January 22, 1862 - Industry in Arkansas on the eve of the Pea Ridge Campaign

War Eagle Mill
War Eagle, Arkansas

The following excellent account of industry in Arkansas on the eve of the Pea Ridge Campaign appeared in newspapers across the country (both North and South) during the third week of January, 1862.
Newspapers in those days did not rely on wire services as they do today, but instead clipped interesting articles from other papers and reprinted them. I found this account fascinating because it listed such a variety of developing industries in such a variety of locations during the early years of the Civil War in Arkansas:

(From the Little Rock True Democrat)

Chimney from Rhea's Mills
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

"There is a tobacco factory in Bentonville, in Benton county, which is said to be a paying institution. The tobacco crop is getting to be an important one in the Northwest. There is a large cotton factory in Washington county. The cotton factory at Van Buren is a large affair, and in addition to spindles has cards for wool. Mr. Tobey, of Norristown, Pope county, has, or will soon have, his cotton factory in operation. There is also a cotton factory in Pike county. In Newton county they have large saltpetre works, and are turning out large quantities. In Independence, and perhaps other counties, there are fine saltpetre caves which are being worked. The rich lead mines in Newton county are rudely worked. The Bellah mines in Sevier county are also yielding lead. We are told there is copper in that region, and sulphur, and sulphuric acid can be made there. Salt is made on the White river and down near the Louisiana line. The salt works on the Ouachita are in the hands of enterprising men.

Arkansas Cave
Saltpetre was mined from caves in Newton County

"There is an unlimited supply of brine, and we are told that Messrs. Harley & Co. have commenced boiling and making salt. They hav ea foundry at Camden which turns out cannon, and sent a battery, under command of Captain Reed, to Oak Hills. We have two foundries at Little Rock, one of which furnished grapeshot for the army. At Hopefield, opposite Memphis, the machine shop of the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad has been turned into an armory, and is altering and repairing guns, &c. Several extensive tanneries have been started at various points in the State, whereat hides are tanned by the process lately discovered. The Messrs. Dyer, of this city, have a soap and candle factory in operation. At the Arsenal there is an armory under the control of the Confederacy, but the necessary machinery has not yet arrived. The Arkansas penitentiary has turned out gun carriages, caissons, wagons, boots, shoes, clothing and many other things needed for the army. A manufactury of coal oil is in progress on the Ouachita river. While on this subject we may remark that that there is good coal at several points on the upper Arkansas, in Perry, Johnson, Franklin and Sebastian counties. In some places it is immediately on the river bank, and when the river rises we expect the coal trade will become an important one, provided the river rises before the cold weather ceases."

Quartermaster's Storehouse
Fort Smith National Historic Site

It is clear from this report that Arkansas was getting into the "business of war" on a large scale and individual industries were turning out anything from gunpowder ingredients to cannon. The existence of such an industrial boom in the state shows how the developing Confederate army in Northwest Arkansas was able to equip and supply itself for the coming campaign.

I will continue posting on the 150th anniversary of the Pea Ridge Campaign during coming days and weeks. You can always read more about the battle at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/dalecox.

Historic Sites of the Prairie Grove Campaign

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

I've spent the last three weeks looking at events associated with the Battle of Prairie Grove and the Prairie Grove Campaign, which took place 149 years ago this year. I thought telling you about some of the sites of the campaign as they appear today might be a good way to wrap up the series.

I have arranged these in order beginning with Prairie Grove battlefield.

Borden Orchard at Prairie Grove Battlefield

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

One of America's most beautifully maintained Civil War sites, Prairie Grove Battlefield is a state and national historical treasure. Located at 506 E. Douglas Street in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, the park is only 18 minutes from downtown Fayetteville. From I-540 through Northwest Arkansas, take the Farmington exit (#62) and follow U.S. 62 West 9 miles to the battlefield.

The park preserves the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the Battle of Prairie Grove, including the right flank of the Confederate line where Herron launched his bloody assaults, the Borden house and orchard (the house was rebuilt by the family after the war on the same foundations) and the ground across which Herron's attacks were launched. A number of historic structures are preserved at the park, which also features a museum, interpretive panels, cannon, monuments and a one-mile Battlefield Trail that loops through areas of heavy fighting. A driving tour takes visitors to other key points of the battlefield, including an overlook on the western end of the battlefield.

The park is open daily from 8 a.m. until one hour after sunset and also offers a picnic area, playground, restrooms, etc.  To learn more, please visit the park service website at: http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/prairiegrovebattlefield/.

You can read more about the battle and see photos of the battlefield at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

Battle of Cane Hill Historical Marker

Cane Hill Battlefield

While the Cane Hill Battlefield has not been developed as a park, efforts are currently underway to create a driving tour and install interpretive signage. The first of the panels are now up, including one at the town cemetery.

To reach Canehill (as it is spelled today) from Prairie Grove, follow U.S. 62 West for 4.8 miles then turn left (south) on AR-45 and follow it for 3.4 miles. There is a Battle of Cane Hill marker on AR-45. Be sure to see the interpretive panel at the cemetery and check out the historic Cane Hill College building on College Road one block west of AR-45. The existing building was built shortly after the Civil War, but the college was a major facility for learning when the war broke out.

Cane Hill Battlefield

The Battle of Cane Hill began just north of the college and flowed south for miles into the mountains. To view the battlefield from the highway, travel south along AR-45 for two miles to the intersection with Clyde Road. This drive takes you along the battlefield and you can view the terrain across which it was fought. The battle continued down what is now Clyde Road.

To follow the course of the fighting, follow Clyde Road for 1.4 miles to Four Corner Road. Turn left on Four Corner Road and follow it up and over Reed's Mountain (see below) for 4.4 miles to Cove Creek Road at the site of Morrow's Station (see below).  As you pass up and over the mountain, you are driving through one of the scenes of heavy fighting. Once you reach Cove Creek Road, turn right and drive until the road passes through a narrow area between the creek on your left and a rocky bluff on your right. This was the scene of the Confederate ambush that closed the fighting.

Please keep in mind that once you leaved the pavement, some of these dirt roads can be slick and difficult to travel during raining weather. Please exercise caution.

The staff at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park can provide additional information on the Battle of Cane Hill. You can also learn more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARCaneHill.

Reed's Mountain looking down to Morrow's Station

Reed's Mountain Battlefield

To reach the scene of the Reed's Mountain fight from Canehill, follow the directions given above for the Cane Hill Battlefield. The fighting took place along both sides of what is now Four Corner Road from the crest of the mountain down to the intersection with Cove Creek Road. There are no markers or other interpretation at the site. Please click here to learn more about the battle: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARReedsMountain.



Morrow's Station

Morrow's Station was located around the modern intersection of Four Corner Road and Cove Creek Road. It is often confused with the nearby town of Morrow, which also existed in 1862, but was actually at this site. There are no markers or other interpretation at the crossroads, but the Morrow Cemetery still exists just west of the intersection.

To reach Morrow's Station, follow the directions above for the Cane Hill Battlefield.

Cove Creek Road

Cove Creek Road

Cove Creek Road can be followed south from the Morrow's Station site into Crawford County or north from that point back to Prairie Grove. This was the main route followed by the Confederate army as it both advanced to and departed from the Battle of Prairie Grove.

Dripping Springs

Dripping Springs

To reach Dripping Springs, site of the Confederate cavalry camps, without getting lost in a myriad of small roads, I recommend that you retrace your steps from Cove Creek Road (as given above under Cane Hill Battlefield) back to the intersection of Clyde Road and AR 45. Turn left (south) on AR 45.

Follow AR 45 for 5.7 miles to the intersection with AR 59 at Dutch Mills. This community was an important landmark of the Civil War in Northwest Arkansas. Turn left on AR 59 and follow it south for 29 miles. Along the way you will pass through the stateline community of Evansville, to which Colonel Stand Watie advanced with his brigade of Confederate Cherokee during the campaign. Just south of Cedarville, look for the intersection with Uniontown Highway. A marker for the later Battle of Dripping Springs (fought later in December of 1862) can be seen just to the left of the intersection.

Turn right on Uniontown Highway and follow it roughly one mile to its intersection with Dripping Spring Road. Turn left on Dripping Spring Road and follow it for 6/10 of a mile to its intersection with Beverly Hills Drive and Old Uniontown Road. This is the site of Dripping Springs.

The Confederate cavalry camps were primarily on the hill to your left and the little spring that gives the crossroads its name is on private land to your right just beyond Old Uniontown Road. There are no markers at the site.

Confederate Section at Fairview Cemetery

Fairview Cemetery at Van Buren

To reach Fairview Cemetery at Van Buren from Dripping Springs, follow Old Uniontown Road for 4.4 miles to its intersection with AR 59.  Turn right on AR 59 and follow it for 2.7 miles until you see Fairview Cemetery on your left just after you travel down a steep hill.

In the Confederate section of Fairview Cemetery (in the northeast corner of the cemetery), you will find the graves of many of the Confederate wounded who died after the battle. Taken back to hospitals in Van Buren, they lingered in pain for weeks and months. A monument commemorates the role of these men in a series of battles including Wilson's Creek (Oak Hill), Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, etc.

Be sure to take time to walk through other areas of the historic cemetery, where you will find the graves of many people of importance to early Arkansas history.  To learn more about Fairview Cemetery, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fairviewcemetery.html.

Main Street in Van Buren

Van Buren

From Fairview Cemetery, follow AR 59 (Fayetteville Road) south for three blocks to the train depot at Main Street.  The depot provides a great view down Main Street through the center of town.

Van Buren was the launching point for the Prairie Grove Campaign and was General Hindman's headquarters during the early stages of the campaign. It is now a charming, historic town with numerous shops, restaurants and other points of interest downtown. The historic Crawford County Courthouse a few blocks south on Main Street is of pre-Civil War construction and was a landmark of Van Buren at the time of the campaign. On its grounds can be found historical markers, monuments and the original log schoolhouse where Masonic leader and Confederate general Albert Pike once taught school. A park borders the Arkansas River at the south end of Main Street. 

Take some time and enjoy Van Buren and what this heritage minded city has to offer.  To learn more about Van Buren's history, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vanburen.

Barracks Building at Fort Smith

Fort Smith National Historic Site

Directly across the Arkansas River from Van Buren is the historic city of Fort Smith. The original
barracks and quartermaster's storehouse buildings of the fort still stand at Fort Smith National Historic Site.

The fort was used as a supply depot and command center by both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War and its museum features an outstanding exhibit on the Civil War in and around Fort Smith.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortsmith.html.


In addition to the sites I've discussed here, Fayetteville National Cemetery and Fayetteville Confederate Cemetery are definitely worth visiting. The remains of Union soldiers killed at Prairie Grove and Cane Hill are at the national cemetery, while the Confederate cemetery contains the graves of Confederate soliders killed in those fights.

Fayetteville Confederate Cemetery:  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fayettevillecc.html

Fayetteville National Cemetery:  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/arfayettevillenc.html

And, as always, you can learn more about the Prairie Grove Campaign at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

December 4, 1862: The March to Prairie Grove Continues...

Road followed by part of Hindman's Army

The more than 11,000 Confederates of General Thomas C. Hindman's Corps continued to move north from Van Buren 149 years ago today, pushing past Dripping Springs and into the edge of the mountains.
By nightfall the slow moving army had reached Oliver's store, then a well known landmark in northern Crawford County. Located north of Dripping Springs at the point where several roads merged as they came down out of the mountains, Oliver's was often mentioned in the reports of both armies during the Civil War. Hindman brought his men to a halt here and allowed them to rest as best they could through the night of December 4th.

They were so exhausted that they probably slept some, but hunger and cold kept many of them awake. His ill-supplied force was simply not able to move at the pace that Hindman had hoped, but he wisely opted not to repeat the mistakes made by Confederates earlier in the year when they outran their supplies and exhausted themselves prior to the Battle of Pea Ridge. The night of the 4th, then, was spent letting the men rest and eat as best as they could while his supply wagons and artillery came up.

View from Reeds Mountain down to Morrow's Station

Marmaduke's cavalry, numbering about 2,000, was pushed into the Boston Mountains on the 4th to watch for any signs of enemy scounting parties and also to check the condition of the roads. Hindman hopes to advance as far as Morrow's House the next day.

Morrow's House, or Morrow's Station, was actually a small settlement on Cove Creek a few miles southeast of Cane Hill (today spelled Canehill). The site is often confused with the modern community of Morrow, which is number of miles west of the point targeted by Hindman in 1862. Important roads then had stopping points or stations where travelers could get food for themselves and their horses or stop for the night. Morrow's Station was one such point, located where the road coming down Reeds Mountain from Cane Hill intersected with the Cove Creek Road.

1880 Map of Cane Hill area.
Morrow's Station is at lower right.

Morrow's Station was an important strategic point for Hindman. If he could get his army across the mountains and emerge there before the Union army knew he was coming, he would be in an excellent position for the coming battle. 

The Confederate general's plan was to concentrate his force at Morrow's Station. Marmaduke's cavalry would then continue up the Cove Creek Road and then turn northwest on the Maysville Road. This would allow the Southern horsemen to hit General Blunt's Union army on its left flank and from the rear.  At the same time, Hindman would advance with the infantry and most of the artillery up the road over Reeds Mountain and hit the Federals head on from excellent ground. If he could move as planned, the Confederate commander had a good chance of smashing the Union force occupying Cane Hill.

I will continue posting on the Prairie Grove Campaign over coming days, so be sure to check back regularly. To learn more until then, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

Also be sure to scroll down here to read more about the early stages of the campaign.

December 3, 1862: The March to Prairie Grove Begins

Crawford County Courthouse
Van Buren, Arkansas

On December 3, 1862, 149 years ago today, Confederate Major General Thomas C. Hindman began his march from Van Buren into the Boston Mountains. The move would reach its climactic moment four days later at the massive Battle of Prairie Grove.
Hindman's army consisted of the First Corps of what Confederate reports called the Trans-Mississippi Army. The column put in motion on the 3rd included roughly 9,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 22 pieces of field artillery. Supplies were limited and he did not have enough shoes or arms for all of his men and was forced to leave many behind.

Hindman's primary objective was Union Brigadier General James G. Blunt's force at Cane Hill. When Blunt had attacked and taken Cane Hill (now spelled Canehill) on December 28, he had placed himself in an advanced position far from the support of other Union troops under Brigadier General Francis J. Herron in southern Missouri. Hindman quickly recognized this opportunity and hoped to sweep across the mountains and destory Blunt before he could be reinforced:

Boston Mountains

...My intention was to attack Brigadier-General Blunt, on Cane Hill, reported to have between 7,000 and 8,000 men and 30 cannon. I expected... to return immediately after the engagement, having barely ammunition enough for one battle, and not sufficient subsistence and forage for seven days at half rations. These meager supplies had been accumulated with extreme difficulty by hauling in wagons of the general train and regiments 80 miles, my transportation being very limited, the country around me entirely exhausted, and the river two low for navigation. - Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman, December 25, 1862.

Hindman acknowledged at the time that his supply situation had become critical and he anticipated having to move his army to Little Rock soon. He felt for the security of the Arkansas River valley, however, that he needed to drive off Blunt before he went.

Marmaduke's cavalry division moved out ahead of the main force, leaving Dripping Springs with the main body of his horsemen on the Telegraph or Wire road that ran largely along ridge tops through the Boston Mountains. Smaller bodies of Confederate cavalry moved up parallel roads, scouting ahead of the infantry and artillery.

Van Buren, Arkansas
Confederate base in thePrairie Grove Campaign

To the west in the Cherokee Nation, Colonel Stand Watie was ordered to advance with his command to the community of Evansville on the Arkansas line. When he heard the sounds of battle, he was to move forward and, if possible, attack and take the enemy's supply wagons.

The main body then moved north on the Telegraph road from Van Buren, heading for the mountains. The column was long and the men were weak and hungry even before they started their march. As a result, the progress of the march was extremely slow. It would take three days for Hindman to emerge from the mountains at Prairie Grove, a distance that can be driven today by car in just a few minutes over an hour.

The move into the mountains was a bold gamble by Hindman, but one that had a good chance of working if he could put his army into position near Cane Hill before Blunt realized what was up. Destroying Blunt's command would open the door to all kinds of possibilities, the least of which would be the reoccupation of Northwest Arkansas by Confederate forces for the winter.  Hindman was careful not to give this as an objective, but the idea must have been on his mind.

I will continue to post on the Prairie Grove campaign over coming days, so be sure to check back regularly. Until the next post, you can read more about the Battle of Prairie Grove by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

November 28, 1862: The Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas

Historical Marker at Canehill, Arkansas

The first major fighting of the Prairie Grove Campaign took place 149 years ago today when Federal troops attacked three Confederate cavalry brigades at Cane Hill, Arkansas (now spelled Canehill).
Having advanced from his position at Camp Babcock north of Siloam Springs on November 27, 1862 (see An Attack in the Making), Union General James G. Blunt reached Cane Hill between 9 and 10 o'clock on the morning of the 28th. His force consisted of 5,000 men and 30 pieces of field artillery.

The Confederate force at Cane Hill was commanded by General John S. Marmaduke. Although Blunt reported that the Southern force numbered 8,000 men, the actual number was much smaller. The Confederates were severely outnumbered in terms of both men and artillery.

1880 Map of Cane Hill, Arkansas
The battle began near Cane Hill College at the top and
ended near Morrow's at the lower right.

The Battle of Cane Hill began when Blunt's forces attacked the Missouri brigade of Colonel "Fighting" Jo Shelby. These men were camped in the northernmost of the three villages along the Cane Hill ridge and although Shelby had been warned that the Federals were coming, he admitted that he was taken by surprise:

Having had due notice (eighteen hours previous) by the general commanding that the enemy were advancing, we endeavored to be on the alert, but I must confess (though it may reflect somewhat upon myself) that the enemy, by his skillful management, fell upon me sooner than I would have desired, considering that a portion of our division was encamped some distance in my rear and I had but little time to give them the notice required; yet I had sufficient time to place my men in their proper positions and await the coming of the hated foe. - Col. Joseph O. Shelby, Dec. 1, 1862.

Having pushed back Shelby's pickets in brisk skirmishing, Blunt moved up Captain John W. Rabb's Battery (2nd Indiana Light Artillery) along with the two light howitzers of the Second Kansas Cavalry. 

Site of Confederate Stand on Reed's Mountain

Each side later claimed that the other opened first. For the next hour or so, Shelby's two iron 6-pounders battled with the superior firepower of the Union guns. As this cannonade was underway, General Marmaduke came to the front and consulted with Shelby, who reported he had seen infantry supporting the Federal cannon. Viewing the situation in person, Marmaduke ordered Shelby to fall back to a high ridge 3/4's of a mile south where Colonel Emmett MacDonald had taken position with his cavalry brigade.

As the Confederates withdrew to their second position, the Federals followed and again formed for battle. After a sharp fight, the Southern forces again fell back to a previously identified third position.

This type of fight continued for the entire day. The outnumbered Confederates would take a good position, force the Federals to form lines of battle and bring forward their artillery and then, after a sharp encounter, fall back on yet another good position. The overall effect was that the Confederates were able to fight a slow retreat on ground of their own choosing throughout the day, instead of being routed from a single position by the much larger Union army.

The fight went back through the villages on Cane Hill and up and over Reed's Mountain into the Cove Creek valley.With darkness approaching and believing Marmaduke was now in full retreat, the Federals launched a direct cavalry attack down the Cove Creek road - and right into a trap.

Site of Ambush on Cove Creek Road

Taking advantage of a position where a steep bluff forced the road to run along a narrow strip or land or "funnel" between the rocks and the creek, the Confederates set up an ambush and the Union cavalry rode right into it:

The charge continued for about half a mile down the valley, to a point where it converged in a funnel shape, terminating in a narrow defile. At this point a large body of the enemy were in ambush in front and upon the flanks, where cavalry could not approach, with their battery also masked in front. As soon as the party we were pursuing had passed through the defile, they opened upon us a most destructive fire, which, for the moment, caused my men to recoil and give back, in spite of my own efforts and those of other officers to rally them... - Gen. James G. Blunt, Dec. 3, 1862.

A Confederate counterattack was driven back when officers - including General Blunt - were able to rally three companies of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry.

With darkness descending, the Battle of Cane Hill came to an end. The Confederates sent forward a flag of truce asking for a suspension of hostilities to remove their casualties from the field and the Federals agreed. Both sides took care of their wounded and during the night, Marmaduke and his cavalry slipped away into the Boston Mountains.

Casualties were fairly light considering the severity of the fighting and numbers of men involved, but this likely was the result of the nature of the fight with its constant stops and starts. I will look closer at the numbers in my next post.

The Battle of Cane Hill was a Union victory and as the day came to an end, Blunt and his men occupied the former Confederate positions. By winning the battle, however, he unwittingly played right into the hands of overall Confederate commander General Thomas C. Hindman, who was planning a much bigger operation.

To learn more about the Battle of Cane Hill, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARCaneHill.

To learn more about the Battle of Prairie Grove, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

November 25, 1862: First Skirmish near Cane Hill

Bell Tower at Cane Hill College

Having occupied the three villages at Cane Hill on November 24, 1862 (see yesterday's post), General John S. Marmaduke pushed scouting parties of Confederate troops north up the roads leading from the community.
The purpose was to find out if any Union troops were in the immediate vicinity of the three small cavalry brigades that Marmaduke had brought across the Boston Mountains. It did not take long before at least one of these small forces collided with Federal cavalry that was moving in the same area.

Gen. James G. Blunt, U.S.

General James G. Blunt, commanding the Union division Bcamped about 30 miles north at Camp Babcock (near today's Siloam Springs), reported that his cavalry forces engaged a large Confederate reconnoitering force somewhere between his camp and Cane Hill on November 25th (149 years ago today).  His men, he reported, "scattered" the Confederate cavalry, which fell back on its support at Cane Hill.  Neither side reported any casualties in the encounter.

A more serious concern for the Confederates, but one unknown to Marmaduke, was the presence of Union spies at Cane Hill. The identities of these men were never made public, but they spent the 25th collecting information on the Confederate brigades information that would be relayed to the Union forces the next day.

The spies, based on Blunt's reports, were not the best. They estimated there were 8,000 or more Confederate cavalrymen camped at Cane Hill, when the actual number was roughly one-third of that estimate. They did, however, obtain good information on the disposition of the three Confederate brigades, intelligence that Blunt would use to plan his coming attack on Cane Hill.

The Confederates, meanwhile, were active behind enemy lines as well. In a report to his commanding officer in Missouri, Blunt reported that units of Southern cavalry were hovering along supply lines trying to interrupt the movement of his supply wagons down from Missouri.

I will continue posting on the Prairie Grove Campaign over coming days, so be sure to check back often through the holiday weekend. Until the next post, you can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

November 24, 1862: Marmaduke crosses the Mountains

Edge of the Boston Mountains at Canehill

Following on the heels of the Union cavalry's reconnaissance to Van Buren (see yesterday's post), General John S. Marmaduke was ordered to follow it back across the Boston Mountains with his three brigades of Confederate horsemen.
Moving up the Cove Creek Road from the Dripping Springs area of Crawford County less than 24 hours after 600 Federals withdrew back across the mountains, Marmaduke emerged from the mountains at Cane Hill on November 24, 1862 (149 years ago today).

Combined, the three brigades under Marmaduke's command should have numbered well above 5,000 men, but this was not the case. A good example can be found in the reports of Colonel Charles A. Carroll's Arkansas Brigade. While his force on paper should have numbered some 1,700 men, Carroll had only 517. Of this number, in fact, only 200 were reported as "effective" while the remaining 317 were either sick or mounted on horses too worn down to be fit for service.

Looking down into Cove Creek Valley

The other Confederate brigades were in no better shape and Marmaduke's force moved up to Cane Hill at perhaps one-third strength. He did not even have sufficient horses to move his batteries of light artillery across the mountains.

It was a dangerous move to put a weak force within striking distance General James G. Blunt's Union Division in Northwest Arkansas, but Confederate commanders believed it to be a necessary one as they continued to prepare their full army for a move across the mountains.

Cane Hill (now spelled Canehill), which was occupied by Marmaduke's men on the night of the 24th, was then one of the most important communities in Northwest Arkansas. In the center of an agricultural area just above the mountains and about 20 miles southwest of Fayetteville, it was home to Cane Hill College, a mill and a small business community:

Cane Hill College (Post-War Building)

…Cane Hill is a ridge of perhaps 8 miles length and 5 miles width, in the southwest part of Washington County, Arkansas, just beyond the north base of the Boston Mountains. Three villages are built upon it (Russellville, Boonsborough, and Newburg), which almost blend with each other, covering a distance, as the road to Fayetteville runs, of 3 or 5 miles…. The distance from Van Buren to Newburg is 45 miles. The intermediate country is a rugged and sterile range of mountains. - Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman, C.S.A., Dec. 15, 1862.

Each of the three Confederate brigades pitched camp in one of the three small villages at Cane Hill, with the northern-most camped near the Cane Hill College buildings. These positions taken, the Southern commanders pushed heavy patrols of their own north along the roads to look for any signs of Union forces in the area. Some minor skirmishing would take place the next day.

I will continue posting on the Prairie Grove Campaign over coming days, so be sure to check back through the holiday weekend for more.  Until the next post, you can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

November 23, 1862: Reconnaissance toward Van Buren

Site of Confederate Camps
Dripping Springs, Arkansas

As the Confederate army of General Thomas Hindman continued its preparations for an advance into Northwest Arkansas, Federal forces made an unexpected probe of their advanced cavalry camps 149 years ago today.

Please click here to read the post of November 17th, detailing the activity underway in Van Buren).

Sent south across the Boston Mountains by Union General James G. Blunt, a force of 600 cavalrymen approached the camps of Confederate General John S. Marmaduke's cavalry command at Dripping Springs in Crawford County. Dripping Springs is about 9 miles north of the Crawford County Courthouse in downtown Van Buren. Using the twisting roads of the day, the distance was a little longer.

Cove Creek Road, used by Union Cavalry

The Federals approached the Confederate outer camps to scout the activities underway at Van Buren in an effort to learn the size and intent of the Confederate army.  There was some minor skirmishing near Dripping Springs. The approach of the Union cavalry was unexpected and the Southern horsemen fell back before them, unsure if the approach of Lt. Col. L.R. Jewell and his men marked the front of a full scale movement by the Federal army in Northwest Arkansas.  It did not.

When it became apparent that the Federals were not supported by infantry, Confederate resistance stiffened. Jewell now hesitated and, realizing the Confederates were present in Van Buren in force, began a withdrawal back into the mountains.

Pasture and Mountains at Dripping Springs

He and his horsemen returned back across the Boston Mountains during the afternoon and evening and reached Blunt's camps that night. Neither side reported any casualties.

The value of the reconnaissance is unclear. Jewell did not learn much about what was going on in Van Buren and even after his probe, Blunt still estimated the strength of Hindman's Confederate army at anywhere from 11,000 to 30,000 men.

The raid did lead, however, to the first fighting of the Prairie Grove campaign when Hindman ordered Marmaduke's cavalry to move north on the heels of the Union horsemen and take a position at Cane Hill in Washington County.

I will continue following the events of the Prairie Grove Campaign over the holiday weekend, so be sure to check back in occasionally. 

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

To learn more about the Battle of Prairie Grove, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.

New Prairie Grove Book to be Released on Saturday

William L. Shea's long-awaited new history of the Prairie Grove campaign is expected to be released this Saturday.

Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign is 392 pages long and is being published by the University of North Carolina. The research and writing of the book has been underway for a number of years and it sounds like this one will be as thorough and enjoyable as Shea's earlier history of the Battle of Pea Ridge.

The Battle of Prairie Grove was fought in Northwest Arkansas on December 7, 1862, and ended in a tactical draw. Union and Confederate forces battled to a bloody standstill along and in the fields below a ridge at today's town of Prairie Grove. The Confederate forces had no choice but to withdraw before the battle could resume the next day, however, and as a result the campaign was won by the Union.

The book will retail for $36 beginning Saturday, but you can still save $11.90 and buy a copy for just $23.10 if you place an advance order on Thursday or Friday. After the 23rd of October, however, purchases will cost full price.

If you would like to learn more about the Battle of Prairie Grove or place an advance order while there is still time, you can do so at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ArkansasPG1.