PRAIRIE GROVE - Twenty men, women and children huddled together in a cellar, while outside, guns and cannons fired around them and the rolling fields had turned muddy with blood.
On Dec. 7, 1862, Confederate soldiers under the command of Gen. Thomas C. Hindman faced Union troops under Gens. James G. Blunt and F.J. Herron in this quiet spot in the Northwest Arkansas community of Prairie Grove. When darkness fell, the Confederate Army retreated. It was to be the last major Civil War battle in the area.
Standing on a quiet ridge today, looking down on the lush, green fields, it's hard to imagine the horrors of that day.
In 1908, the United Daughters of the Confederacy bought land in Prairie Grove as a place for Civil War reunions. The park became part of the state parks system in 1971 and is today considered to be one of the most intact battlefields of the Civil War, meaning it looks much the same as it did at the time of the battle.
The park's mission is to give visitors an understanding of the battle and to educate people as to the effect the fighting had on Ozark culture and people.
It all starts in the Battlefield Museum and Visitor Center in Hindman Hall, where an intricate model of key moments in the battle, complete with little tufts of cotton "smoke" puffing out of the toy soldiers' guns, gives visitors a strong visual impression of the battle's layout. Abrief and concise video presentation provides the necessary background from the start of the war to the creation of the park.
The back of the visitor center offers several exhibits. You can handle a cannonball in the artillery exhibit - it's about thesize of a grapefruit but I could barely lift it. Or you can examine a typical Union officer's tent, reconstructed to match the description by Capt. Robert F. Braden, who called it "not at all a bad place to be in of a cold rainy day."
There's also an interactive computer console that holds a wealth of information. Using the touch screen, visitors can navigate through a variety of subjects, including "The Civil War World," "Prairie Grove" and "Soldier Records." Photos, text, maps, charts, videos, music and eyewitness accounts flesh out the stories.
Equal time is given to both sides of the battle here and some of the displays are set up to illustrate the differences between the soldiers of the North and South. For instance, Confederate cavalry were expected to provide their own gear and horses. Union cavalry were issued regulation government horses and equipment. Examples of gear and uniforms from both sides are on display.
Once the background of the battle is fully understood, it's time to step out and explore the park.
At the front of the park stand memorials to the battle's dead and to the three generals. A low wall made up of stones from historic structures across Washington County encircles the monuments as well as Morrow House. The house, originally at Cove Creek, sheltered Gen. Hindman the night beforethe battle. Exhibits on life in the Ozarks - work, play, education - can be found inside.
The Battlefield Walking Trail starts behind the house. The one-mile loop goes first through an area called the "Ozark Village." Here, you can take a look at structures typical in a small village: church, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, sorghum mill and dogtrot house. Small signs outside each one describe the structure and its role in the community, along with how the war affected this part of Ozark life. For example, church membership declined when ministers were called away to service and many former church buildings were used as hospitals.
The Borden House is the only historic structure in the park located on its original site. The first Borden home was burned by Union troops the day after the battle. Owner Archibald Borden built this replacement in 1868 and it stands on a ridge overlooking the battle site.
To get a real feel for home life in early Arkansas, explore the Latta House farm. Surrounded by a cellar (similar to the ones local residents hid in to escape the battle), kitchen, smokehouse and springhouse, the house is an 1834 log structure moved herefrom the Vineyard community.
All along the walking trail, there are markers giving details of the battle, pointing out important events and locations: Herron's men tried to advance up the hill here before being violently repulsed; Blunt's men attacked right over there. The markers help set the mood and help you to imagine exactly what took place here.
It's mostly a pleasant walk through the brush, up and down the hill, along the edge of the field. Benches are situated in a couple of particularly picturesque spots so visitors can sit and soak it all in. It's a popular trail and the day I visited there were as many exercisers as history buffs.
For little ones who may geta bit bored or tired, there's a good-size playground and picnic area.
It takes at least a couple of hours to explore the park on foot, but there's still more to see. The park provides a special self-guided driving tour pamphlet that takes visitors outside the park and into the rest of the town. The battle didn't take place entirely within the park's boundaries. Numbered markers correspond to information in the pamphlet, giving the historic background information on each site. There's also an audio-guide CD available.
Included among the stops is a lovely overlook with a view of the fields. Plaques detailing the battle line the stone wall. Among the plaques is a personal account of Caldonia Ann Borden, one of the 20 hiding in the cellar during the battle. The brief quotes recounting her experience hint at the fear the people felt in the cellar and, like the park itself, help bring home the realities of the Civil War.
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park is on U.S. 62 in Prairie Grove, southwest of Fayetteville. The park is open 8 a.m. to one hour after sunset and the museum is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Fees for the video and museum are $3, $2 for children ages 6-12. Guided tours of the houses are at 9:30 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. and cost $5, $3 for children. Free guided battlefield tours start at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Visit www.arkansasstateparks.com/prairiegrovebattlefield or call (479) 846-2990.
Travel, Pages 99 on 10/28/2007