Peeking Into Pea Ridge, Virginia: My First Look Into the Civil War



Dear Henry,

I've officially seen my first Civil War Battlefield. I know very little about the US Civil War, and it is wrong that your education in US history depends upon what part of the US you were raised in. In Northern Utah, there is a greater focus on the history of Western expansion, which occurred at the same time as the Civil War.  

Anyway.

The Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge happened on March 6-8, 1862, in Northwestern Arkansas.

After Confederate troops were pushed out of Missouri by Union General Samuel Curtis, under Major General Earl Van Dorn, the Confederate forces attempted a counter-offensive here, along a ridge near Sugar Creek.

The battle is also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern because the bulk of the fighting took place on the grounds of the area pub. There is a reproduction of the tavern at the park (the original was destroyed during the fight).


The battle ended in the Union's favor. With the Confederate army leaving the area. This action killed 203 Union soldiers and wounded 980, with 200 soldiers missing. It is estimated that the Confederate soldiers had around 2,000 killed or injured, although no one is really sure.  Drew Gilpin's book "This Republic of Suffering" (Review Here) explains the problems of documenting the Civil War casualties very well, and I highly recommend it.

While I need to do more research,  I am absolutely flabbergasted by the fact that the US Civil War happened at all.  Why slavery persisted as long as it did, and we couldn't, as a country, figure it out before resorting to this. It's been stuck in my craw a bit, and, now, I will probably be spending a lot more time learning about the US Civil War.

Ernest Hemingway said it best when he said, "Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime."  This is doubly true regarding a war that tore a country apart.

Because I spent my life in the West, I was never really confronted with the thought of it, but now that I'm in the South, it's everywhere. This part of American history will be the hardest for me to get used to.

I will let you know what I come up with.

xoxo a.d. elliott 


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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller currently living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

And now, a substack - https://adelliott.substack.com/

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Location: Pea Ridge National Military Park, 15930 E Highway 62, Garfield, AR 72732, USA

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