Washington County Enterprise-Leader
PARK REVISITS CIVIL WAR HISTORY
RE-ENACTORS USE TWO DIFFERENT BATTLEFIELD SITES
PRAIRIE GROVE — The 152nd commemoration of the Battle of Prairie Grove gave spectators views of the actual battle from two different locations.
Park Superintendent Jessee Cox said Civil War re- enactors approached park officials about using two different battle sites, the one using the hill leading to the Borden House on Saturday, and then moving the battle slightly west using a different hill for the battle demonstration on Sunday.
The day of the actual struggle, Dec. 7, 1862, one battle took place in the valley below the Borden
“I have a pride of being an American and it took both sides to fight.”
Shawn Bell
Longtime Re-enactor
House, as both Confederate and Union forces fought back and forth. Later that afternoon, Gen. James Blunt and his Kansas Division showed up and that fight took place west of the Borden House, closer to the schools, Cox said.
“That’s what made it a fair fight,” Cox added.
Comments from re- enactors and spectators were positive about the change, Cox said, noting it gave variety for both. He said some spectators probably did not return the second day because they’ve already seen the skirmish in the valley below the Borden House and around the Borden House. Cox said park officials would like to continue changing the scene for the battles if possible in future years. He said the park is somewhat limited for this because of real estate.
Spectators for Sunday’s demonstration were closer to the action, Cox said.
“The gunpowder was right in front of them,” he said.
The number of re-enactors and spectators was down over the weekend and below expectations.
The park set records for the 150th commemoration of the Civil War battle when more than 1,000 re- enactors participated in the weekend and about 25,000 people showed up to watch the battle and go to various activities at the park.
Cox said he did not expect to meet numbers from the 2012 event but thought participation would be typical to previous years.
The state park sponsors a re-enactment every two years.
About 700 re- enactors and 5,500 people participated this year.
“We expected those numbers to be about double,” Cox said but he added he was not disappointed because it was still a good year. The rain on Friday and cooler, damp temperatures with cloudy skies over the weekend probably affected the number of spectators, Cox said.
“The event went off very well,” Cox said.
Re-enactors set up their tents Friday night, with many saying they had participated in the Battle of Prairie Grove re-enactment for years.
Steve Dodson with the 8th Kansas Division has been involved in re-enactments for 26 years. This was his eighth trip to Prairie Grove.
He said he still remembers the re- enactment in 1992 when it was sleeting and temperatures did not rise above 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
His son, Boone, grew up going to re- enactment battles and was a First Corporal over the weekend with the 3rd Missouri Confederate.
“I love the group of guys I’m with,” Boone Dodson said. “I love to commemorate those who fought.”
Shawn Bell, a color sergeant with 1st Missouri Battalion, has been a re-enactor for 20 years.
“I still have a passion and a love of the history of it,” Bell said. “I have a pride of being an American and it took both sides to fight.”
He said re- enactments also are important because they educate younger generations about the importance of the Civil War.
Another first this year were performances by the Conway Women’s Choir Civil War Ensemble. They sang songs from the Civil War period.
Joan Hanna, director, said the ensemble is closing out a four-year project to sing at re- enactments commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
The Battle of Prairie Grove is described by historians as one of the bloodiest and most intense Civil War battles.
About 22,000 soldiers fought for most of the day, and at the end, about 2,700 had been killed, wounded or were missing.
A timeline of the Battle shows the first skirmish was at 7 a. m. that day when the Confederate cavalry surprised the Federal cavalry near Muddy Fork.
From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Confederate Army arrived and deployed along the ridge near the Borden House.
Two Federa l d iv isions under Gen. Francis J. Herron arrived and deployed in the valley near the Illinois River.
The battle in the valley below the Borden House, up the hill to the house and around the Borden House took place from 1:30-4 p.m.
From 4-5: 15 p. m., Blunt attacked Confederate troops on a hill west of the Borden House and then withdrew.
The battle was over at 5:15 p.m. when fighting died out due to darkness.
A truce was called at 10 p.m. in order to care for the wounded and at midnight, the Confederate Army began withdrawing from the field.