, but the advancing Federals did not encounter Southern horsemen until the next morning.

Our look at the Battle of Dripping Springs will continue, but in the meantime you can read more and see additional photographs by going to www.exploresouthernhistory.com and looking for the link under the Battlefields and Forts heading in the left hand column.