Battle of Pea Ridge

Overview

The Battle of Pea Ridge, also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place during the American Civil War near Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Federal forces, led by Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis, moved south from central Missouri, driving Confederate forces into northwestern Arkansas. Major General Earl Van Dorn had launched a Confederate counteroffensive, hoping to recapture northern Arkansas and Missouri. Confederate forces met at Bentonville and became the most substantial Rebel force, by way of guns and men, to assemble in the Trans-Mississippi. Against the odds, Curtis held off the Confederate attack on the first day and drove Van Dorn's force off the battlefield on the second. By defeating the Confederates, the Union forces established Federal control of most of Missouri and northern Arkansas.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Pea Ridge, fought near Leetown in northwestern Arkansas, decided control of Missouri and northern Arkansas for the Union. Federal forces under Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis had pushed Confederate forces south from central Missouri into Arkansas, prompting Major General Earl Van Dorn to organize a counteroffensive aimed at recapturing that lost ground. The Confederate assembly at Bentonville represented the largest Rebel concentration of guns and men yet fielded in the Trans-Mississippi theater. Despite facing a numerically superior force—16,500 Confederate troops against roughly 10,500 Federal soldiers—Curtis repelled the Confederate attack on the first day and drove Van Dorn's army from the field on the second. The defeat effectively ended the Confederate bid to retake northern Arkansas and Missouri, consolidating Union dominance across most of that region for the remainder of the war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)