Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park
Civil War in the Ozarks
Visitors to Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park are given a view of the total effect of the Civil War on the people of the Ozarks. The park was started by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1908 as a place for Civil War Veterans to have reunions. Today, the park preserves an important part of the historic battlefield and has a unique collection of buildings depicting life in the region before, during, and after the Civil War. The museum in Hindman Hall and self-guided walking and driving tours give visitors an understanding of the Battle of Prairie Grove, while the interpretive emphasis in the Ozark village focuses on the effect of war on Ozark life.
The Battle of Prairie Grove
On December 7, 1862, a Confederate Army under Major General Thomas C. Hindman engaged the Union divisions of Brigadier Generals Francis J. Herron and James G. Blunt near Prairie Grove Church. Hindman’s original plan to strike Blunt, isolated at Cane Hill, Arkansas, was foiled by the timely arrival of two Union divisions under Herron. Hindman bypassed Blunt at Cane Hill on the morning of December 7, 1862, and marched to meet Herron. The two armies collided at Prairie Grove.
Hindman’s men took a defensive position on a ridge overlooking the Illinois River. The Battle began with an artillery duel which opened the way for a Union attack. Between noon and 2 p.m. two Union charges met with bloody repulse. The battered Union forces were reinforced about 2:30 p.m. by Blunt’s arrival on the battlefield. The fighting spread westward, with savage attack and counter attack until darkness ended the fighting. The Confederate Army retreated southward during the night as its ammunition was nearly exhausted.
Prairie Grove marked the last major Civil War engagement in northwest Arkansas. Never again would a southern army attempt to use the area as an avenue of invasion to Missouri.
https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/prairie-grove-battlefield-state-park