March 3, 1862 - Van Dorn reaches the Boston Mountains

Confederate Camp in Boston Mountains

On March 3, 1862, 150 years ago today, Confederate General Earl Van Dorn reached the camps of the combined forces of Sterling Price and Ben McCulloch in the Boston Mountains between Fayetteville and the Arkansas River:

...[B]eing satisfied that the enemy, who had halted at Sugar Creek, 55 miles distant, was only waiting large re-enforcements before he would advance, I resolved to attack him at once. Accordingly I sent for General Pike to join me near Elm Springs with the forces under his command. - Gen. Earl Van Dorn, March 27, 1862.

Van Dorn's plan was solid, but he was so determined to attack that he moved before he had a full understanding of the logistics of the situation facing him. As a result he would outrace his supplies, a critical mistake if the coming battle should last for more than one day.

Gen. Albert Pike, CSA

On the same day, even before receiving the commanding general's orders, General Albert Pike had marched from Park Hill in the Cherokee Nation with O.C. Welch's squadron of Texans, the First Choctaw and Chickasaw Regiment and Colonel D.N. McIntosh's Creek Regiment. His immediate objectives were the towns of Evansville and Cincinnati, on the border between Arkansas and the Cherokee Nation. Colonel Stand Watie was waiting in Cincinnati with his Second Mounted Cherokee Rifles and would join Pike's force as he advanced.

Col. Stand Watie, CSA

Van Dorn, meanwhile, would march out from the camps in the Boston Mountains the next morning and engage the Federals at Pea Ridge just three days later on the 7th. 


His strategy was to swing around the right flank of the Union army of General Samuel Curtis, which was then encamped and entrenched on the north side of Sugar Creek in Benton County, Arkansas. If he could carry out this movement quickly and without being detected, Van Dorn believed he could launch simultaneous attacks on Curtis's right flank and rear, destroying the Union army before it knew what had hit it.


I will continue to post on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge tomorrow, so check back then to learn about the Confederate march from the mountains. Until then you can read more about the Battle of Pea Ridge at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

March 2, 1862 - Van Dorn approaches the Scene of Action

Gen. Earl Van Dorn, CSA

March 2, 1862, 150 years ago today, found Confederate General Earl Van Dorn approaching the scene of the action in Northwest Arkansas.

He was in Pocahontas on February 22, 1862, when he learned that Springfield, Missouri, had fallen and that General Sterling Price's Missouri State Guard was retreating into Arkansas:

...I received dispatches on February 22, informing me that General Price had rapidly fallen back from Springfield before a superior force of the enemy, and was endeavoring to form a junction with the division of General McCulloch in Boston Mountains. For reasons which seemed to me imperative I resolved to go in person and take command of the combined forces of Price and McCulloch. - Gen. Earl Van Dorn, CSA, March 27, 1862.

Arkansas River

The magnitude of the emergency was evident and Van Dorn began to move. At the same time, the Confederate forces in the Boston Mountains continued to rest and regain their strength. Supplies flowed up from the Arkansas River and news came from west of the line that General Albert Pike was approaching with a large force of Native American Confederates. 

With Van Dorn on hand to overrule any disputes that might arise from the long-standing bickering between Generals Price and McCulloch, the Confederate army would be ready to defend itself. 

The Confederate commander had more in mind than just defense, however, and would prove it the next day. Although he was sick with fever, Van Dorn was as aggressive as ever and dreamed not just of defeating Curtis in Northwest Arkansas, but of taking Missouri and marching on St. Louis. This dream would lead him to undertake a bold gamble. He would show his hand in just five days at the Battle of Pea Ridge.

Be sure to check back tomorrow as I post on the Confederate army's advance to Pea Ridge. You can learn more about the battle anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.
 

Pea Ridge #15 - Arkansas Rallies to oppose the Invasion

As General Earl Van Dorn scrambled to pull together a Confederate army to oppose the occupation of Northwest Arkansas by strong Federal forces, he was gratified by the speed with which the men of Arkansas responded to his call.

Boston Mountains of Arkansas

The following report from the Pocahontas Herald appeared in the Louisiana Daily True Delta on March 4, 1862. While the report was not dated, it appears to have been written around the first of March (150 years ago today) and details the rapid movement of men from throughout Arkansas to the Boston Mountains:

ARKANSAS RALLYING. - From all parts of the State, says the Pocahontas Herald, we hear the most flattering acconts of volunteering, and think that by the 5th of March over 10,000 sons of Arkansas will have enrolled their names and offered their services for the glorious cause of liberty and southern rights. In this county alone, fully three hundred men will go forth to battle under the late call, and we hear that other counties adjoining us are doing nearly as well. To talk of drafting Arkansians is sheer nonsense. If the men are needed all that is necessary is to call them out and furnish them guns to fight with. - Louisiana Daily True Delta, March 4, 1862.

Arkansas River landing at Van Buren

The men were reinforcements for the forces of Confederate Generals Ben McCulloch, Sterling Price and James McIntosh, all of which were positioned south of the Boston Mountains ridge in Crawford County.

Although Union General Samuel Curtis did not know it, the initiative that he had maintained so well in his advance down through Missouri and into Arkansas was now beginning to shift. A naturally aggressive officer, Van Dorn would move with characteristic speed to try to destroy his Federal counterpart. The Battle of Pea Ridge was now less than one week away.

In addition to the rapid movement of men, cannon and supplies to the south side of the Boston Mountains near Van Buren, troops also were on the march from the Indian Territory of today's Oklahoma. Brigadier General Albert Pike had marched for Northwest Arkansas on February 28th and was slowly moving for the Arkansas line near which he expected to link up with the Cherokee troops of Colonel Stand Watie. Together they would move thousands of Native American troops forward to take part in the Battle of Pea Ridge.

I will begin to accelerate my postings on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge tomorrow, so be sure to check back regularly. You can also read more anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.
 

Pea Ridge #14 - Gen. Albert Pike prepares to move to Arkansas

Fort Gibson Historic Site

On February 15, 1862, 150 years ago today, Brigadier General Albert Pike began his efforts to bring reinforcements to the Confederate troops in the Boston Mountains from the Indian Territory of what is now Oklahoma.

Pike was then in command of Confederate forces in the Nations and had been instrumental in organizing a significant force there and pushing pro-Union Indian troops into Kansas. As the call for help went out from Northwest Arkansas, he prepared to move to the support of Price and McCulloch:

Gen. Albert Pike, CSA

...On February 25 I reached Cantonment Davis, near Fort Gibson, with Colonel Cooper's Choctaw and Chickasaw battalion, which had been encamped near the mouth of the Canadian. The same evening Col. D.N. McIntosh's regiment of Creeks arrived at the same point. I had in charge a large amount of coin and other moneys for the different Indian tribes, and found delegations of the Osages, Comanches, and Reserve Indians awaiting me, and the disposition of the moneys left unexpectedly in my hands, together with the dealings with the Indian tribes, detained me there three days. - Gen. Albert Pike, CSA, March 14, 1862.

Fort Gibson had long been an important landmark of the western frontier. Established in 1824, it was the "end point" of the Train of Tears and as such was the place where thousands of Native American families ended their long forced march to new land west of the Mississippi. It was occupied by Confederate troops early in the war and was the setting for several important councils with the various Indian nations.

Fort Gibson Historic Site

The Indians had entered the service of the Confederacy on the condition that they not be expected to cross the borders of their territory. In asking them to do so, Pike was making a major request. They were willing to do so, but insisted they receive their disbursements from the Confederate government first:

The Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Creeks refused to march until they were paid off, and as by their treaties with us they could not be taken out of the Indian country without their consent, I had no alternative but to submit. The payment of the Choctaws and Chickasaws occupied three days. - Gen. Albert Pike, CSA, March 14, 1862.


Pike and his men would play a significant role in the coming Battle of Pea Ridge. I will continue to post on the 150th anniversary of the Pea Ridge Campaign, with attention on the role of the Indian troops in it, over coming days, so be sure to check back often.  You can also read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

You can learn more about historic Fort Gibson at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okfortgibson.
 
 

Pea Ridge #12 - The Union Army rests at Sugar Creek

Map showing Pea Ridge Battlefield and Sugar Creek (at top)

News reports the front in Northwest Arkansas began to appear in regional newspapers on February 21, 1862, 150 years ago today.

 A special correspondent to the St. Louis Democrat got a message out from Springfield the previous evening. He reported that the main army was continuing to rest at Sugar Creek, near what would soon become the Pea Ridge Battlefield:

A messenger left our army at 10 o'clock A.M. yesterday, and reached here at 4 P.M. to-day. The army retsed at Sugar Creek, eight miles beyond the Arkansas State line.

Since the skirmish on Monday fourteen of the enemy were ascertained to be killed and three wounded. Capt. Switzler received a severe wound int he neck. Adjutant-General McKinney is wounded, though not dangerously. Our troops were bivouacking about eight miles from Cross Hollow, where Price had taken up his quarters. Cross Hollow is a deep ravine, through which runs the Fayetteville road, and is crossed by two other ravines, forming a level area in the valley between the salient point of six promontories. - Report to St. Louis Democrat dated Springfield, Missouri, February 20, 1862.

Topographic Map. Camps were along Creek at bottom.

The reports indicated that a battle was soon expected between General Curtis' Union Army and the Confederate force under Generals Price and McCulloch.

Later in the day a second report came in, describing the Battle of Dunigan's Farm which had taken place four days earlier (see: Pea Ridge #9 - The Battle of Dunigan's Farm).

Second Dispatch - Springfield, Mo., Feb. 20 - From the escort which accompanied the messenger from General Curtis to this place I have gathered some additional particulars of the skirmish at Sugar Creek on Monday. The enemy were concealed in the woods which line both sides of the road. The country is broken, hilly woodland. The First Missouri Cavalry, while charging up the hill, were fired upon by the ambushed foe concealed beyind the trees. After receiving a murderous fire, inw hich thirteen of our men fell and five were wounded, the cavalry fell back and formed in line. Major Brown came up and shelled the woods with his mountain howitzers. The enemy replied with their artillery. The latter ceased firing, and our advance fell back to their camp. Major Brown was wounded in the wrist. Capt. Switzler, of Wright's Battalion, Fourth Cavalry, and Major T.C. McKinney, assistant adjutant-general, are also reported among the wounded. - Report to St. Louis Democrat, dated Springfield, Missouri, February 20, 1862.

The report indicated that a number of Confederates had been captured but otherwise noted that details were meager.

Contrary to the first report, there was no real prospect of an immediate battle. Both armies took advantage of the lull to rest and and reorganize after the first phase of the campaign. Both had been in constant motion for weeks and the rest was needed.

I will continue posting on the 150th anniversary of the Pea Ridge Campaign in coming days, so check back often. You can read more about the Battle of Pea Ridge anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

Pea Ridge #5 - Skirmish at Marshfield, Missouri

Union Approach to Springfield
Springfield at lower left, Marshfield in middle right, Bolivar at upper left.

The afternoon of February 9, 1862,150 years ago today, found General Samuel Curtis 18 miles in advance of Lebanon, pushing for Springfield, Missouri. The Pea Ridge Campaign was picking up speed.

Curtis's immediate objective was Springfield, Missouri, where Confederate General Sterling Price's Missouri State Guard lay in wait. All signs were that Price was preparing to retreat into Northwest Arkansas where he would be reinforced by thousands of men under Generals Ben McCulloch and James McIntosh, but there was no way for Curtis to know for sure.

One thing was for certain, his cavalry was getting closer and closer to Springfield. The First Missouri Cavalry (US), for example, had driven to Bolivar just 30 miles north of Price's headquarters. There they had captured a few stragglers, a heard of 125 cattle while "carrying terror and astonishment due north of Springfield."

Gen. Samuel Curtis, USA
National Archives

At Marshfield, 26 miles northeast of Springfield, a sharp skirmish took place when another Federal cavalry force entered the town:

...[A]t 4 o'clock a cavalry battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Wright, entered Marshfield, routing and pursuing a small party of the enemy's force that was running the mill. Pursuit was made, and Captain Montgomery overtook them, killing 2, wounding 3, taking 3 prisoners, several slaves, 3 Government mule teams, 2 common teams, all loaded with wheat designed for the enemy. None of our men were hurt. - Gen. Samuel Curtis, CSA, February 10, 1862.

Curtis reported that he was pleased with his march so far and that the latest intelligence indicated that Price was still in Springfield. Firing could be heard from that direction.

What that firing was is unclear. The presence of Union cavalry in both Bolivar and Marshfield told General Price that he was being approached from both the North and Northeast and that Federal troops were now within a single day's ride of his position at Springfield. Curtis's infantry, he knew, could not be far behind.

The time was coming when Price would have to either retreat or fight. And it was coming fast.

I will continue to post on the 150th anniversary of the Pea Ridge Campaign over coming days and weeks, so check back often. You can learn more about the Battle of Pea Ridge anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

Pea Ridge #4 - Signs of a Retreat into Arkansas

Gen. Sterling Price, CSA

A report from a war correspondent in Rolla, Missouri, 150 years ago today included information that indicated General Sterling Price was preparing to evacuate Springfield, Missouri.

The Union army was clearly about to descend upon him and, while the writer does not seem to have fully understood what he was reporting, his dispatch clearly indicated that Price was getting ready to withdraw his Confederate forces into Northwest Arkansas.

While first noting claims that Price had told the Confederate soldiers of the Missouri State Guard that they were surrounded and must must, the reporter went on to note clear intelligence that a retreat might be in the works. The Confederate general, he reported, was collecting "large supplies of provisions ont he road leading from Springfield to Fayetteville."

Old Wire Road between Springfield and Fayetteville
National Park Service

The pro-Union writer seems to have interpreted this as an indication that Price was receiving large reinforcements from Arkansas, but in reality he appears to have been positioning supplies in anticipation of a retreat by his men from Springfield south into Benton County, Arkansas.

The journalist's interpretation of what the Union army was up to was much more accurate:



Gen. Franz Sigel, USA
National Archives

...The news from the West indicates that the preparations against the enemy are nearly completed. The forces for this movement are nearly all concentrated at the point where it is intended to move against the Rebels. In a few days the whole command will probably be on the march Westward. Generals SIGEL and ASBOTH'S divisions have reached Lebanon, and Major WRIGHT'S battalion of cavalry has moved thirteen miles west of that point. - Unnamed Correspondent reporting from Rolla, Misosuri, February 8, 1862.

The division of Colonel Jefferson C. Davis, meanwhile, was reported to be nearing Lebanon.

The leading cavalry of the Union army was now within 40 miles of Springfield and the first significant skirmishing of the Pea Ridge Campaign would take place the next day.

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

Ben McCulloch's Command in Arkansas

Gen. Ben McCulloch, C.S.A.

January of 1862 (150 years ago) found Brigadier General Ben McCulloch's command in winter camp in Northwest Arkansas.
McCulloch was already a hero in Texas, where he had gone from Tennessee in 1835 to link up with David Crockett's men. A case of the measles kept Ben and his brother from reaching their planned rendezvous with Crockett in time and actually saved the future general's life by preventing him from being one of the men who died with the famed Tennessean at the Alamo. He did go on to command a cannon at the Battle of San Jacinto, where Texas won its independence in 1836.

Over the next 25 years, Ben McCulloch developed a reputation as a Texas Ranger, soldier and political leader. Commissioned a colonel by Southern president Jefferson Davis, he accepted the surrender of U.S. forces in Texas on February 16, 1861. Sent almost immediately to serve in Arkansas and the Indian Nations of what is now Oklahoma, he was given his general's star on May 11th.

McCulloch defeated the Union forces at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri, in August of 1861 and by that winter had his men in position in the hills and valleys of the Ozark plateau of Northwest Arkansas. He left his camps there and went to Richmond to meet with authorities in the Confederate capital about the situation west of the Mississippi, the condition of his men and his ongoing disagreements with Missouri general Sterling Price.  The two men did not get along.

Cannon at Pea Ridge National Military Park

An account of this trip appeared in Southern newspapers in January:

...The purpose of Gen. Ben McCulloch's visit to Richmond is to superintend the procuring of arms for his command, now performing the duty assigned by Government of protecting the Indian territory and the northwestern border of Arkansas from incursions of the enemy from Kansas. Although injurious criticisms have been made by journalists who write without a knowledge of the facts, his movements and objects are well understood and appreciated by his troops and approved by the Government. He has co-operated with Gen. Price in Missouri, as far as he could do so consistently with the duty assigned him of guarding the frontier, and, so far from his army remaining inactive at present, the recent fight of a portion of it under Col. McIntosh bespeaks anything but indifference to the cause or a disposition to shrink from the dangers of the campaign.

McCulloch returned to Arkansas following his trip to Richmond and both he and Price, along with General Albert Pike, would serve under General Earl Van Dorn's command in the coming Pea Ridge Campaign and at the Battle of Pea Ridge.

You can read more about Pea Ridge at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

January of 1862: Fleeing from Missouri into Arkansas

Gen. Sterling Price, C.S.A.

In a letter dated January 4, 1862, a correspondent of the Missouri Republican newspaper reported that a mass exodus of both people and military supplies was underway out of the "Show Me State" and into Arkansas.
The report was based largely on conversations with a Union prisoner of war just returned to Federal lines from General Sterling Price's Confederate army, then based at Springfield, Missouri. The released prisoner saw signs that Price himself was preparing to fall back into Northwest Arkansas, despite claims to the contrary:

...[I]f not intending to retire further South, they are at least making every preparation necessary for a hasty retreat in the event of an attack. Besides driving all the hogs South, they are gathering up all the horses, mules and wagons in the country. If it is their design to remain in Springfield this winter, it is difficult to account for their preparation of means of transportation. Moreover, the Secessionists themselves with their families, are retiring into Arkansas.

Similarly, the former p.o.w. mentioned that the people of Missouri were removing their slaves south into Arkansas in large numbers:

Elkhorn Tavern at Pea Ridge National Military Park

...Of these there is a constant daily emigration, sometimes as high as a hundred passing in one day. This was through the one point of Springfield, whilst...an equally large number were reported going South through Greenfield. It is thus secession and war protects the peculiar institution. I understood these slaves are chiefly from Central Missouri, and it was reported in Springfield...that a gang of one hundred and fifty slaves, from the Missouri river counties, was recently captured by our troops under Jennison and Montgomery.

The report was carried in many Northern newspapers and was indicative of the chaos then taking place along the border between Arkansas and Missouri. It provides a good account of the general exodus of Secessionist citizens south from Missouri into Arkansas in the months leading up to the Pea Ridge Campaign.

As the citizens fled into Arkansas 150 years ago this month, the Battle of Pea Ridge was only two months away.  You can read more about that battle by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

The Battle of Van Buren, Arkansas - Part Seven

As darkness fell on December 28, 1862, cannon fire again erupted along the Arkansas River.

The fighting this time took place at Strain's Landing, a few miles downriver (east) from the Van Buren riverfront. Confederate Gen. Hindman reported that his forces engaged in an exchange with Union forces on the opposite bank of the river. Gen. Blunt confirmed this in his report of the expedition, indicating that he had shelled Confederate encampments on the opposite side of the Arkansas from a point about five miles below Van Buren.

The artillery exchange continued for about 2 hours before the firing finally died off for the night. Total casualties are unknown, but appear to have been light.

Gen. Blunt sent a dispatch north to his commanding officer, Gen. Samuel Curtis, that night, reporting the events of the day and indicating that unless the Confederates withdrew from opposite him, he planned to cross the Arkansas River the next morning and engage them. How serious he was about this is not known. Crossing the wide river under Confederate artillery fire would have been an extremely risky operation, but Blunt was a bold and capable commander.

The fight on the Fort Smith side of the river never materialized, however. During the night, Gen. Hindman withdrew from his encampments around Fort Smith. His army was so battered following the horrific fight earlier in the month at Prairie Grove that it was literally falling apart on him. He pulled out heading east for Clarksville, leaving his sick and wounded behind at Fort Smith.

Because he had no established supply lines, Blunt did not attempt to occupy Fort Smith, but instead withdrew back across the Boston Mountains to Northwest Arkansas. His Van Buren expedition had been a startling success, carried out in the middle of winter in extremely difficult conditions.

Union casualties during the expedition were extremely light considering the nature and size of the engagement. Hindman did not report Confederate casualties, but they do not appear to have been heavy.

This concludes our series on the Battle of Van Buren, Arkansas. To read more and see additional photographs, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vanburenbattle1.

The Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas

This week marks the 148th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. This massive engagement was found across thousands of acres of beautiful Ozark Plateau countryside in Northwest Arkansas on March 7-8, 1865.

Also called the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, the Battle of Pea Ridge was one of the largest battles ever fought west of the Mississippi River and was also one of the largest battles of the first year of the Civil War. The site today is preserved at Pea Ridge National Military Park, an outstanding national park area in Benton County, Arkansas.

Beginning tomorrow, we will begin a multi-part series on the Battle of Pea Ridge. We will look at the strategy and tactics of the battle and share photographs of the battlefield as it appears today. Until then, if you would like to read more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/pearidgeindex.

The Boston Mountains of Arkansas

In our just completed series on the Battle of Dripping Springs, Arkansas, the Boston Mountains were mentioned several times. This range of the Ozark Hills stretches east to west between Van Buren and Fayetteville and was of considerable significance during the Civil War.

The Boston Mountains form a natural barrier between the Ozark Plateau of Northwest Arkansas and the lowlands of the Arkansas River Valley. Rough country, interrupted by deep ravines and valleys, the mountains were a serious factor in the movement of large bodies of troops in western Arkansas.

Prior to the Battle of Pea Ridge, for example, General Sterling Price withdrew into the mountains to shelter his army from the advancing Federal troops until he could be joined by reinforcements.

The Boston Mountains again played a critical factor in the Battle of Cane Hill (Canehill), Arkansas by providing Confederate forces with a route of retreat and suitable terrain to lay an ambush for their Federal pursuers.

The mountains shielded General Thomas C. Hindman's Confederates as they marched north to the Battle of Prairie Grove, allowing him to flank the Union force at Cane Hill before he was detected.

Over the next few days, we will look at some of the Civil War sites in the Boston Mountains and explore more of their rich history. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest!

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Although the city itself dates from the post-Civil War years, you will find bits and pieces of Union and Confederate history around Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

The beautiful little Victorian city is a major Southern destination and a great place to stay if you are exploring the Civil War sites of Northwest Arkansas and Southern Missouri.

I've just launched a new Eureka Springs section that you might find of interest at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Just follow the link and look for the heading on the main page.