Prairie D'Ane Battlefield facts for kids
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Prairie D'Ane Battlefield
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Prescott, Arkansas |
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| Built | 1864 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000481 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 22, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1994 |
The Prairie D'Ane Battlefield is a special place in Arkansas. It was the site of an important battle during the American Civil War. This battle is also known as Prairie D'Ann or Prairie De Ann.
The fighting here was part of a bigger plan by the Union Army. This plan was called the Camden Expedition of 1864. Today, the battlefield is recognized as a National Historic Site. It is also part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place.
In 2018, a large part of the battlefield, about 800 acres, was acquired by the Nevada County Depot and Museum. This land will be improved so people can visit and learn about its history. The American Battlefield Trust helped make this possible.
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The Camden Expedition: A Big Plan
The 1864 Camden Expedition was a major military plan. The Union Army wanted to push Confederate forces out of southwestern Arkansas. They also aimed to move into Texas.
Union Major General Frederick Steele led his troops from Little Rock. He started on March 23, 1864. His main goal was to meet up with Major General Nathaniel Prentice Banks in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The Confederate government in Arkansas had moved to Washington, Arkansas. Confederate Major General Sterling Price was in charge there. He ordered Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke to slow down the Union army. He wanted to stop them from crossing the Little Missouri River.
Union soldiers crossed the Little Missouri River on April 3. They fought with Confederate defenders in the Battle of Elkin's Ferry. The Confederates were outnumbered and had to retreat.
General Price then set up a new defense. He built small dirt walls on the road between Elkin's Ferry and Washington. This spot was at the edge of Prairie d'Ane. This area was mostly open prairie surrounded by woods. General Steele waited until April 9 for more troops to arrive from Fort Smith.
Days of Fighting at Prairie D'Ane
Union forces started fighting Price's troops on April 10. Both sides brought in more soldiers. The Union advance was stopped, and fighting continued into the night.
The next day, April 11, Union troops moved across the prairie. They marched in a long battle line. But it was late in the day, so a full battle did not happen. The Union soldiers returned to their camps.
That night, General Price moved most of his army further down the road to Washington. He left only a small group to guard the dirt walls on the prairie.
On April 12, the Union army advanced again. The small Confederate guard also pulled back. Union cavalry chased them for a while.
At this point, General Steele's army was running low on food. They were on half-rations. Steele decided he needed to get more supplies. Instead of going to Washington, he turned his army toward Camden. Camden was a Confederate town, but Price had moved many of its defenders to Washington.
Price sent troops to chase the Union army. They had a small fight near a place called Moscow. Today, Moscow is part of Prescott. Because it was hard to get supplies in Camden, Steele eventually led his army all the way back to Little Rock.
The Battlefield Today
The main battle at Prairie D'Ane happened over a large area. It covered about 5,000 acres. This area is now around the city of Prescott, which was founded in 1873.
Much of this land is used for farming today. It is still mostly undeveloped. A railroad and Interstate 30 are the main new structures built since the battle.
The Moscow area, where the smaller fight happened, looks much like it did back then. The Moscow Methodist Church and Cemetery existed during the battle. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church building you see there today was built in the 1900s.
In 1994, over 2,600 acres of the battlefield were named part of the Camden Expedition Sites. This is a National Historic Landmark District.
In February 2018, the Nevada County Depot and Museum announced they had acquired 800 acres of the battlefield. They plan to make it a place for "heritage tourism." This means people can visit and learn about the history. The American Battlefield Trust bought the land and gave it to the museum. The plan also includes 412 acres of the nearby Elkin's Ferry Battlefield.
See also
