Arkansas Civil War

One hundred and fifty years ago, Arkansas was host to two major armies in the Northwest section of the state. As thousands of men joined the Confederate ranks from all regions of Arkansas, the need for hospitals became evermore apparent. The state and her citizen army were preparing for the inevitable clash.

Built in the late 1850’s, St. John’s College, which was the site for militia musters and drill in 1860, was converted to a hospital for sick and wounded soldiers in early 1862. The timing could not have been more perfect, as a March 6, 1862 newspaper related that “I come with another appeal to the patriotic ladies of our rustic city, in behalf of more sick soldiers, forty, that are now in our St. John’s Hospital, belonging to Col. Locke’s Texas regiment that passed through our city a few days ago.”

The same day the above was published, the first major clash between the Confederate forces and the U.S. Army occurred at Pea Ridge. This two-day battle resulted in sealing Arkansas’ and Missouri’s fate. On the first day of battle, U.S. General Curtis held off the Confederate offensive while on the second day the Confederates were driven from the field of battle. The Northwest section of the state would remain in Federal hands throughout the remainder of the War.

There were a total of 1,384 Federal casualties while the Confederate casualties totaled approximately 2,000. While the U.S. Army remained in Northwest Arkansas, Van Dorn would move his army east of the Mississippi River leaving the state virtually unprotected. Wounded Confederate soldiers begin making their way to South Arkansas to makeshift hospitals, including Camp White Sulphur Springs near Pine Bluff.
Arkansas continued to brace for the impending battles in North Arkansas as planters and farmers in South Arkansas continued to churn out record cotton crops and tons of corn to sustain her soldiers and citizens.

Refusing to be lured farther south, General Curtis stopped 16 miles short of Fayetteville, and dispersed his four divisions to outlying areas to find what subsistence the opposing army had left behind. The First and Second divisions under General Franz Siegel encamped four miles Southwest of Bentonville. Col Jefferson C Davis was assigned a position where Sugar Creek intersected the Springfield-Fayetteville road. The Fourth commanded by Gen Eugene A Carr took position at Cross Hollows. Each had to be within supporting distance of the other as well as the primitive mountain roads would allow. Curtis superior Major General Henry Halleck approved the northwest AR dispositions and was satisfied with his subordinate’s sealing the Confederates out of MO. This enabled Halleck to direct all the state’s military resources elsewhere, and Gen Grant demonstrated he wasn’t one to squander them.

General Earl Van Dorn received word at his Pocahontas HQ from General Sterling Price, imploring him to take command in northwest AR. Since his proposed operation against St Louis, depended on those troops, he decided to go at once leaving Col John S McCarver in charge during his absence.

The 250 mile journey was made on horseback except for a steamboat trip down Black River to Jacksonport. (Two miles up stream from Newport) They arrived at Price’s camp on March 1st, and were greeted with a double salute for the Confederacy and the state of MO.

The next morning Gen Price entertained Van Dorn and his staff with a breakfast of stewed kidneys followed by a generous dinner. On the morning of March 3rd the party took a chilly ride across a ridge to Gen McCulloch’s unpretentious HQ. The Texas general impressed Col Dabney H Maury who recognized in McCulloch and his staff “the stern seriousness of soldiers trained to arms.” When informed of the widely separated enemy encampments, Van Dorn resolved to attack at once. If he could destroy them in detail the way to St Louis and glory might soon follow. Orders were drawn up for a northward march to begin the next morning.

Writers Earl Hess and William Shea offer the following critique and assessment on this shorted sighted and impulsive man: “He expected his Army of the West to travel light, move fast, and strike the enemy without warning, that is, to operate essentially as a cavalry squadron stalking a band of irregulars…. He was without a staff of his own other than Maury and Sullivane. He was unfamiliar with the capabilities and personalities of his new subordinates, some of whom had little training or experience. He knew nothing of the two very different military organizations awkwardly joined under his command or the supply systems that kept them in the field. He was ignorant of the primitive frontier roads he must use, or the rugged terrain he must traverse, and he ignored the obvious fact the winter weather still gripped the Ozark Plateau. ….Had Van Dorn spent a week in the Boston Mountains preparing himself and his men for the ordeal ahead, things might have turned out differently.”

On the morning of March 2nd, the remaining units from the Columbus KY garrison supporting the river batteries evacuated silently through Gen Grants screen, southward to Corinth MS. All but two of the 140 guns were taken south to Island NO. 10 as that place and Fort Pillow, just above Memphis were now the guardians to the MS River.

Also on this on this day there was a light skirmish upstream from Memphis as advance units of Federals tested the landward defenses at New Madrid MO.

About this time at DuValls Bluff AR the 18th AR Infantry came together as an organized unit before shoving off to Fort Pillow TN. Most of the staff positions were filled by Pine Bluff men as well as two companies to a large extent. Company E was composed of Arkansas Countians commanded by Captain Felix Robertson.

Captain Robert H Crockett seemed to have refused a reenlistment bounty in favor of a honorable discharge. He enlisted as a Private in Robertson’s Company on February 24th.

Farther east General Hardees’s AR troops began their retreat westward from Murfreesboro on February 28th, and halted at Shelbyville TN and remained in a defensive position for over a week. Their primary duty was to guard a great quantity of supplies gathered at that point.

Over in VA, the Third AR Infantry marched into the Aquia Creek encampment of the First AR on February 28th. It appeared they were to replace the 12 month enlistees who were about to be discharged and furloughed. Early in March, the First they bade farewell to the veterans who had been campaigning under Gen Thomas J “Stonewall” Jackson in another sector of VA.

Major Calvin Collier noted in “They’ll Do To Tie To”, “Subsequent to their return to Arkansas, the First Regiment re-enlisted almost to a man and saw many grim campaigns in TN and GA….”

Following is the info for the 150th Pea Ridge. Sorry I am just now getting this up, but I just found this on the Civil War Roundtable of Arkansas’ Websiite at www.civilwarbuff.org. Noone has sent us anything on this to The Toothpick and tehrefore that is why we have not been pushing perhaps the largest event in the state over the next few years, or what COULD have been. We cannot help support your event if we do not know about it! Enjoy and perhaps other state parks can get on board with the 150th!

March 9, 2012 – March 11, 2012 Commemoration of the Battle of Pea Ridge
Friday 10:30 Kick-Off Event Bentonville, Arkansas Square Re-enactment of Bentonville 1862 confrontation between Union and Confederate Armies
7:00 p.m. Songs and Stories of the Civil War – Bobby Horton Concert at the Northwest Arkansas Community College, Shewmaker Center, in Bentonville
Saturday at Pea Ridge National Military Park

1:00 Commemoration Ceremony at Visitor Center
2:00 US 25th Missouri Program and Hike at Elkhorn Tavern
2:30 Battle Flags of Pea Ridge Program at Visitor Center
10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:30 pm- US Inf Demonstration at Elkhorn Tavern
10:30 am, 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm US Cavalry Program at Foster’s Field
10:00 am, 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, 4:00 pm, 5:00 US Artillery Demonstration at Cox’s Field
10:00 am, 12:00 pm CSA Infantry Demonstration at Leetown
11:00 am, 3:00 pm, 4:00pm CSA 3rd Louisiana Program at Leetown
Sunday at Pea Ridge National Military Park
11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm US Infantry Demonstration at Elkhorn Tavern
11:30 am, 1:30 pm, US Cavalry Program at Foster’s Field
11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm, CSA Infantry Demonstration at Leetown
10:00 am, on going to 1:30 US Artillery Demonstration at Cox’s Field
For additional information please call 479-451-8122