Park Celebrates 150 Years

MORE THAN 1,000 CIVIL WAR RE-ENACTORS EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN EVENT

PRAIRIE GROVE — More than 1,000 Civil War re-enactors are expected to participate in the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Prairie Grove.

The battle was fought on Dec. 7, 1862. About 22,000 soldiers fought for most of the day and at the end, about 2,700 soldiers had been killed, wounded or were missing.

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park will commemorate the anniversary of the historic Civil War battle on Saturday and Sunday. Activities are planned throughout both days. For Saturday, the reenactment will go on from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, activities will start at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.

The re-enactment of the actual battle will take place at 1 p.m. both days and last about 90 minutes.

Officials with Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park hope that the park will set a record this year for the number of re-enactors. Park Superintendent Jessee Cox said the park commemorates the battle on even-numbered years and the average was about 800 participants for 2008 and 2010. This year, he hopes to almost double that number and is expecting 1,200 to 1,500 actors to come to Prairie Grove to recreate the event.

Even though the battle itself is the most exciting part of the weekend, Cox urged visitors to come early and go through the camps set up by Union and Confederate re-enactors. He is expecting many visitors over the weekend and said spectators may have a hard time making it to the beginning of the battle if they do not arrive early.

Activities before the battle will include tours through Union, Confederate and civilian camps, military drills, cooking, spinning and other living history programs. Women dressed for the times will cook over open fireplaces and will

provide samples of their food.

Parking for the re-enactment will be $5 per day. Admission to the event and to Hindman Hall Museum is free. Re- enactors are required to register to participate in the demonstration battle and can contact the park for more information.

Cox said the battle usually lasts about an hour but this year will be extended to 90 minutes. He is expecting more than 60 horses for the Calvary and 20-30 cannons.

“The battle starts with 10 minutes of cannon fire back and forth and then goes into strategic battle in different areas of the park,” Cox said.

For the first time, the battle will be narrated through a speaker system and Cox said this should help visitors know what’s going on during the battle and why it is happening.

Medical demonstrations will go on after the battle. Surgical teams will remove dead and wounded soldiers and demonstrations will include mock surgeries and amputations.

Other scheduled activities this weekend are a period dance at the Latta Barn at 7 p.m. Saturday and a period church service at the log church and Catholic mass at the Jim Parks Shelter at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Hindman Hall Visitor Center will have several items for sale to commemorate the 150th anniversary: T- shirts for $20 and Prairie Grove Sesquicentennial lapel pins for $ 5. For more information about the event, contact the park at 846-2990.