Battle of Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge, Ark. , Kurz and Allison
| date | March 7th to March 8th, 1862 |
|---|---|
| place | Pea Ridge , Arkansas, USA |
| output | Union victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
|
10,250
|
16,000
|
| losses | |
|
1,384 killed
: 203 wounded: 980 missing / captured: 201 |
2,000
|
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The Battle of Pea Ridge (also called the Battle of the Elkhorn Tavern ) took place on March 7th and 8th, 1862 during the American Civil War . Troops of the Northern States (Union) under Brigadier General Samuel Ryan Curtis defeated the troops of the Southern States ( Confederation ) under Major General Earl Van Dorn .
After the beginning of the civil war, the Union had gained control of the state of Missouri within six months , the governor of which, contrary to the prevailing opinion of the population, had sided with the Confederation. Then General Curtis wanted to conquer the Confederate state of Arkansas , which is south of Missouri.
With about 10,000 men and 50 cannons, Curtis moved into Benton County in Arkansas in February 1862 and holed up on the small river Sugar Creek. The Confederate General Van Dorn learned of the attack by the northern states and marched with his troops against the Union troops. Van Dorn had a total of around 16,000 men (including 800 Cherokee Indians). He intended to destroy Curtis' army so that he in turn could conquer Missouri for the Confederation.
Van Dorn realized that a frontal attack against the expanded defensive position of the Union troops would have to fail, so on March 4th he split his army into two parts. He wanted to encompass Curtis' army and attack from behind. In order to be able to march faster, he left his supply wagons behind, which later turned out to be negligent.
The Confederate Army of the West marched into Benton County for three days through a frosty storm. Many Confederate soldiers were poorly equipped and even barefoot. The saying started that the army could be found by following the bloody footprints. The Confederate troops arrived at their destination hungry and tired.
The decisive factor was the delay in a unit under General Benjamin McCulloch . Van Dorn ordered McCulloch to reunite with him at the Elkhorn Tavern, but the delay allowed Union General Curtis to respond to the unexpected danger behind him. He and his army pushed into the gap between Van Dorn's and McCulloch's divisions and so won the battle.
The Confederates lost approximately 2,000 men in the battle, including Generals McCulloch, Slack, and McIntosh, while the Union Army lost only 1,400 men.
After the defeat of Pea Ridge, the remnants of Van Dorn 's Army were withdrawn to reinforce the Confederate Tennessee Army , and Arkansas was left virtually defenseless. The Confederates were even less able to threaten Missouri.
In return, General Curtis penetrated deeper into undefended Arkansas to attack its capital, Little Rock .
literature
- William L. Shea & Earl J. Hess: Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West. Chapel Hill, NC 1992.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fox's Regimental Losses, Chapter XIV: Union Losses
- Jump up ↑ The Arkansas Confederate Losses Encyclopedia
