The Union Army fought bravely in the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862. This battle took place in Washington County, Arkansas. This page tells you about the different Union Army groups and their leaders who were part of this important event. Knowing who was where helps us understand how the battle unfolded. The list of Confederate forces is on a separate page.
Understanding the Terms
To help you understand the military information, here are some common abbreviations and what they mean:
Military Ranks
- MG = Major General: A very high-ranking officer, usually in charge of a large group of soldiers called a division or even an army.
- BG = Brigadier General: A high-ranking officer, usually leading a brigade, which is a smaller group of soldiers than a division.
- Col = Colonel: An officer who typically commands a regiment, which is a group of hundreds of soldiers.
- Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel: An officer who is second-in-command of a regiment, helping the Colonel.
- Maj = Major: An officer who helps lead a regiment or a smaller unit.
- Cpt = Captain: An officer who usually commands a company, which is a small group of soldiers within a regiment.
Other Important Terms
- w = Wounded: A soldier who was hurt during the battle.
- mw = Mortally wounded: A soldier who was so badly hurt that they later died from their injuries.
- k = Killed: A soldier who died right away during the battle.
The Army of the Frontier
The Union Army group that fought at Prairie Grove was called the Army of the Frontier. Its main commander was Major General James G. Blunt. There were 9,216 Union soldiers on the battlefield that day.
| Main Group |
Smaller Group |
Regiments and Other Units |
|
1st Division
Led by BG James G. Blunt 3,144 soldiers
|
1st Brigade
Led by BG Frederick Salomon 752 soldiers
|
- 9th Wisconsin Infantry: Col Charles E. Salomon (stationed at Rhea's Mill)
- 2nd Ohio Cavalry: Col Augustus V. Kautz (stationed at Rhea's Mill)
- 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry: Col William A. Barstow 333 soldiers
- Had two 12-pound mountain howitzers (small cannons)
- 6th Kansas Cavalry: Col William R. Judson 180 soldiers
- Had two 12-pound mountain howitzers
- 9th Kansas Cavalry: Col Edward Lynde 197 soldiers
- Had an artillery section (cannons) led by Lt. Henry H. Opedyke (stationed at Rhea's Mill)
- 25th Ohio Battery: Cpt Julius L. Hadley (stationed at Rhea's Mill)
- 2nd Kansas Battery: Cpt E. A. Smith (stationed at Rhea's Mill)
|
| 2nd Brigade
Led by Col William A. Weer 902 soldiers
|
- 3rd Indian Home Guard: Col William A. Phillips 44 soldiers
- 10th Kansas Infantry: Maj Henry H. Williams 387 soldiers
- 13th Kansas Infantry: Col Thomas M. Bowen 375 soldiers
- 1st Kansas Battery: Cpt Marcus D. Tenney 96 soldiers, with six 10-pound Parrott rifles (cannons)
|
| 3rd Brigade
Led by Col William F. Cloud 1490 soldiers
|
- 1st Indian Home Guard: Ltc Stephen H. Wattles 337 soldiers
- 11th Kansas Infantry: Col Thomas Ewing, Jr. 608 soldiers
- 2nd Kansas Cavalry: Ltc Owen A. Bassett 344 soldiers
- Had two 12-pound mountain howitzers
- 2nd Indiana Battery: Cpt John W. Rabb 126 soldiers, with four James rifles and two 6-pound smoothbore cannons
- 3rd Kansas Battery: Cpt Henry Hopkins 53 soldiers, with three 6-pound smoothbore cannons and one 12-pound field howitzer
|
|
2nd Division
Led by Col Daniel Huston, Jr. 2118 soldiers
|
1st Brigade
Led by Col John G. Clark 938 soldiers
|
- 18th Iowa Infantry: Col John Edwards (stationed at Springfield)
- 26th Indiana Infantry: Col John G. Clark 445 soldiers
- 7th Missouri Cavalry: Maj Eliphalet Bredett (k) 453 soldiers
- Battery A, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery: Lt H. Borris 40 soldiers, with one 6-pound smoothbore cannon and one 12-pound field howitzer
|
| 2nd Brigade
Led by Col William Dye 1175 soldiers
|
- 20th Iowa Infantry: Ltc Joseph B. Leake 293 soldiers
- 37th Illinois Infantry: Ltc John C. Black (w) 401 soldiers
- 1st Missouri Cavalry: Maj Charles Banzhaf 165 soldiers
- 6th Missouri Cavalry: Maj Samuel Montgomery 206 soldiers
- Battery F, 1st Missouri Light Artillery: Cpt David Murphy 110 soldiers, with four 3-inch Ordnance rifles and two James rifles
|
|
3rd Division
Led by BG Francis J. Herron 3950 soldiers
|
1st Brigade
Led by Ltc Henry Bertram 1765 soldiers
|
- 20th Wisconsin Infantry: Maj Henry A. Starr 436 soldiers
- (*) 1st Iowa Cavalry: Maj J. O. Gower 500 soldiers
- (*) 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry: Maj William H. Miller 88 soldiers
- (*) 10th Illinois Cavalry: Ltc James Stuart 612 soldiers
- Had an artillery battery with four 12-pound mountain howitzers
- Battery L, 1st Missouri Light Artillery: Cpt Frank Backof 86 soldiers, with four James rifles and two 12-pound field howitzers
|
| 2nd Brigade
Led by Col William W. Orme 1600 soldiers
|
- 19th Iowa Infantry: Ltc Samuel McFarland (k) 500 soldiers
- 94th Illinois Infantry: Ltc John McNulta 589 soldiers
- (*) 8th Missouri Cavalry: Col Washington Geiger 400 soldiers
- Battery E, 1st Missouri Light Artillery: Lt Joseph Foust 111 soldiers, with four 10-pound Parrott rifles and two 3-inch Ordnance rifles
|
|
Unattached Units 585 soldiers
|
- 14th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Col John M. Richardson 100 soldiers
- 1st Arkansas Cavalry: Col Marcus LaRue Harrison 485 soldiers
|
