Battle of Van Buren | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
James G. Blunt Francis J. Herron | Theophilus Holmes Thomas C. Hindman | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Army of the Frontier | First Corps, Army of the Trans-Mississippi | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
8,000 | 5,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 killed and 5 wounded or 2 killed and 6 wounded | Unknown, roughly 12 killed, 24 wounded, and several hundred captured | ||||||
Location within Arkansas |
The Battle of Van Buren was fought in Crawford County, Arkansas, on December 28, 1862, during the American Civil War. After defeating Confederate forces led by Major General Thomas C. Hindman at the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862, Union forces under Brigadiers General James G. Blunt and Francis J. Herron prepared for a raid against the Confederate positions at Van Buren and Fort Smith. Disease, lack of supplies, and desertion had previously forced Hindman to begin withdrawing most of his force from the area. Setting out on December 27, the Union troops struck an outlying Confederate cavalry unit near Drippings Spring, north of Van Buren, on the morning of December 28. The Confederate cavalry fled to Van Buren, which was then overrun by Union troops.
The Union pursued and captured three steamboats on the Arkansas River, and captured some Confederate troops and many supplies in Van Buren. Across the river in Fort Smith, the Confederates destroyed supplies and also burned two steamboats trapped upriver. An artillery duel took place at Van Buren, and after nightfall a minor skirmish was fought downriver at Strain's Landing. After the battle, Hindman withdrew his men to Little Rock and the Union force returned from the raid, unable to maintain a supply line to Van Buren across the Boston Mountains. The battles of Prairie Grove and Van Buren broke Confederate strength in the region.
After the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States in 1860, several southern states considered seceding from the union. In the southern state of Arkansas, anti-secessionists were initially strong, slavery being considered a key issue. [1] The successful bombardment of Fort Sumter by Confederate troops in seceded territory on April 12 [2] swung political opinion toward secession. The state convention voted to secede on May 6, and Arkansas joined the Confederate States of America. [1]
After significant military activity in Missouri throughout 1861, Major General Earl Van Dorn of the Confederate States Army formed the Army of the West in Arkansas in early March 1862 from forces commanded by Missouri State Guard Major General Sterling Price and Confederate Brigadier General Ben McCulloch. Van Dorn moved his army north towards the Union army of Major General Samuel R. Curtis, but was defeated at the Battle of Pea Ridge on March 7 and 8. [3] After the defeat at Pea Ridge, Van Dorn moved most of the Confederate soldiers and supplies in Arkansas east of the Mississippi River and into Tennessee, leaving very little military organization in the state. [4] In May, Major General Thomas C. Hindman was placed in command of Confederate forces in the state, with a task of rebuilding Confederate strength in the area. [5] Although Hindman was successful in rebuilding Confederate strength and stabilizing the military situation in Arkansas, [6] his methods were unpopular and sometimes extralegal. [7] He was replaced by Major General Theophilus Holmes, who arrived at Little Rock on August 12. [8]
Hindman retained a field command under Holmes and pushed the troops under his command into northern Arkansas and southwestern Missouri. [9] His command was known as the First Corps of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi. [10] Holmes had Hindman return to Little Rock in September, leaving his troops where they were. [11] A militia officer, Brigadier General James S. Rains of the Missouri State Guard, commanded in Hindman's absence. [10] Despite winning the First Battle of Newtonia under the command of Colonel Douglas H. Cooper and Joseph O. Shelby, the Confederates in southwestern Missouri withdrew in early October as Union troops commanded by Brigadier Generals James G. Blunt and John Schofield approached. [12] The Union commands were then combined by Schofield into the Army of the Frontier. [13] Hindman returned from Little Rock on October 15. [13] Some of Schofield's men had entered Arkansas, but in early November, Schofield withdrew all of them except for Blunt's division to Springfield, Missouri. Hindman decided to attack with the Union forces divided, and after his cavalry fought with Blunt in the Battle of Cane Hill, began moving north across the Boston Mountains on December 3. [14] The mountains were high, rugged, and brushy. [15] Union troops commanded by Brigadier General Francis J. Herron began a long movement from Springfield on December 4 to reinforce Blunt. [16]
Late on December 6, Hindman learned that Herron had arrived to reinforce Blunt and would be in the area the next day. In response, Hindman changed his plan to strike Herron first at Prairie Grove and then attack Blunt. [17] Instead of acting aggressively against Herron as planned on December 7, Hindman took up a defensive position and awaited Herron's assault. [18] Hindman's men fought with Herron's until Blunt's men arrived and turned the tide for the Union. Hindman realized that his battered army did not have enough food or ammunition to fight again, and with the Union having been reinforced, fell back to Van Buren beginning the night after the battle. [19] Forage for horses was scarce in the Van Buren area, [20] and Hindman sent some of his cavalry, commanded by Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke, 100 mi (160 km) to the south to Lewisburg. [21] While at Van Buren, Hindman's force also suffered greatly from disease and desertion. [20] Van Buren was located on the north bank of the Arkansas River, with Fort Smith to the southwest on the south bank of the river. [22] The Arkansas River provided a key communication and transportation pathway in a state largely devoid of infrastructure and the Arkansas River Valley was an agricultural area important for feeding the Confederate army. [23] North of the river were the Boston Mountains. [24]
Hindman decided that it would be impractical to keep the majority of his force north of the Arkansas River in Van Buren given the condition of his army, and pulled most of his men south of the Arkansas to Fort Smith. Hindman left one infantry regiment and some artillery in Van Buren. [25] The 1st Texas Partisan Rangers, [26] commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Phillip Crump was posted at Dripping Springs, [21] which was about 8 mi (13 km) [25] [27] north of Van Buren, with instructions to guard the roads from the north, [25] despite Crump having previously been reprimanded for inattentiveness. [21] Holmes visited the Van Buren area on December 21, [28] and ordered Hindman to withdraw his forces to Lewisburg, where the men could be better supplied via the river. [29] According to historian Ed Bearss, Hindman decided to leave the brigades of Brigadier General John S. Roane's Texas cavalry and Cooper's Native American troops in the area of Fort Smith and the Indian Territory, although Roane's brigade was soon disbanded due to heavy desertion and was replaced with a brigade of Arkansas infantry [28] commanded by Colonel Robert G. Shaver. [30] Shea instead states that the forces left behind were one infantry brigade and one cavalry regiment. [31] Hindman began to move the sick and any supplies not needed for the rearguard out of Fort Smith on December 23. [28] The main Confederate force began withdrawing on December 26, and were still loading supplies onto river transports without a sense of urgency on December 28. [32] On December 28, there were about 5,000 Confederates in the area, primarily south of the Arkansas River. [33]
After resting for three days following Prairie Grove, Herron and Blunt decided to move south against Hindman with 8,000 men, although this movement was delayed by a heavy snowstorm. The weather eventually broke, and late on December 25, the two Union officers decided it was time to resume the advance. After spreading disinformation on December 26, that the Union thrust was headed for Huntsville, the movement began the next morning, [34] with 8,000 men and 30 cannons. [35] [36] The Union troops traveled during cold weather and over ground that was in places covered with snow. [34] Artillery and wagons had difficulty moving through thick mud. [37] The commands of Blunt and Herron traveled separately, taking different routes. [38]
On the morning of the 28th, Blunt's cavalry was at the head of his force. The cavalry halted at Oliver's Store on the Telegraph Road for Blunt's infantry and artillery to catch up. Herron's cavalry joined Blunt's at the store, and Herron and Blunt interviewed local Unionists to learn of the locations of Crump's camp and outposts. [39] Herron's infantry had not arrived yet, but he had 3,000 cavalrymen present. [40] Blunt had seniority over Herron and took overall command. With the 2nd Kansas Cavalry Regiment in the lead, [41] the Union cavalrymen headed south, and 2 mi (3 km) from the store and 8 mi (13 km) from Dripping Springs, encountered some of Crump's pickets. Blunt ordered the cavalry to drive all the way to the Arkansas River. [40] Crump heard the firing and took two companies to investigate. Encountering the 2nd Kansas Cavalry 3 mi (5 km) north of their camp, Crump's patrol fled back to the camp. By the time Crump returned to prepare his surprised men for battle, the Union troopers were almost upon them. [42] Three Union units – the 2nd Kansas Cavalry, the 6th Kansas Cavalry Regiment, and the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment – were deployed around 10:00 am, [41] and Colonel William F. Cloud brought up two mountain howitzers. After six rounds from the cannons, the Union cavalry charged. [27] Crump's Texans quickly fled, and although Crump managed to rally a force three times, the Union cavalry drove all the way to Van Buren in only an hour. [43]
The pursuing cavalry, led by Cloud, halted at a hill overlooking the Arkansas River, allowing Blunt and Herron to personally catch up to the force. [44] When the Union troops charged down the hill, Herron sent part of the 1st Missouri Cavalry Regiment to the east to cut off a road that the Confederates could use to retreat. By the time the Union troops entered Van Buren, most of the Confederates had already boarded steamboats on the Arkansas River or were using a ferry to cross the river. [45] Some convalescent soldiers and men from the commissary and quartermaster departments were captured by the Union soldiers in Van Buren. The steamboats withdrawing down the river had been loaded with some of Hindman's supplies before the Union attack struck, and to speed their escape, some of the cargo was thrown overboard. [46]
Scouts informed Blunt that there was a bend in the river 2 mi (3 km) below Van Buren, and Cloud was sent there with a brigade and two cannons to try to intercept the steamboats. [47] The rearmost ship, Frederick Notrebe, was caught by the 2nd Kansas Cavalry. According to Shea, the Kansans fired into the ship, forcing its crew's surrender; [46] Bearss states that the ship's crew intentionally ran the ship aground and abandoned the vessel. Two more steamers, Rose Douglass [lower-alpha 1] and Key West continued downriver. Rose Douglass was fired on and then boarded by Union cavalry, [48] and Key West surrendered at Strain's Landing 6 mi (10 km) [46] or 10 mi (16 km) below Van Buren. The vessel had stopped at the landing for unknown reasons and was then caught up to by Union cavalry. [48]
One of the Union mountain howitzers fired on the ferry at Van Buren, killing the horse powering it, although the soldiers on board were able to escape across the river. [49] Union troops also captured the steamer Violet in Van Buren, and took three ammunition wagons and twenty-seven wagons with supplies during the chase of the other steamboats. [50] Rose Douglass, Key West, and Frederick Notrebe were returned to Van Buren [49] by the early afternoon. [51] While Blunt and Herron discussed the prospects of making an attack across the river to Fort Smith, the Confederates brought up troops on the far side of the river. [51] At Fort Smith, Hindman had learned of the Union attack at about 10:00 am. He ordered Shaver's brigade, which was 2 mi (3 km) away, to go to Fort Smith, and ordered Brigadier General Daniel M. Frost, who was with his division 10 mi (16 km) toward Little Rock, to send a detachment of infantry and artillery to Strain's Landing and the rest of his force to Fort Smith. By the time Shaver reached Fort Smith, Union troops had already held Van Buren for about two and a half hours. Shaver had West's Arkansas Battery fire on the town [52] with four 6-pounder smoothbore cannons. [53] Herron viewed this as an outrage, as the town sheltered many civilians as well as the Union troops. [52] The Confederates fired for two hours, and Union artillery was brought up to support the infantry. The 1st Kansas Battery deployed on the hill overlooking the river and fired into Shaver's position at about 4:00 pm [54] with four 10-pounder Parrott rifles. [53] Shaver had not expected to encounter Union artillery, and with Union overshots landing among Shaler's Arkansas Infantry Regiment, ordered a withdrawal. The Union artillery did not detect the retreat and continued firing, while the Union infantry completed its march to Van Buren at about 7:00 pm. [54]
An hour after dark, Cloud sent the 2nd Kansas Cavalry and 1st Kansas Battery back down to Strain's Landing, where he had noticed a Confederate camp during the chase after the steamboats. When the Union units arrived, the position was held by Tilden's Missouri Battery and part of Hunter's Missouri Infantry Regiment, that had been sent there by Frost. [55] According to Bearss, the Confederate artillery fired upon the Union positions until driven off by the Kansan artillery; [56] Shea states that the Confederates were under orders not to waste ammunition and withdrew after the start of the Union bombardment. Two Confederate transports had been trapped upstream by the Union attack, and were burned. Hindman had given orders to abandon Fort Smith and if necessary, burn it. After the Union attack struck Van Buren, the Confederates panicked and burned wharves and warehouses in Fort Smith. In the words of Shea, Hindman's orders were carried out with "more enthusiasm and less judgment" than intended. [55]
Convinced that he could not hold Fort Smith against a Union assault, [56] and with everything worth protecting destroyed, [55] Hindman decided to withdraw, leaving only Cooper's brigade and two cavalry regiments in the general area [57] to harass the Union troops. [58] On the morning of December 29, Blunt sent a scouting party across the river, which found that the only Confederates remaining at Fort Smith were 600 sick and wounded. A Union patrol was sent to burn the two transports upriver, but found that the Confederates had already done so. [57] After plundering the town the night after the battle, [59] the Union forces held a military parade that day to impress the local civilians. [60] The Union troops freed several hundred slaves. [61] Supplies that could be sent northward were carried off, [62] and anything they could not carry, [63] including a large quantity of corn, the ferry, and the steamboats, was burned. [62] Blunt, Herron, Colonel Daniel Huston Jr., and 14 men from the 1st Missouri Cavalry briefly crossed the Arkansas river, apparently so that Blunt, Herron, and Huston could claim that they were the first Union officers to cross it. Union troops found Confederate messages in a telegraph office, garnering a significant amount of military intelligence. [64] Overall, the Confederates had lost 25,000 bushels of grain, 42 wagons, and quantities of equipment and ammunition. [63]
Blunt could not operate a supply line across the Boston Mountains, and decided to withdraw that day. [62] Herron led the withdrawal with the infantry and artillery, leaving after sunset. Schofield caught up with the expedition during Herron's withdrawal, but allowed Blunt to remain in command despite Schofield being the senior officer. Blunt left Van Buren with the cavalry on December 30, and the raid was over by the next day, [65] when the Union troops arrived at Rhea's Mill. [66] According to Shea, Union losses were two killed and six wounded; [67] the Encyclopedia of Arkansas reports Union losses of one man killed and five wounded. [53] Confederate losses are not known, but Shea estimates about a dozen were killed, two dozen wounded, and a few hundred captured and then paroled. [67] By January 8, 1863, only parts of two Confederate cavalry regiments and one infantry regiment remained at Fort Smith. [68] Holmes ordered Hindman to abandon the Fort Smith area, and the Confederates spent the beginning of 1863 retreating to Little Rock. [69] Cooper's men went to the Indian Territory, [68] and a small force led by William Steele remained at Forth Smith; [70] Union troops captured the post on September 1, 1863. [71] The battles at Prairie Grove and Van Buren had broken Confederate strength in the region; [59] the historian Shelby Foote wrote that "practically speaking, [Hindman] had no army". [72] Cavalry raids and guerrilla warfare continued in the area, but fighting between large-scale armies did not occur in the region after Prairie Grove and Van Buren. [61]
Thomas Carmichael Hindman Jr. was an American lawyer, politician, and a senior officer of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, he later moved to Mississippi and became involved in politics. Having served in the Mexican–American War from 1846 to 1848, Hindman practiced law and in 1853 was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives. After his term expired in 1854, he moved to Helena, Arkansas where there were more opportunities for his political ambitions.
The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. While tactically indecisive, the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas.
The Battle of Helena was fought on July 4, 1863, near Helena, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. Union troops captured the city in July 1862, and had been using it as a base of operations. Over 7,500 Confederate troops led by Lieutenant General Theophilus Holmes attempted to capture Helena in hopes of relieving some of the pressure on the Confederate army besieged in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Helena was defended by about 4,100 Union troops led by Major General Benjamin Prentiss, manning one fort and four batteries of artillery.
The Battle of Arkansas Post, also known as Battle of Fort Hindman, was fought from January 9 to 11, 1863, near the mouth of the Arkansas River at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Confederate forces had constructed a fort known as Fort Hindman near Arkansas Post in late 1862. In December of that year, a Union force under the command of Major-General William T. Sherman left for an expedition against Vicksburg, without Major-General John A. McClernand because neither Major-Generals Henry Halleck nor Ulysses S. Grant trusted McClernand. After Sherman's force was repulsed at Chickasaw Bayou, McClernand arrived and took command from Sherman in January 1863.
The Battle of Cane Hill was fought between Federal and Confederate forces during the American Civil War on November 28, 1862, in northwestern Arkansas, near the town of Cane Hill. Federal troops under Brigadier General James G. Blunt had entered northwestern Arkansas, and Major General Thomas Hindman of the Confederate Army sent a force under Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke to Cane Hill, which was also known as Boonsboro, to collect supplies. Hindman had begun a campaign in which he hoped to catch Blunt's command while it was isolated from the rest of the Federal Army of the Frontier, which was near Springfield, Missouri. In early November, a detachment of Blunt's command led by Colonel William F. Cloud defeated a small Confederate force commanded by Colonel Emmett MacDonald in the Cane Hill area.
The First Battle of Newtonia was fought on September 30, 1862, between Confederate soldiers commanded by Colonel Douglas H. Cooper and a Union column commanded by Brigadier General Frederick Salomon near Newtonia, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Cooper's force had moved into southwestern Missouri, and encamped near the town of Newtonia. The Confederate column was composed mostly of cavalry led by Colonel Joseph O. Shelby and a brigade of Native Americans. A Union force commanded by Brigadier General James G. Blunt moved to intercept Cooper's force. Blunt's advance force, led by Salomon, reached the vicinity of Newtonia on September 29, and attacked Cooper's position on September 30. A Union probing force commanded by Colonel Edward Lynde was driven out of Newtonia by Cooper's forces on the morning of the 30th.
The Battle of St. Charles was fought on June 17, 1862, at St. Charles, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. Earlier in 1862, a Union Army force commanded by Major General Samuel R. Curtis moved against Little Rock, Arkansas, but became bogged down in the Batesville area due to lack of supplies. The Union leadership decided to send a naval force from Memphis, Tennessee, up the White River to resupply Curtis's men. Major General Thomas C. Hindman, the Confederate commander in Arkansas, had fortifications constructed near St. Charles to stop the Union movement. Two artillery positions were built, and three ships, including CSS Maurepas, were scuttled to obstruct the river.
During the American Civil War, Arkansas was a Confederate state, though it had initially voted to remain in the Union. Following the capture of Fort Sumter in April 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for troops from every Union state to put down the rebellion, and Arkansas and several other states seceded. For the rest of the civil war, Arkansas played a major role in controlling the Mississippi River, a major waterway.
James S. Rains was a senior officer of the Missouri State Guard (MSG) who fought in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. Born in Tennessee, Rains moved to Missouri by 1840, and was a farmer, politician, judge, and militia officer. He also served as an Indian agent from 1845 to 1849, and participated in the California Gold Rush. He was appointed to command of the 8th Division of the MSG in May 1861, and may have commanded all MSG forces at the Battle of Carthage later that year. In August, his men were routed at the Battle of Dug Springs, an incident which became known as "Rains's Scare".
The 22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War (1862–1865). This regiment was originally organized as the 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, reorganized after the battle of Pea Ridge as 1st Regiment, Northwest Division, Trans-Mississippi Department, or Rector's War Regiment, redesignated as the 35th Arkansas in the summer of 1862, and reorganized and redesignated as the 22nd Arkansas following the Battle of Prairie Grove. The unit was also sometimes referred to as, King's Arkansas Infantry or McCord's Arkansas Infantry. This was the second regiment to be officially designated as the 22nd Arkansas. The first was mustered in at DeValls Bluff, Arkansas, on April 9, 1862, and later reorganized as the 20th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.
The 4th Arkansas Field Battery (1862–1865) was a Confederate States Army artillery battery during the American Civil War. The battery spent its entire existence in the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, including time in the Indian Territory. Late in the war the battery supported operations in Louisiana. Also known as: Desha County Artillery and West's Battery.
7th Missouri Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry unit from Missouri that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was formed on 20 February 1862 by merging Bishop's Cavalry Battalion with some unattached cavalry companies. The regiment fought at Independence, Lone Jack, Prairie Grove and Van Buren in 1862. The unit participated in Frederick Steele's expedition to Little Rock in 1863, fighting at Brownsville, Ashley's Mills, and Bayou Fourche. In 1864, the regiment went on the Camden Expedition and fought at Mount Elba and Marks' Mills. The remaining soldiers were consolidated with the 1st Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment on 22 February 1865.
Battery E, 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment was an artillery battery unit from Missouri that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment formed on 1 September 1861. The battery participated in Frémont's expedition to Springfield in October 1861. This was followed by actions at Prairie Grove and Van Buren in December 1862. The following year, the battery fought at Cape Girardeau, Chalk Bluff, Vicksburg, the Expedition to Morganza, Brownsville, and Fort Esperanza. After performing garrison duty at Brownsville, Texas, the unit was mustered out in June 1864. For a few months at the end of 1864, a Pennsylvania battery took the name of this unit.
The 16th Missouri Infantry Regiment (also known as Jackman's Missouri Regiment, Caldwell's Missouri Regiment, and the 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment (Lewis')) was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was formed from men recruited by Jeremiah V. Cockrell and Sidney D. Jackman during an expedition into Missouri in August 1862. Although the recruits fought at the Battle of Lone Jack on August 16, they were not officially mustered into Confederate service until August 31. The regiment fought at the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7. In May 1863, the regiment was designated the 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment, although this designation was changed to the 16th Missouri Infantry Regiment in December. On July 4, the regiment fought at the Battle of Helena, suffering heavy casualties. The unit then spent time building fortifications at Little Rock, Arkansas, before leaving the town in September. The 16th Missouri then fought at the Battle of Pleasant Hill on April 9, 1864, and at the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry on April 30. On June 8, 1865, the men of the regiment were paroled and sent back to Missouri via steamboat. More men died while serving in the 16th Missouri Infantry Regiment than died in any other Missouri unit serving in the Confederate States Army.
The 9th Missouri Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The unit was formed on November 16, 1862, and was originally commanded by Colonel John Bullock Clark Jr. At the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862, the regiment was officially in Brigadier General John S. Roane's brigade, although it served with Brigadier General Mosby M. Parsons' brigade for most of the battle. After spending the summer of 1863 harassing Union Navy shipping on the Mississippi River, the regiment was reorganized, with elements of an Arkansas unit being replaced with the 8th Missouri Infantry Battalion. After the reorganization, the regiment fought in the Battle of Pleasant Hill and the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry in April 1864. On June 7, 1865, the men of the regiment were paroled; they would eventually be sent back to Missouri via steamboat.
The 1st Missouri Field Battery was a field artillery battery that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The battery was formed by Captain Westley F. Roberts in Arkansas in September 1862 as Roberts' Missouri Battery and was originally armed with two 12-pounder James rifles and two 6-pounder smoothbore guns. The unit fought in the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, as part of a Confederate offensive. Roberts' Battery withdrew after the battle and transferred to Little Rock, Arkansas, where Roberts resigned and was replaced by Lieutenant Samuel T. Ruffner.
The 8th Missouri Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. From May 1861, the war began affecting events in the state of Missouri. In 1862, Confederate recruiting activities took place in Missouri, and a cavalry regiment was formed in Oregon County, the nucleus being former members of the Missouri State Guard. On September 2, the unit entered Confederate service, but it was reclassified as infantry ten days later. After many of the men transferred to other units, the regiment was reclassified as a battalion on October 19 and named the 7th Missouri Infantry Battalion, also known as Mitchell's Missouri Infantry. It participated in a Confederate offensive at the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7. During the battle, the unit made several charges against the Union lines but was repeatedly repulsed by artillery fire. The regiment spent most of early 1863 encamped near Little Rock and Pine Bluff in Arkansas.
The 10th Texas Field Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. After being formed in early 1861 by Benjamin H. Pratt, the battery served with a cavalry formation led by Colonel William Henry Parsons for part of 1862. It was called upon to enter Missouri in support of troop movements related to the Battle of Prairie Grove, but this did not occur. It then operated along the Mississippi River in early 1863, harassing enemy shipping. The unit then participated in Marmaduke's Second Expedition into Missouri and the Battle of Pine Bluff in 1863. Late in 1864, the battery, now under the command of H. C. Hynson, served in Price's Raid, participating in several battles and skirmishes, including the disastrous Battle of Mine Creek. One source claims the unit's service ended on May 26, 1865, while a Confederate report dated June 1, 1865, states that it existed but did not have cannons. Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department surrendered on June 2.
The 9th Missouri Sharpshooter Battalion, also known as Pindall's Missouri Sharpshooter Battalion, was a unit that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The battalion was formed in late 1862, in compliance with an earlier authorization by the Confederate States Congress for each brigade to have an associated battalion of sharpshooters. When first formed, the men had no unique qualifications to serve as sharpshooters and were drawn from a defunct artillery battery, a partisan rangers unit, and infantrymen. The unit's first major battle was the Battle of Prairie Grove in December 1862.
The Battle of McGuire's Store was fought at McGuire, Arkansas, near Elkins, between Union forces led by Brigadier General Francis J. Herron and Confederate forces under Colonel Jesse L. Cravens during the American Civil War. The skirmish was the result of an attempt by Union Brigadier General John Schofield to trap a body of Confederate cavalry reported to be at McGuire's Store. In the event, the operation failed when Herron's column took the wrong road and approached from the west instead of the north. Herron's well-equipped troops attacked Cravens' poorly armed and demoralized Texas cavalrymen and drove them off. This minor clash and other events caused Confederate Major General Thomas C. Hindman to suspend his intended advance to recover northwestern Arkansas and withdraw to the Arkansas River. Ironically, most of Schofield's soldiers also retreated to Missouri after the fight. Though the clash was minor, it marked one pulse of the ebb and flow of the war in northwest Arkansas.