The Battle of Pea Ridge and its Impact on the Civil War

The Battle of Pea Ridge and its Impact on the Civil War

The Civil War was a major point in American History. It has influenced everyone in America in many ways. The War was conducted in two main areas of the United States. These two parts were in the area east of the Mississippi River and in the area west of the Mississippi River. The control of both of these fronts was vital for victory by either the Union or the Confederacy. On March 8, 1862, a small skirmish at Pea Ridge, Arkansas led to the Union's domination of the west. The Battle of Pea Ridge had a great impact on the civil war by giving control of the west to the Federal forces (Battle).

The Battle of Pea Ridge, otherwise known as the battle of Elkhorn Tavern was fought several miles out from Pea Ridge Arkansas, a "broad table land", in an area around Elkhorn Tavern and Tanyard. The Battle spanned from the night of March 6 to the afternoon of March 8 in 1862. The commanding officers for the Confederate side in this battle were Major General Earl Van Dorn and Brigadier General Albert Pike. For the Federal's side there were Major General Samuel R. Curtis and Brigadier General Franz Sigel (Battle).

The Confederate General Earl Van Dorn's objective was to "have St. Louis - then Huzza!" He hoped to accomplish this by going north from his headquarters at Pocahontas to the Boston Mountains, where the Union forces under command of General Samuel Curtis had taken up camp. After a nine-day march, Van Dorn finally made it to the mountains. There, he met up with McCulloch and Price, two of his officers. This Confederate Army of the West marched rapidly to Fayetteville on Telegraph Road and then went on to Bentonville in an attempt to overwhelm the Federal troops of Genera...

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...ces. The weary Confederate forces were overcome and Van Dorn ordered a withdrawal. The battle had been won by the Union (Battle). Van Dorn went across the Mississippi, abandoning all of the operations west of on the western side of it. Therefore, the Union controlled all of the area to the west of the Mississippi. The Union kept control of this area for 2 more years before there was any dispute. By controlling one whole front of the war, the Union's victory was much easier and more probable than before.

Sources Cited

The Battle of Pea Ridge. HTTP://www.civilwarhome.com/pearidge.htm. 9

Jan. 1999.

Civil War Round Table of Arkansas. The Civil War in Arkansas: Pea Ridge.

HTTP://www.civilwarbuff.org/pea_ridge.html. 9 Jan. 1999.

The National Park Service. Pea Ridge National Military Park. 8 Jan. 1999.

HTTP://ww.nps.gov/peri. 9 Jan. 1999.