Prairie Grove Battlefield Arkansas

After our visit to Pea Ridge, we drove south and west to Prairie Grove to visit another Civil War battlefield.  Prairie Grove wasn't as large or as notable of a battle as Pea Ridge, but it was still a large battle and has been preserved as an Arkansas State Park.  Prairie Grove was the last major Civil War battlefield in Northwest Arkansas.  The museum provided a great overview of the battlefield, and is a good place to start your visit.  One of the points I picked up at the museum was the way that the infantry, cavalry, and artillery should support each other in a battle, and that having them coordinated and working together leads to success.  When one of the elements is missing, it exposes a vulnerability that can lead to defeat if the other side exploits it. 

There's a small village of historic buildings at Prairie Grove.  Most of them are closed, but by signing up for a tour, one can go and walk through many of them.  We walked around a few of them as we did our walking tour of the battlefield.   The battle was initiated when the Unions divided their force and extended their lines, creating an opportunity for the Confederates to attach one of the forces and perhaps wipe them out.  The battle was going poorly for the Union until the other force arrived later in the day, crossed a ford, and began to press the Confederates back. 

This sorghum press was used to press the juice out of sorghum, which was then boiled down to create molasses. 

 The walking tour provided a good overview of some of the pivotal points of the battle, along with short experiences of several of the participants of the battle.  The Battle of Prairie Grove was a draw, the Confederates and Unions fought to a standstill, but the Confederates retreated overnight, leaving the Unions victor.

Nearest City: Prairie Grove, AR
Location: 506 E Douglas Street, Prairie Grove, AR
Time Needed: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Prairie Grove State Park Website

Pea Ridge National Military Park

The Elkhorn Tavern

When we planned our trip to Arkansas, high on the list of things to do was visiting Civil War sites.  Most of the Civil War sites in Arkansas are in Northwest Arkansas, including the Pea Ridge Battlefield.  Pea Ridge is the most notable of the Civil War battlefields in Arkansas and is now preserved as part of the National Park Service.  It is was the Union victory at Pea Ridge that preserved Missouri as part of the Union instead of falling under the control of the Confederates. 

Artifacts from the Battle of Pea Ridge

We stopped by on a Monday morning after a few detours and back road diversions.  Don't be stupid like we were- follow the signs to the Pea Ridge Battlefield instead of the those directing you to the town of Pea Ridge.  We arrived eventually!  The visitor center is small but well done.  There are numerous exhibits and artifacts displayed from the battle, and a good explanation of why the battle happened where it did.  Essentially, the battle was fought along the Telegraph Road that lead from St Louis, MO to Ft. Smith, AR.  Control of the road would determine who would be able to control Missouri- the Union or the Confederates. 

There are several walking paths in the park and a scenic drive.  The drive goes by many of the most important skirmishes in the battle.  I recommend doing the drive and stopping at all of the turnouts to read the signs.  We stopped and walked down the path toward the ruins of Leetown, but didn't see much there other then a few foundation holes. 

The highlight from our short hike was the box turtle we saw along the trail.  It was still slightly chilly out, and it had crawled around to find a sunny spot to warm up.  The kids really liked looking at it and seeing the box turtle.  We spoke to a ranger at the visitor center who said that they're the most active before it rains. 

It was a sad and inspiring site to see the cannons lined up in the fields at Pea Ridge.  It's a great spot to visit to get a better understanding of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River.  After Pea Ridge, the fighting in the west was largely over, although there were still a few smaller engagements.  The west was secure for the Union, and the war would be determined by what happened in the east.

Nearest City: Pea Ridge, Arkansas
Location: 15930 E Hwy 62, Garfield, Arkansas
Time Needed: 1/2 day
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Pea Ridge National Military Park Website

The Battle of Carthage State Historic Site, Missouri

We made a quick stop at the Battle of Carthage State Historic Site.   It was quick because there's not much there, just a small pavilion with signs and descriptions of the battle.  I was expecting there to be a lot more to see and explore, but ended up being quite underwhelmed.  The battle itself was one of the first battles of the Civil War (fought before the first Battle of Bull Run), and was fought in part on the site.  Like many of the Civil War Battlefields, the entire battlefield stretched over several miles, and is impossible to preserve completely.  The Wikipedia article on the Battle of Carthage does a great job of explaining what happened.

The site is now a large grassy field, with a spring and a stream flowing along one edge of it.  It's a great spot for a picnic.

There was also a cave on the site, but a sign near the parking lot indicated that entry was prohibited. 

Overall, it's worth stopping by if you're in Carthage or if you're a big fan of the Civil War.  Otherwise, it's not worth driving for several miles out of your way to find since it's an anticlimactic place to visit.

Nearest City: Carthage, MO
Location: Chestnut Street, Carthage, MO
Time Needed: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Battle of Carthage SHS Website

Winter Visit to the Battle of Mine Creek SHS

Our final stop of our Frontier Military Byway trip was at the Battle of Mine Creek State Historic Site.  I was really exited to stop by and learn about the Battle of Mine Creek, the largest battle of the Civil War fought in Kansas.  It was very apparent as we drove up mid-afternoon and saw the empty parking lot that maybe a visit wasn't in the works.  Sure enough, the visitor center is closed from November to March.  I definitely want to come back in warmer weather when the park is actually open.  I didn't let the closed visitor center completely curtail a visit.  I parked the car, then got out and read the few signs outside of the visitor center to learn a little more about the battle. 

The signs were definitely interesting.  Apparently this was the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War.  It also is the biggest Civil War battlefield in Kansas. 

The quick history of the Battle of Mine Creek is on October 25, 1864, just under 3000 Union troops attacked and defeated a Confederate force of about 8000.  It was part of Confederate General Sterling Price's Missouri Campaign to rekindle the Confederacy in Missouri.  The campaign was a failure, and the Battle of Mine Creek was the last major defeat that ended the campaign.  The weather was rainy, bogging down the Confederate's retreat, as they had numerous supply wagons.  The Union troops came upon them, then hastily charged.  More advanced weapons (revolvers and breech-loading carbines) gave the Union forces an advantage, as they carried the day.  Three points of distinction about the Battle of Mine Creek are that it was the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, it's the largest Civil War battle fought in Kansas, and it's one of the very few instances in battle where a private, the lowest rank in the army,  has captured a general, one of the highest ranks. Private James Dunlavy received the Medal of Honor, the highest honor of the US Military, for doing so.

I was disappointed that the site is closed in the winter.  But, from the little bit of walking around and reading the signs that I did, it seems very worthwhile to visit when it's open. 

Nearest City: Pleasanton, KS
Location: 20485 K 52, Pleasanton, KS
Time Needed: 20 min (winter visit)
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: no- too boring
Additional Info: Battle of Mine Creek SHS Website

Confederates vs Indians at Dragoon Springs Station

On Labor Day Weekend we headed east to the Chiricahua Mountains for a getaway.  On the way we had one important stop to make at Dragoon Springs.  I like to think that I'm pretty good at digging up unique and random sites that are worth visiting, so when I heard about Dragoon Springs I just had to visit it.  I was just surprised though that it took me a year and a half to learn about it.  We turned off of I-10 at the Dragoon Exit, then drove to the small town of Dragoon before turning off to drive a few miles on dirt roads to find the Dragoon Springs Stage Station. 

Along the way we saw a few roadrunners.  It's beautiful out here in the foothills of the Dragoon Mountains. 

We found our turnoff, then parking area, and a short time later we were at the ruins of the Dragoon Springs Stage Station.   The ruins themselves are worth a visit just because it's always fun to think about what traveling in the old west was really like.  I personally think they way the depict it in movies is actually better than it was in real life.  It would be a tough drive over roads that are just barely better than trails, then camping or staying at stage stations that were not much more than a room and a corral for the horses or mules.  But, the stage station was not strictly what we came to visit.

Just north of the stage station are several graves.  Not just any graves, but the graves of Confederate Soldiers from the Civil War.  I was somewhat incredulous when I heard about them at first, but sure enough, they're there with Confederate flags and grave markers to boot!  How'd they get here?  In 1862 a band of Confederates had a run in with Apache Warriors when the Apaches stole much of their stock.  The Indians got the best of round 1 and took most of the Confederate's horses and killed 4 of the Confederates.  It's become a small footnote in history as it wasn't a significant engagement of the Civil War.  What's fascinating though it that it is one of Arizona's Civil War sites and the furthest west casualties of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.  It's also one of the few skirmishes where Confederates and Indians fought.  Round 2 went to the Confederates when they recovered their livestock and killed several Apaches a short time later. 

Here's a sign at the site giving more detail to the history.  It's a unique location that's well worth visiting. 

Nearest City: Dragoon, AZ
Location: Take the road immediately south of the train tracks in "downtown" Dragoon and head west.  The dirt road will curve to the south.  Turn east on the side road when you see a sign for Jordan Canyon and the Stage Station.  Drive 1 mile and park at the sign, then take a short stroll to the northeast to the stage station and graves.
Time Needed: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy.  The most difficult part is the drive as the road is better with a little clearance on your vehicle.
Kid Friendly: Yes
Additional Info: