Mystery Soldiers of Massard Prairie - Fort Smith, Arkansas

Massard Prairie Battlefield Park

One of the more intriguing mysteries of the Battle of Massard Prairie, which took place at Fort Smith on July 27, 1864, originates from the reports of Confederate soldiers that the overran parties of "Arkansas Feds" as they moved in to attack a battalion from the 6th Kansas Cavalry.

The terms "Arkansas Feds" and "Mountain Feds" were often used by Southern soldiers to describe Arkansans who either evaded service in the Confederate army or deserted from their units and joined the Union side.

According to several eyewitness accounts of the battle, the "Arkansas Feds" were taken by surprise and broke and ran. The Confederates did not immediately pursue them as the Kansas cavalrymen had formed a line of battle through their camp at the Picnic or Diamond Grove (site of today's Massard Prairie Battlefield Park). Union reports, however, make no mention at all of any Arkansas Union troops being present at the battle. All of which begs the questions: Were there "Arkansas Feds" on Massard Prairie? And, if so, who were they?

The answer seems to be yes, there were several companies of Arkansas Federals camped on Massard Prairie at the time of the attack.

On July 5, 1864, about three weeks before the battle, 100 Arkansas Unionists signed a letter to the editor of the Fort Smith New Era newspaper complaining of the disrespect being shown them by Union soldiers from Northern states and by the citizens of Fort Smith. The men were members of the 4th Arkansas Infantry (U.S.). The letter was dated from the men's camp at "Mazard Prairie."

This short-lived regiment was formed early in 1864 and merged with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry (U.S.) in October of that year. At its greatest strength, it included around 173 men, including officers and a surgeon, making up three companies.

Massard Prairie at Fort Smith, Arkansas

Coincidentally, the sites of three additional company-sized camps have been found at Massard Prairie, opposite or south of the branch from the main camp formed by four companies of the 6th Kansas Cavalry. This would have placed the men of the Arkansas battalion directly in the path of the Confederate attack and these men would have been the first hit, exactly as Southern accounts reported.

This evidence provides strong support then for the presence of the 4th Arkansas Infantry (U.S.) as well as the 6th Kansas Cavalry at the Battle of Massard Prairie. The scattering of two battalions of Federal troops instead of just one makes the Confederate victory there even more impressive and significant.

To read more about the battle, please consider my book:

The Battle of Massard Prairie: The 1864 Confederate Attacks on Fort Smith, Arkansas


The book is also available as an instant download for Amazon Kindle:

The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas: The 1864 Confederate Attacks on Fort Smith

You can also learn more about the battle by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasCW4.

Map of Poison Spring Battlefield, Arkansas

To help you better visualize the tactics of the Battle of Poison Spring, I prepared the map below using information from the forms submitted for the Red River Campaign National Landmark designation.

The troop positions shown here are approximate and are merely intended to provide an idea of how the battle unfolded, so they are not scale and are generalized. The gray lines represent the positions of the Confederate troops as the battle developed. The blue line represents the position of the Union wagon train during the battle. As with most maps, north is up, south is down, west is left and east is right.

Battle of Poison Spring, Arkansas - Part Seven (Ghosts?)

The site of the Battle of Poison Spring is one of a number of Civil War battlefields that are reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of long forgotten soldiers.

I visited Poison Spring on the late afternoon of a stormy summer day and noticed an odd yellow glow through the trees near the spring. Although my mobility is limited, I walked a short distance down the path into the woods and could no longer see the strange light, but when I returned back to the cleared area at the parking lot it was once again visible.

I took a quick photograph before heading to the car to get out of the approaching lightning and, surprisingly, it showed up. This photograph to provide a better view, but the light I saw is clearly visible in the background behind the tree. The other "orbs" are, I think, just light effects from the weather conditions, but notice that one small white one is visible in front of the yellow light, showing that it was at a depth into the woods.

What was it? I have no idea. It is the first time I have encountered something like this in my various visits to battlefields and historic sites. It was clearly visible to the eye during the afternoon from a distance, but could not be seen from locations closer to its apparent position. If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them!

You can see other "ghost" photos from Poison Spring State Park and read more about the battle at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/poisonspring.

Cane Hill Battlefield Driving Tour - Cane Hill, Arkansas

Alan Thompson of the Northwest Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail organization tells me that the first of the interpretive panels for the new Cane Hill Battlefield Driving Tour should be ready any day now.

An important preliminary of the Battle of Prairie Grove, the Battle of Cane Hill was fought on November 28, 1862, when Union troops attacked a Confederate force camped at Cane Hill.

Actually a series of communities, Cane Hill was an important landmark in Northwest Arkansas at the time of the war and was a strategic objective for both sides because of the numerous road connections it offered.

The Northwest Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail group has started an effort to establish a driving tour of the extensive battlefield. This is a noteworthy effort and will expand the public's opportunity to explore another major battlefield of the Civil War in Arkansas. With Pea Ridge National Military Park and Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, the new tour will bring to three the number of major battlefields that can be explored in Northwest Arkansas.

The effort is an expensive proposition. Each of the interpretive panels for the stops on the tour cost $1,500. If you are interested in supporting a worthwhile historic preservation effort, I strongly urge you to consider this one. As I've mentioned before, I am donating proceeds from my new book, The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas, to the project. If you are interested in donating, you can contact Alan Thompson at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Their number is 479-846-2990 or you can email the park at prairiegrove@arkansas.com and just put Attn: Alan Thompson in the heading.

If you would like to learn more about the Battle of Cane Hill, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARCaneHill.

New Book Released: The Battle of Massard Prairie

I'm pleased to announce the publication of my latest Civil War book, The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas.

This fascinating battle took place on July 27, 1864 on the outskirts of Fort Smith and was one of the most dramatic Confederate victories in Arkansas.

The Battle of Massard Prairie was especially significant because: 1) it included a dramatic mass cavalry charge across miles of open ground, 2) hundreds of white and Native American Confederate soldiers fought side by side, and 3) it resulted in one of the few documented cases of Union soldiers scalping Southern dead.

The book is being published by Yuchi Heritage of Florida and all profits will be donated to historic preservation efforts. 50% have been committed to assist with the development of the new Driving Tour at Cane Hill Battlefield in Arkansas. If you are aware of other projects in need of funding, please contact me to discuss the possibilities.

The book is available now through http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ (just look for the Battle of Massard Prairie heading), where you can also read more about the battle. It will be available through the gift shop at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in 7-10 days and will begin popping up on most online bookstores over the next month or so. Other locations will be announced soon.

Jenkins' Ferry, Part Three

This is the monument erected at the Jenkins' Ferry battlefield in 1928 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The monument is to the left just inside the entrance to the state park.

Although estimates of casualties vary, the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry was extremely bloody for Confederate forces who hurled themselves repeatedly against the breastworks of the Union army. The Southern attacks were uncoordinated and hampered by flooding. As a result, the Confederate ranks experienced severe losses.

Although they were unable to carry the Union lines, the Confederates were able to hammer the Federals so hard that they withdrew from the battlefield in an extremely battered condition, bringing the Arkansas phase of the Red River Campaign to a close.

Our look at the Jenkins' Ferry battlefield will continue, but in the meantime you can read more by going to www.exploresouthernhistory.com/jenkinsferry1.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - Attack on the Right Flank

Continuing our look at the Prairie Grove Battlefield in Arkansas, this view was taken from the Battlefield Trail from the bottom of the ridge looking at the ground across which Herron's troops charged.

After forming in the wide prairie and moving up to the foot of the ridge, the Union troops attacked the Confederates who were formed at the crest. A major attack took place across this ground with the Federals surging up the ridge seen here and storming the Confederate line. Heavy fighting took place around the Borden House, which can be seen here at the top of the ridge.

The Union troops managed to break through and charge into the orchard beyond the house, but were driven back by a Confederate counterattack and pushed back down the ridge. The Southern troops followed on their heels, storming down the ridge and advancing across the open ground in this view. They charged into a fury of Federal fire, however, and withdrew back to their original line atop the ridge.

Repeated charges and counter charges took place across the ground seen here throughout the afternoon of December 7, 1862, until nightfall finally brought the Battle of Prairie Grove to a close. Some of the worst bloodshed of the Civil War took place here.

Our postings on Prairie Grove will continue, but in the meantime you can see and learn more about the battlefield and other Civil War sites in Arkansas by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - More on the Right Flank

This view at Prairie Grove Battlefield was taken from the Battlefield Trail looking across the open prairie from the position held by the Confederate cavalry under "Fighting Jo" Shelby on the right flank. The Union troops formed in this prairie and then attacked the Confederate lines.

Shelby's men had brought on the battle by opposing the approach of General F.J. Herron's Union column to the crossing over the Illinois River (off to the right of this photograph). After delaying the Federals for some time, the Confederates under Shelby fell back to this position and formed the right flank of General Thomas Hindman's line on Prairie Grove Ridge.

Shelby's men were heavily engaged in the fighting throughout the day of December 7, 1862, and still held this position when the Battle of Prairie Grove came to an end that evening.

From this point, the Battlefield Trail curves down to the bottom of the ridge and then leads along ground across which the Union forces charged. We'll continue over the next few days with looks at that part of the battlefield, but in the meantime you can explore the Prairie Grove Battlefield in its entirety by going to www.exploresouthernhistory.com. When you get there, just scroll down the page to the Index section and look for the Battle of Prairie link under the "Arkansas" heading.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - Borden House

As the Battlefield Trail at Prairie Grove winds through the scene of some of the heaviest action of the battle, it passes the Borden House, a beautiful old historic structure that is now preserved as part of the state park. The current structure was built immediately following the war on the foundations of the original, which was destroyed during the battle.

When Hindman's Confederates formed on the ridge at Prairie Grove on the morning of December 7, 1862, their right flank was anchored on the grounds surrounding the Borden House. An artillery battery was put in position on the crest of the ridge within site of the house and men took up positions stretching along the slope in front of the house.

The Federals charged up the ridge at 1 p.m. and succeeded in capturing the cannon near the Borden House. Surging forward, they poured around the house and into the orchard to its rear. The Confederates responded, however, by ranging the orchard on three sides and pouring fire into the exhausted Union soldiers. Unable to withstand the onslaught, they began to fall back down the ridge, the Confederates storming behind them. The Southern troops made a fatal mistake, however, and pursued the retreating Federals down the ridge only to find their ranks shredded by heavy Union fire.

And so the battle continued for hours. The Union soldiers would storm up the ridge, only to be driven back. The Confederates would storm down after them, only to be driven back themselves. By the end of the day, the Confederates still held the ridge and the Federals were still in position in the prairie below.

Eyewitness accounts estimated that as many as 250 men fell in the yards around the Borden House, making it one of the bloodiest spots of the Civil War. The home was burned to the ground at the end of the battle, but the family rebuilt it after the war, using the same foundations as the original.

Keep checking back for more posts on the Battle of Prairie Grove and the Civil War in Arkansas. In the meantime, you can read more by going to www.exploresouthernhistory.com and scrolling down the page to the Index section. Just look for the Arkansas heading and you'll find links to Prairie Grove, Pea Ridge, Massard Prairie, Devil's Backbone and other Arkansas Civil War sites of interest.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - First Union attacks

This view from the Battlefield Trail at Prairie Grove Battlefield shows the well preserved ground across which the Union army launched its massive attacks on the ridge top positions of General Hindman's Confederate Army.

The Confederate line was positioned atop the ridge from the spot where this photograph was taken. The Union forces formed on the prairie below and advanced in formation to the foot of the ridge before charging up into the face of the Southern artillery and muskets.

There were repeated charges up and down this ridge throughout the day of December 7, 1862. The Union troops would charge up and be thrown back. The Confederates would then counterattack but be forced back themselves by fierce Federal fire. The scene was enacted repeatedly through the course of the day, but by sundown the two armies retained their primary positions and the battle on the Confederate right flank, where this fighting took place, had ended in a tactical draw.

We'll continue to post more on the Prairie Grove battlefield over the next few days, but until then you can read more by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com and scrolling down to the Index section and following the "Battle of Prairie Grove" link under the "Arkansas" heading.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - Ozarks Village

The first section of the Battlefield Trail at Prairie Grove Battlefield passes through a fascinating collection of historic structures saved from locations around the Ozark Plateau. None of these buildings were originally on the battlefield, but they were saved by the community and relocated to the site to provide visitors with a good understanding of the normal homes, churches and schools in the region during the Civil War. Beautifully restored and maintained, the village represents one of the few places that life in the Ozarks as it was lived during the 1860s can still be experienced.

The village area does not intrude on the primary battlefield and provides an interesting step back in time for visitors as they leave the modern park facilities around the visitor center and begin their walk through the battlefield.

We will continue our look at Prairie Grove over the next few days with more photographs and postings. In the meantime, visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com for more information on the battlefield. Just scroll down the page to the index and you will see the link under the "Arkansas" heading.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - Battlefield Trail

This photograph shows the beginning of the Battlefield Trail at Prairie Grove. A one mile paved loop, the trail leads through the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the Battle of Prairie Grove.

The trial loops through the eastern end of the battlefield, following the Confederate lines to near the right flank and then dipping down the ridge and leading through the area across which the Union forces charged over and over again in futile efforts to drive the Confederates off the ridge above. Interpretive plaques along the trail help interpret key moments of the battle.

This section of the Prairie Grove Battlefield is one of the best preserved Civil War sites in the nation. The ridge still provides a commanding view of the fields across which the Union troops advanced and much of the core battlefield area has been saved. Among the highlights along the trail are the historic Borden house, ground across which both Union and Confederate charges took place and the scene where a Union officer won the Congressional Medal of Honor.

We'll look closer at specific sites along the trail over the coming days. In the meantime, feel free to learn more about the Battle of Prairie Grove by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Simply scroll down the page and look for the link under the "Arkansas" category.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - Rhea's Mill

We continue our look at the Prairie Grove Battlefield in Northwest Arkansas. One of the focal points of the park is the chimney from Rhea's Mill.

Originally located 6 miles northwest of the battlefield, the 55-foot high chimney was donated to the park in 1957. Relocated to Prairie Grove and carefully reconstructed, it now serves as an imposing monument to the men who fought here on December 7, 1862.

During the actual Battle of Prairie Grove, Rhea's Mill served as a concentration point for the supply train of General J.G. Blunt's Union Army of the Frontier. The mill was considered a relatively safe location, due to its distance behind the Union lines during the battle.

We will continue our look at the Prairie Grove Battlefield over the next few days. In the meantime, you can see additional photographs of the park, read official battle reports and learn more about the Battle of Prairie Grove by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Simply scroll down the page to the index section and click the link for the "Battle of Prairie Grove."

Prairie Grove Battlefield - Hindman Hall

Continuing our look at Prairie Grove Battlefield in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, this photograph shows Hindman Hall, the interpretive center, museum and book store for the park. In addition to museum exhibits featuring artifacts from the battlefield, Hindman Hall also offers an interpretive video on the Battle of Prairie Grove.

Visitors to the battlefield can also obtain tour brochures and an audio tour at the center. Located immediately adjacent to Hindman Hall are key battlefield areas, including a sector of the Confederate lines, monuments, markers and the chimney from the historic Rhea mill. Originally located on a site several miles away from the battlefield, the chimney was reassembled and restored at Prairie Grove to serve as a towering monument to the battle.

As always, you can read more about the Battle of Prairie Grove at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Just scroll down to the index and look for the link.

Prairie Grove Battlefield - Prairie Grove, Arkansas

The photograph at right shows the entrance to the Battlefield Trail at Prairie Grove Battlefield, a state park in the picturesque community of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.

One of the key features of the park, the one mile paved trail loops around the ridge where the Confederate right flank was posted during the December 7, 1862, battle. This was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

The Battle of Prairie Grove took place when Confederate General Thomas C. Hindman pushed north across the Boston Mountains, hoping to catch the divided Union Army of the Frontier by surprise. He wound up battling both wings of the Northern army at Prairie Grove, where the Confederates were able to use a strong position to beat back repeated attacks by the Federal forces. By sundown on December 7th, tens of thousands of men had spent the day slaughtering each other on the now hallowed ground at Prairie Grove.

I'll be posting more on the Prairie Grove Battlefield over the next few days, but in the meantime please visit my Prairie Grove site at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1 for photographs, official reports and an in depth account of the Battle of Prairie Grove.