Battle of Pea Ridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Pea Ridge |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 Harper's Weekly sketch of the battle by J.F. Gookins |
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| Units involved | |||||||
| Army of the Southwest |  Army of the West |
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| 10,500 | 16,500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 203 killed 980 wounded 201 missing |
~2,000 casualties | ||||||
The Battle of Pea Ridge, also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, was a major fight during the American Civil War. It happened on March 7–8, 1862, near Leetown, Arkansas. This battle was important because it helped decide who would control Missouri and northern Arkansas.
Union forces, led by General Samuel R. Curtis, had pushed Confederate troops out of central Missouri. They followed them into northwestern Arkansas. Confederate General Earl Van Dorn then launched a counterattack. He hoped to take back northern Arkansas and Missouri for the Confederacy.
The Confederate army gathered near Bentonville, Arkansas. It was the largest Confederate force ever seen in the western part of the war. Despite being outnumbered, General Curtis's Union army fought bravely. They stopped the Confederate attack on the first day. On the second day, they forced Van Dorn's army to retreat. This victory secured Union control over most of Missouri and northern Arkansas.
Contents
Understanding the Battle's Start
Why the Battle of Pea Ridge Happened
In late 1861 and early 1862, Union forces in Missouri pushed Confederate troops, led by General Sterling Price, out of the state. By spring 1862, Union General Samuel R. Curtis decided to chase the Confederates into Arkansas. His army was called the Army of the Southwest.
General Curtis led about 10,250 soldiers and 50 cannons into Benton County, Arkansas. His troops set up a strong defensive line along Little Sugar Creek. Many of these Union soldiers were immigrants from Germany. They were grouped into divisions led by General Franz Sigel.
Confederate Plans and Preparations
General Price and his troops quickly retreated into Arkansas. General Curtis followed close behind. There were small fights as Confederate reinforcements joined Price. This combined Confederate force kept moving deeper into Arkansas. This stretched General Curtis's supply lines very thin.
Because his supplies were running low, Curtis decided to stay in his strong defensive position. He prepared for a Confederate attack from the south. Meanwhile, Confederate generals Price and Benjamin McCulloch moved their troops into the Boston Mountains.
General Earl Van Dorn was put in charge of all Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi District. His army, called the Army of the West, had about 16,000 men. This included 800 Native American soldiers, Price's Missouri troops, and McCulloch's soldiers from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri.
Van Dorn wanted to destroy Curtis's army and open the way back into Missouri. He planned to go around Curtis's army and attack from behind. This would force Curtis to retreat or be trapped. Van Dorn ordered his soldiers to travel light. They carried only three days of food, ammunition, and a blanket.
Events Leading to the Fight
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On March 4, 1862, Van Dorn decided not to attack Curtis head-on. Instead, he split his army into two groups under Price and McCulloch. He ordered them to march north along the Bentonville Detour. This path would take them behind Curtis's position. Van Dorn left his supply wagons behind to move faster. This decision later caused big problems. The Confederates marched for three days in freezing weather. They arrived hungry and tired.
Skirmish at Bentonville
Union scouts and local supporters warned General Curtis. He quickly brought his scattered units together behind Little Sugar Creek. However, General Sigel had sent some of his troops away, and they missed the battle. Sigel also pulled back a cavalry patrol, but Colonel Frederick Schaefer bravely sent his own patrols to cover the area.
When Confederate soldiers ran into Schaefer's patrols near Elm Springs, the Union army was alerted. Sigel was slow to leave Bentonville. His rear guard was almost caught by Van Dorn on March 6. Sigel managed to fight his way out, helped by a mistake from Confederate General James M. McIntosh.
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General McIntosh had planned to surround Sigel's force. But he mistakenly led his 3,000 cavalrymen too far north. By the time they turned back, Sigel's men had already passed the intersection. This allowed Sigel to escape a trap. When the 3rd Texas Cavalry charged, they ran into Sigel's main line. The Confederates lost men to Union artillery and rifle fire.
The Battlefield Layout
General Curtis placed his four divisions along the Telegraph Road (also called Wire Road). They were in a strong position on bluffs north of Little Sugar Creek. From the creek, the Telegraph Road went northeast to Elkhorn Tavern. There, it met the Huntsville Road and Ford Road. The small town of Leetown was northwest of the Telegraph Road. Curtis set up his headquarters at Pratt's Store.
Van Dorn planned to reach the Union rear using the Bentonville Detour. This road went northeast onto the Pea Ridge plateau. At Twelve Corner Church, Ford Road branched off to Elkhorn. The Detour continued northeast, meeting the Wire Road north of Cross Timber Hollow. A large, impassable mountain called Big Mountain lay between these roads.
On the night of March 6, Union Colonel Grenville Dodge had trees cut down to block the Bentonville Detour. That same night, Van Dorn's army began its long march. The march was slow because of the blocked roads, poor planning, and tired soldiers.
The Battle Begins: March 7
First Contact and Leetown
Van Dorn had planned for both his divisions to reach Cross Timber Hollow. But by morning, only Price's division had made it. Because of the delay, Van Dorn told McCulloch's division to take Ford Road and meet Price at Elkhorn.
Union patrols soon found both Confederate groups. General Curtis sent troops to Elkhorn Tavern and also sent Colonel Peter J. Osterhaus to scout along Ford Road. Osterhaus's force included infantry, cavalry, and twelve cannons.
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McCulloch's force included cavalry, infantry, and Native American cavalry led by General Albert Pike. McCulloch's troops moved west on Ford Road. They soon clashed with Union soldiers at a small village called Leetown. A fierce fight broke out.
Around 11:30 a.m., Osterhaus saw McCulloch's entire division marching on Ford Road. Despite being outnumbered, Osterhaus ordered his small cavalry force to attack. This bought time for his infantry to get ready. Union cannons began firing, causing Confederate casualties. McCulloch then turned his 3,000 horsemen to attack. The Confederate charge overwhelmed Osterhaus's cavalry, capturing the cannons.
Further west, two Union companies met Pike's Native American soldiers. The Union unit suffered an unusual number of killed compared to wounded. This incident later affected General Pike's reputation.
South of the woods, Union Colonel Nicholas Greusel formed his brigade and nine cannons. Confederate cavalry, led by Sul Ross, pursued the retreating Union cavalry. But when Ross's men rode into the open field, they were met with heavy fire and fell back. Union cannons fired blindly over the woods. Their shells caused panic among Pike's Native American troops, who retreated.
Meanwhile, General McCulloch sent Colonel Louis Hébert's 4,000-man infantry brigade forward. McCulloch rode into the woods to scout Union positions. He was shot and killed by Union skirmishers. General McIntosh was next in command, but his staff kept McCulloch's death a secret to avoid disheartening the troops. McIntosh then led his regiment into the attack and was also killed.
Without their leaders, the Confederate command fell apart. Hébert, unaware he was in command, led his part of the attack into the woods. The other Confederate regiments waited for orders that never came. The Union bombardment and the confusion among Confederate leaders began to hurt their morale.
Hébert's strong attack was stopped by Colonel Jefferson C. Davis and the 3rd Division. Davis had been sent to Leetown by Curtis. Davis's troops, with help from Colonel Thomas Pattison's brigade, pushed the Confederates back. In the confusion, Hébert and a small group got lost and were later captured by Union cavalry.
Command of McCulloch's division should have gone to Colonel Elkanah Greer. But he was not told about the deaths or capture of his superiors for several hours. General Albert Pike, though not officially in command of that division, took charge of some units. He decided to retreat back to Twelve Corners Church. This retreat was very disorganized. Later, Greer took command of the remaining forces and also decided to withdraw.
The Fight at Elkhorn Tavern
Around 9:30 a.m., Confederate cavalry met Union infantry in Cross Timber Hollow. Soon after, General Eugene A. Carr arrived at Elkhorn Tavern with his brigade. Carr spread his regiments out, facing north, and placed cannons to slow the Confederate advance.
Van Dorn, instead of attacking immediately, ordered Price to fully deploy his division. Soon, 21 Confederate cannons were firing at the Union guns. When Price's infantry finally moved uphill, they met Carr's men charging downhill. The Confederate advance stalled near Elkhorn.
By 12:30 p.m., Carr's second brigade arrived and counterattacked Price's right flank. The Confederates, with more soldiers, slowly pushed the Union troops back. Around 2:00 p.m., Van Dorn learned that McCulloch's division would not be joining Price. General Henry Little then led his brigade forward, and the Confederate attack gained momentum. Price was wounded but stayed in command. Carr was also wounded three times but refused to leave the field. He later received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
Around 4:30 p.m., Price's left flank attacked, outflanking Carr's line. Union brigades were pushed back. After heavy fighting, Carr's men finally stopped the Confederate advance at Ruddick's field. They were joined by other Union troops and General Curtis. At 6:30 p.m., Curtis launched a brief counterattack, but then called his men back as darkness fell.
The Decisive Second Day: March 8
A Cold Night and New Plans
Temperatures dropped sharply after dark, making it a very uncomfortable night for both armies. General Curtis brought Davis's 3rd Division to Ruddick's field. General Sigel's divisions marched in circles for much of the night before finally camping. General Asboth, who was wounded, thought the Union position was hopeless and urged Curtis to retreat. But Curtis refused, confident of victory the next morning.
During the night, some Confederate regiments and artillery from McCulloch's Division, led by Greer, reached Van Dorn. Van Dorn did not know that his supply wagons had been mistakenly sent away. This meant his reserve artillery ammunition would be too far away in the morning.
The Union Victory
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In the early morning, Sigel sent Osterhaus to scout west of Elkhorn. Osterhaus found a good spot for artillery and reported it to Sigel. Sigel decided to move his divisions directly to the battle line. Meanwhile, Davis ordered an Illinois battery to fire into the woods. This caused a strong Confederate response, forcing Davis's men to pull back.
Soon, Sigel's men formed a long line to the left of Davis. By 8:00 a.m., the Union line stretched out, facing north. Sigel gathered 21 cannons on the open hill west of Elkhorn. Under Sigel's command, the Union artillery began a very effective bombardment against the Confederate guns. The Confederate gunners struggled against the deadly fire. Van Dorn realized his reserve ammunition was hours away. He knew he could not win and decided to retreat along the Huntsville Road.
At 10:30 a.m., Sigel's two divisions attacked. On the far left, Union regiments pushed back the 2nd Cherokee Mounted Rifles. In the center, Curtis ordered Davis to attack. Around noon, Sigel's and Davis's soldiers met near Elkhorn Tavern, shouting "Victory!"
Many Confederate soldiers were cut off. Some escaped up the Wire Road. Others marched northeast into Missouri and then south. Curtis did not realize that Van Dorn had mostly escaped on the Huntsville Road. He sent Sigel to pursue in the wrong direction. On March 9, Sigel returned to the battlefield and admitted his mistake.
After the Battle
The Union army reported 203 killed, 980 wounded, and 201 missing, totaling 1,384 casualties. General Carr's division suffered the most losses. Both General Asboth and General Carr were wounded but stayed in command.
Van Dorn reported about 800 killed and wounded, with 200 to 300 prisoners. However, these numbers are likely too low. Modern estimates suggest the Confederates had about 2,000 casualties. Many senior officers were lost, including generals McCulloch and McIntosh, who were killed. General Price was wounded, and General Hébert was captured.
Van Dorn's main army retreated for a week, struggling for food. Thousands of Price's troops deserted and went home. General Pike, believing the Confederate army was destroyed, returned to Native American Territory. Van Dorn refused to admit defeat.
The defeat at Pea Ridge meant the Confederates never again seriously threatened Missouri. Within weeks, Van Dorn's army was moved across the Mississippi River to help other Confederate forces. This left Arkansas almost defenseless.
With his victory, General Curtis sent some of his troops east. He then moved his remaining army into undefended northeast Arkansas. He hoped to capture Little Rock but couldn't due to lack of supplies. Instead, he continued south and captured Helena, Arkansas, on July 12.
General Curtis showed strong leadership throughout the battle. His division commanders, Osterhaus, Davis, and Carr, performed well. Sigel's actions on March 8 were praised, but his inconsistent behavior and attempts to take credit caused problems with Curtis. Sigel was later transferred to Virginia.
Van Dorn failed to manage his army and its supplies. When McCulloch was killed, his division became disorganized. Van Dorn's staff also made critical errors with the supply wagons. After the battle, soldiers often said, "Nobody was whipped at the Battle of Pea Ridge, but Van Dorn."
Preserving the Battlefield
Today, the battlefield at Pea Ridge is a special place called Pea Ridge National Military Park. It was created in 1956 and is one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields. A rebuilt Elkhorn Tavern, where much of the fighting happened, stands in its original spot. The park also includes a 2.5-mile section of the Trail of Tears.
See also
