Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Pea Ridge National Military Park which is about 12 miles east of Bentonville, Arkansas. It is an historic Civil War site in the Ozarks' History that decided the fate of Missouri's future of being in the Union or the Confederacy.

Click to enlarge map.

On March 6^th – 8^th, 1862, strategy against each force was played out like a game of chess. Only the consequences were paid heavily in blood shed on both sides. The Union won the battle with casualties that are estimated to be about 1,384; and the Confederacy garnered losses of at least 2,000 men & boys. 

Battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., by Kurz and Allison.
United States Library of Congress's Prints &Photographs Division
Under the digital ID cph.3b52835.

 The sad & tragic lessons & consequences of this battle are many, but  its rustic beauty is something that should not be missed. I am not going to give a whole history lesson here; but needless to say, it is worth the time to go. Here are a few pictures from this past weekend.

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit the battleground was to see the monument dedicated to commemorate the reunification of the Union & Confederate soldiers of that battle. This monument was carved by a woman who at one time lived in Baxter County, Arkansas, named Lucy Daniel. The reason I know this is due to an author who lives here in the Ozarks named Abby Burnett. She has done a lot of research on monuments & burial customs, and she also has a new book out from the University Press of Mississippi entitled, Gone to the Grave: Burial Customs of the Arkansas Ozarks, 1850-1950. For those in historical societies looking for a great guest speaker, I would suggest contacting Abby at abby@madisoncounty.net.

Click for more information.

Reunited Soldiery Monument

Angel Aloft

Goddess of Liberty by Lucy Daniel, 1889.

	Enjoy Your Ozarks' History.