Remembering Pea Ridge campaign 160 years later

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in The TIMES of Northeast Benton County on Feb. 8, 2012, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge. This is the fourth in a five-part series about the battle that happened 160 years ago near Pea Ridge. Content for this story was provided by Troy Banzhaf, supervisory park ranger/interpretation at the Pea Ridge National Military Park.

After arriving at Cross Hollows Feb. 18, Confederate Generals Price and McCulloch, who loathed one another, immediately began arguing over their next move. Price wanted to stand firm at Cross Hollows and wait for Curtis to attack. McCulloch realized it was impossible to defend the area and proposed marching further south and draw the Federal troops deeper into Arkansas and further from their supply base. On the morning of Feb. 19, the Confederates set fire to the wooden barracks so not be used by Curtis’s army, and trudged south towards Fayetteville into the teeth of a driving winter storm. As the Confederate column marched south, the Federal army cautiously marched towards the billowing smoke rising from Cross Hollows.

On Feb. 20, the Confederate army entered Fayetteville where a large quantity of food and supplies were stored. The soldiers stuffed their haversacks and every available wagon with food and supplies and continued their march.

Willie H. Tunnard of the 3rd Louisiana Infantry wrote: “The scene in Fayetteville beggared all description. Stores broken open and rifled of their contents, private residences left unoccupied, invaded and pillaged, while commissary stores were scattered in every direction. Upwards of 500,000 pounds of pork — bacon, shoulders and hams — were distributed among the retreating half-starved troops. The men even made fires of it to warm their chilled and freezing bodies.”

On Feb. 21, the last Confederates passed through Fayetteville; Gen. McCulloch ordered all remaining stores burned. The Confederates finally reached Strickler’s Station, 18 miles south of Fayetteville, on Feb. 22. Price’s command camped in a separate valley near Cove Creek. Curtis received word from two runaway slaves that Fayetteville had been evacuated and the Confederates were retreating to the Boston Mountains.

At his headquarters in Pocahontas, Ark., Confederate Major Gen. Earl Van Dorn received word on Feb. 22 that Springfield had fallen and Price and McCulloch were retreating to Strickler’s Station. Alarmed at the boldness of Curtis’ winter campaign and frustrated that his spring plans had been foiled; Van Dorn boarded a steamboat to Jacksonport and from there by horseback to Van Buren.

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As Generals Price and McCulloch settled in at their encampments in the Boston Mountains, Curtis began positioning his army. The Federal army was spread out to help increase the opportunities for foraging, local mills were used to grind the tons of grain needed to feed an army. Curtis knew that if the Confederates moved north to attack him they would have to use either the Elm Springs or Telegraph roads so pickets were sent forward to guard these two approaches and troops were stationed near each of these two roads. In the event of a Confederate offensive, Curtis had already chosen the perfect ground. After passing through the Little Sugar Creek valley the week before, Curtis took note of the high bluff line and excellent defensive position it would afford his army. If the Confederates moved north, he would order his scattered command to concentrate at Little Sugar Creek, “where I knew I could make the best fight.”

The Union Army of the Southwest was assigned as follows: Curtis’s second in command, Franz Sigel, was positioned with his two divisions along McKissick’s Creek, six miles southwest of Bentonville; Davis’ third division was moved to Little Sugar Creek to prepare defensive positions while Curtis and the rest of his command stayed at Cross Hollows. Two smaller commands were also stationed at Osage Mill and at Blackburn’s Mill (War Eagle) to grind grain. The force of Gen. Asboth in Fayetteville was recalled to Cross Hollows. Asboth left the Tebbett’s house (known today as the Headquarters House) in Fayetteville on Feb. 26.

Van Dorn arrived in Van Buren on March 1 and by the next day he arrived at Price’s headquarters in the John Morrow cabin on Cove Creek (this cabin is now on the grounds at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park). On March 3, the three Confederate generals met at McCulloch’s headquarters at Strickler’s Station and made plans for the campaign. When the meeting concluded, the Confederate troops were ordered to prepare three days rations and be prepared to move in the morning. Meanwhile, Curtis began consolidating his forces on Little Sugar Creek.