Park Archives: Pea Ridge National Military Park

Keeping Missouri in the Union was a prime objective of the Federal government during the first year of the Civil War. It was the reason that the Battle of Wilson's Creek was fought near Springfield, Mo., in August 1861, and it was one of the reasons for the battle at Pea Ridge in March 1862.

The Pea Ridge Campaign began on Christmas Day, 1861, with the appointment of Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis to command the Federal Southwestern District of Missouri. Curtis's main objective was to drive the Confederate and pro-Confederate forces from the state. By mid-February 1862 he and his troops had chased their main opponents, Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, into Arkansas.

In the Boston Mountains south of Fayetteville, Price joined forces with Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch's Confederates. There on March 4 Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn took command of this combined 16,000-man army and led it north, intending to strike into Missouri and capture 5t. Louis. But Curtis's 10,500 Federals were dug in across his path on the bluffs above Little Sugar Creek, not far from Elkhorn Tavern and nearby Elkhorn Mountain (part of the larger Pea Ridge plateau).

Van Dorn knew that a frontal assault against Curtis's troops would be suicidal, so he swung north to come in behind them. He planned to strike at dawn on March 7, but his troops, hungry, cold, and weary from a difficult three-day march, arrived hours behind schedule. McCulloch's troops fell so far behind that Van Dorn decided to temporarily divide his army. He ordered McCulloch around the west end of Elkhorn Mountain, then to turn east along Ford Road to rejoin Price's troops near Elkhorn Tavern. These delays gave Curtis time to face about and prepare for the attack.

As McCulloch's troops, including two regiments of Cherokee Indians under Brig. Gen. Albert Pike, were engaged in this maneuver, they ran into intensive fire near Leetown that killed McCulloch and Brig. Gen. James McIntosh and led to the capture of the ranking colonel. With their command structure practically destroyed, McCulloch's men scattered from the field.

Attacking east of Elkhorn Mountain, Van Dorn and Price fared better. Price's Missourians slowly but steadily pushed the Federals back until, at nightfall, they held Elkhorn Tavern and the crucial Telegraph and Huntsville roads. During the night the survivors of McCulloch's Leetown fight joined them.

On the morning of March 8 Curtis counterattacked in the tavern area. A two-hour artillery barrage crippled the Confederate line and a concerted infantry attack broke their defenses. Realizing that his ammunition was running low, Van Dorn ordered his troops to withdraw. The battle of Pea Ridge was over and most of the Union and Confederate troops moved east of the Mississippi to fight in other campaigns. Missouri remained in the Union and politically neutral throughout the war, although it provided men and supplies to both sides.

Brig. Gen. Albert Pike commanded the Confederate Indians who fought at Pea Ridge. Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn was not impressed by their performance and refused to acknowledge Pike in his official report. Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch had teamed up once before, at Wilson's Creek. Their relationship was stormy, mainly because of McCulloch's indifference to Missouri's fate and his low opinion of Price's State Guard. Union commander Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis won promotion for his performance at Pea Ridge. 5o did Curtis' second in command, German-born Brig. Gen. Franz Sigel, who saw the Federal victory at Pea Ridge as sweet revenge for his earlier defeat at Wilson's Creek at the hands of Price and McCulloch.

Stop first at the visitor center, which contains a theater, bookstore, and small museum. From the parking area at the visitor center, follow the arrows to Telegraph Road. This road was built in 1838, linking Springfield, Mo., and Fort Smith, Ark. Turn left on Telegraph Road and proceed to tour stop 1.

1 Trail of Tears The shallow depressions in front of you are remnants of the original Telegraph Road traveled by thousands of Cherokees and other American Indians in the winter of 1838-39 during their forced removal from their homelands. It was then called Wire Road because of the telegraph lines that lined the road and linked the nation. It was the route of the Butterfield Overland Stage line from 1857-61. Both armies used the road during the Pea Ridge Campaign.

2 General Curtis' Headquarters Site The Union commandeL Samuel R. Curtis, located his headquarters in this vicinity just before the battle. Curtis believed that any Confederate attack would come two miles south of here against his fortified line along the bluffs overlooking Little Sugar Creek. From this spot Curtis orchestrated the movements of his army.

3 Leetown This small village stood a short distance southwest of the parking lot. During the battle the wounded of both sides were brought here, where buildings and tents served as hospitals. All visible evidence of the village is gone.

4 Leetown Battlefield The Confederate attack through the woods north of this field and across the tour road to the east failed to defeat the Federals deployed along the south fence line. Two Confederate generals, Ben McCulloch and James McIntosh, were killed near the north boundaries of this field.

5 Armies Collide Pea Ridge was the only major Civil War battle in which Indian troops participated. Two regiments of Cherokees, about 1,000 men, fought for the Confederate army and routed two companies of Union cavalry. Union cannon fire eventually forced them to take cover in the woods. The Cherokee regiments were held in reserve throughout the remainder of the battle.

6 West Overlook From here the Boston Mountains are visible on the southern horizon. Bentonville, Ark., from which the Confederates advanced to Pea Ridge, is 14 miles to the west.

7 East Overlook Here, about 150 yards down the path, is the best view of the battlefield in the park. Wayside exhibits in the shelter explain the fighting that took place in the fields below.

8 Elkhorn Tavern The tavern, described as a place of "abundant good cheer" served travelers on the Telegraph Road before the war came to Arkansas. General Curtis used the tavern as part of his supply base until Confederates captured and occupied it early in the afternoon of March 7. They turned it into a field hospital caring for both Union and Confederate wounded. Union troops retook the tavern on March 8 after routing the Confederate forces from the field. The Federals used the tavern as a military telegraph station until Confederate guerrillas burned it in 1853. The present building is a reconstruction.

9 Confederate Sunset At dusk on March 7, Confederates charged across this field in an attempt to smash the regrouped Union troops. Devastating musket and artillery fire drove the Confederates back into the woods. That night both sides regrouped for the next day's battle. The guns in this field mark the battle lines of the morning of March 8.

10 Federal Line Union artillery deployed here on the morning of March 8. Their fire forced the Confederates to withdraw from the tavern area. The Federal line extended from present-day U.S. 52 to the south to beyond the bare open hill to the northwest.

11 Little Sugar Creek Trenches The time-eroded Federal trenches still exist on the bluff above Little Sugar Creek, 0.6 mile from U.S. 62.

The park, 10 miles northeast of Rogers, Ark., is open 8 am to 5 pm daily except Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. The tour road closes at 4:30 pm. The park may close for hazardous ice or snow conditions. A picnic area is at tour stop 1. No camping is permitted in the park; you can camp at Beaver Lake, 10 miles away.

Regulations Hunting, disturbing wildlife, and removing relics are prohibited. So are roller skating, roller blading, skate boarding, and kite flying and all competitive sports games like football, soccer, volleyball, and softball. Pets must be leashed. Cars must stay on the tour road. Service animals welcome.

Firearms Firearms are not allowed in federal facilities. For firearms regulations ask at the visitor center or check the park website.

Safety Please exercise caution. Poisonous plants are common, and rattlesnakes and copperheads live here. Do not climb on cannon, monuments, fences, bluffs, or trees. Stay alert to weather conditions.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

1970	1971	1974	1975	1977	1978
cover only 1980	1985
1989-1997		cover only 1998-2006		cover only 2008
cover only 2010-2020

Visiting Pea Ridge Date Unknown	George Bent Data Unknown		Artillery at Pea Ridge Data Unknown
Butterfield Overland Mail Data Unknown		White-tailed Deer Data Unknown
Trading Cards
(©Jefferson National Parks Association)

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Pea Ridge National Military Park NPS Natural Resource Report NPS/HTLN/NRR-2011/426 (Gust D. Annis, Michael D. DeBacker, David D. Diamon, Lee F. Elliott, Aaron J. Garringer, Phillip A. Hanberry, Kevin M. James, Ronnie D. Lee, Michael E. Morey and Dyanna L. Pursell, July 2011)

The following visual bibliography is just a sampling of the handbooks and books which have been published for this park. NPSHistory.com does not endorse these, but are merely presenting them for informational purposes only. As most are copyrighted, we are only able to provide the covers, and not contents, of these publications.

The Battle of Pea Ridge 1862 Pea Ridge Military Park Centennial Committee 1963	cover only Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West William L. Shea and Earl J. Hess 1997	cover only Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove: A Battlefield Guide, with a Section on Wire Road Earl J. Hess, William J. Shea, William G. Piston and Richard W. Hatcher 2006	cover only The Battle of Pea Ridge: The Civil War Fight for the Ozarks James R. Knight 2012
cover only War in the West: Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove William L. Shea 2012	cover only Pea Ridge Battlefield Tour Guide and Military Staff Ride Douglas L. Gifford 2014