Battle of Pea Ridge
Pea Ridge, Benton County, Arkansas, USA
What happened
The Union Army of the Southwest under Samuel Curtis and Franz Sigel fought a Confederate army under Earl Van Dorn, including Cherokee troops under Albert Pike. Union forces had pushed south from Missouri into north-western Arkansas. Van Dorn split his army and marched around to get behind them. After two days of fighting near Leetown and Elkhorn Tavern, a Union artillery barrage pushed the Confederates back, and Van Dorn, short of ammunition, retreated.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It gave the Union control of most of Missouri and northern Arkansas. The Confederates never again seriously threatened Missouri.
What came next
Van Dorn's army was moved east across the Mississippi, leaving Arkansas largely undefended. The battlefield became Pea Ridge National Military Park in 1956.
Did you know?
The park also includes about 4 km of the Trail of Tears, a route followed by members of the Cherokee Nation.
Timeline
- 7-8 March 1862The Union wins at Pea Ridge.
- 12 July 1862Curtis seizes Helena, Arkansas.
- 20 July 1956Congress creates the national military park.
- 1963The park is dedicated.