The Courier of the Ozarks

by Byron A. Dunn

  CHAPTER XXIV

  PRAIRIE GROVE

  When General Sterling Price was ordered east of the Mississippi Riverthe Confederate Government placed the Department of Arkansas under thecommand of General T. C. Hindman. It was Hindman who originated the ideaof organizing the guerrillas of Missouri into companies and regiments,intending by a general uprising to wrest the State from the grasp of theFederals.

  In his report to the Confederate Government Hindman says: "I gaveauthority to various persons to raise companies and regiments there (inMissouri) and to operate as guerrillas."

  Thus Hindman confesses he was encouraging the bloody guerrilla warfarewhich raged throughout the State.

  Hindman ruled Arkansas with a rod of iron. He declared martial lawthroughout the State, appointed a provost marshal for every county, andproceeded to force every able-bodied man into the army. In his reportshe coolly says: "For the salvation of the country, I took theresponsibility to force these men into service. I now resolved for thesame objects to compel them to remain."

  A great many of these men were Union at heart, and desertions werefrequent. To stop this Hindman began the wholesale shooting ofdeserters. In all probability he shot as many men for deserting as theFederal authorities shot guerrillas in Missouri for breaking theirparoles. So high-handed did his acts become, and so many were thecomplaints made against him, that the Confederate Government had to takecognizance of them.

  By the end of November Hindman had succeeded in gathering an army offrom twenty-five to thirty thousand men. Many of them were unarmed, buthe had a formidable host in comparison to the small army opposed to him.

  It was on December the second that Lawrence arrived at the camp ofGeneral Blunt. Since he had crossed the mountains, and escaped the forcein front of him, he had encountered no serious opposition. He had metand scattered two or three small bands of guerrillas, and taken a numberof prisoners, whom he had been obliged to parole.

  "I am more than glad to see you," exclaimed General Blunt, warmlygrasping Lawrence's hand. "Schofield telegraphed me you were coming andI have been looking for you for several days. I began to fear misfortunehad overtaken you."

  "We did have a variety of adventures," answered Lawrence. "More than webargained for, but we are here all right now."

  "Tell us about it," said the General, and nothing would do but thatLawrence must give a detailed account of the trip. The General listenedattentively, and when Lawrence finished he clapped him on the shoulderand cried, "Well done, my boy! Well done. You ought to be a general. Butwere not the warnings you received in the mountains rather mysterious?"

  "They were," answered Lawrence, "and I have no plausible explanation tomake."

  Early next morning Blunt sent for Lawrence, asking him to comeimmediately. He found him sitting with a paper in his hand, and apuzzled expression on his face.

  "Hello! Captain," he cried. "I'm glad to see you, as I am a little inthe mystery business myself this morning."

  "In the mystery business?" asked Lawrence, somewhat astonished.

  "Yes, don't imagine you are the only one to receive mysterious warnings.I received one myself last night."

  "Out with it. Don't keep me in suspense, General."

  "Well, last night a soldier brought me a communication, saying it wasgiven to him by a young Indian with the urgent request that it be givento me at once."

  "You have Indians in your command, have you not?"

  "Yes, a company of scouts under the command of Colonel Wattles. Thepaper was of such a nature that I immediately began an investigation asto its genuineness. Colonel Wattles asked every man in his command ifany one of them had delivered such a paper and each and every one deniedknowledge of it. I found the soldier who gave me the paper, and he saidthe Indian who gave it to him disappeared in the darkness before hecould ask him any questions. The paper contains the most importantinformation, if true. Here it is. I want you to look at it, and tell mewhat you think of it."

  General Blunt handed Lawrence the communication, and no sooner had heglanced at it than he exclaimed, "Great Heavens!"

  "What is it?" asked Blunt, jumping up in his excitement. "Do you knowwho wrote it?"

  "I do not know who wrote it, but I know the handwriting. It is from thesame person who warned General Schofield, through me, of thecontemplated partisan uprising in Missouri last summer. It was theinformation given in that communication that enabled General Schofieldto thwart the movement."

  "Was it the same person that warned you that you were being pursued inthe Ozarks?" asked the General.

  "No, that warning was given by an illiterate person. This is by someonewell educated. Whatever information the paper gives, act upon it atonce. I will stake my life on its being correct."

  "Read what it says," replied the General.

  Lawrence read the paper through and, as he expected, it was a detailedaccount of the plans of General Hindman. It stated that Hindman had justreceived dispatches from several sources in Missouri that if he did nothurry up and invade the State the cause would be hopelessly lost, but ifhe could defeat Blunt and invade the State, thousands were ready toflock to his standard. Hindman had answered that he was ready to move onBlunt with twenty thousand men, and anticipated an easy victory as he(Blunt) did not have more than five or six thousand men.

  "He estimated my force closely," said Blunt. "There must have been spiesin my camp," but read on.

  "Great Scott! He says Hindman will commence his movement on the fourthor fifth; and this is the third," exclaimed Lawrence.

  "Yes, and I have only this small division to oppose him."

  "Where are the other two divisions?"

  "Up around Springfield, seventy-five miles away, and Schofield's ordersare to hold this position at all hazards."

  "Herron can get here," cried Lawrence. "I know his Western boys; theyare greyhounds to march."

  "But just think, seventy-five miles in two or three days," said Blunt,"and then go into battle. But it is my only hope."

  It was twelve miles to the telegraph office at Fayetteville. A swiftcourier carried the message there and from there it went on the wings ofthe lightning to General Herron.

  It was a little after midnight on the morning of the fourth that GeneralHerron received the message, and by three o'clock his little army was onthe way--a march of seventy-five miles before them and then a battle.There was no lagging, no grumbling. "On to save Blunt" was the cry.

  That army was accustomed to long marches, to hardships almostincredible. Hardly ever stopping, through the nights as well as days,they marched, and on the evening of the sixth the advance of Herron'sarmy reached Fayetteville; the rest would be up during the night.Blunt's army was still twelve miles away, and the boom of the cannontold them the conflict was on.

  Hindman knew that Herron was coming, and he made haste to strike beforehis arrival. On December fifth he instructed General Marmaduke to takehis division, turn the right flank of Blunt's army, and throw his men inbetween Blunt and Fayetteville, thus preventing the union of Blunt andHerron.

  The clash came at Cain Hill. Lawrence, with his troop, was in theadvance, and the rapidity of their fire so astonished Marmaduke that hethought he was fighting a much larger force than he was, and his menfell back in confusion. The movement was a failure.

  All through the next day Hindman's forces kept pouring through thepasses of the mountains, and though the Federals resisted gallantly,they were gradually pressed back, and the evening of the sixth found thetwo armies confronting each other, ready to grapple in deadly conflict.

  Blunt had sent word to Herron that he would fight where he was, and forhim to hurry forward. During the night General Hindman made anunexpected and aggressive movement, worthy of Stonewall Jackson.Reasoning that Herron's men must be completely exhausted by their longmarch, he resolved to leave his camp fires burning and a small forcewhich was to make a big show, thus leading General Blunt to believe thewhole army was still before him. Hindman then marched around Blunt
andin the morning was squarely between him and Herron. Hindman believed hecould easily whip Herron before Blunt came up, and then he would turn onBlunt and finish the job.

  As soon as it was light the Confederates in front of Blunt opened anoisy battle. Lawrence was serving on Blunt's staff, leaving the troopin command of Dan. The Federals pressed eagerly forward, theConfederates yielding ground readily.

  "General," said Lawrence, "there is something wrong. I do not believethe whole army is before us. They give ground too easily. I believe themain part of Hindman's army has slipped past us, and gone to attackHerron."

  "Impossible," answered Blunt. "The only road they could have taken toget past us is the Cove Creek road, some four miles away, and I sentColonel Richardson with his regiment to guard that with strict orders tohold it, and let me know if he was attacked. I have heard nothing fromhim, so all must be well."

  But Lawrence was not satisfied; more and more he became convinced thatthere was only a small force in front, and he asked Blunt if he mightnot go and try to find Richardson, as he had not yet reported.Permission was readily granted. Lawrence had not gone two miles beforehe came onto Richardson. He had not occupied nor had he attempted tooccupy the Cove Creek road. Instead he had halted two miles from it, andsent forward a small reconnoitering party; and the officer in charge ofthe party had reported that the enemy had been passing along the road inforce ever since midnight.

  "Why didn't you occupy the road as ordered?" angrily demanded Lawrenceof Richardson.

  "Do you think I was going to fight the whole Confederate army with mylittle regiment? I'm not such a fool," retorted Richardson.

  "Why didn't you send word to the General then that the enemy was passingalong this road in force?" demanded Lawrence, still more angry. "By yourown admission you became aware of the movement by midnight."

  "Why, I was just about to report the matter," said Richardson.

  "Just about to, and here it is after nine o'clock. If I had the power Iwould strip off your shoulder straps, and have you drummed out of thearmy," exclaimed Lawrence furiously. In fact, he came the nearestswearing he ever did. But there was no time to quarrel. Wheeling hishorse he rode at full speed to General Blunt with the news.

  Calling back his men and paying no more attention to the force in front,Blunt marched to the relief of Herron, but it was nearly eleven o'clockbefore he got under way. Then he did not know exactly where Herron was,for no courier could get through. It was one o'clock before the roar ofthe cannon told him that the battle had opened, and then he found he wasmarching in the wrong direction, and it was nearly four o'clock beforehe reached the field.

  Hindman's movement had been a complete success. Herron had gathered hislittle army at Fayetteville and early in the morning started to joinBlunt, whose cannon he could hear, not dreaming that it was to be he andnot Blunt that was to fight the main battle.

  Hardly had the light of the short December day dawned when Shelby'sbrigade surprised and captured a train of thirty wagons, and with itnearly three hundred of the four hundred soldiers guarding it. Those notcaptured fled panic-stricken and for nearly five miles Shelby's menfollowed them, but here they ran into Herron's men and went back as fastas they had come.

  Herron soon came upon the entire Confederate army in line of battlealong Illinois Creek, not far from an old church called Prairie GroveChurch. The position was a strong one, but Herron did not hesitate amoment, but made preparations to attack.

  Why Hindman, with his overwhelming force, did not attack, but waited tobe attacked, will never be known. Owing to the nature of the ground ittook Herron some time to form his line, but at one o'clock the battleopened. For nearly three long hours it raged. Every time theConfederates essayed to charge they were met with such a storm of shotand shell that they went reeling back.

  Twice did Herron's men make desperate charges and captured a batteryeach time, but they were met with such an overwhelming force that theywere forced to relinquish the guns. Herron's men were hard pressed, butgrimly they held to their position, awaiting the arrival of Blunt.

  It was nearly four o'clock when the roar of Blunt's cannon was heard.Throwing his force on the flank of the Confederate army, they werecompelled to give way and the field was won.

  Darkness put an end to the conflict, and the tired soldiers threwthemselves on the ground to sleep, expecting to renew the conflict inthe morning. But Hindman had had enough. He had failed to crush Herron,and now that Blunt and Herron were united, he only thought of safety; somuffling the wheels of his artillery he began his retreat to Van Buren,leaving his dead to be buried and hundreds of his wounded to be caredfor by the victorious Federals.

  This ended all hopes of the Confederates invading Missouri at this time.Soon Hindman withdrew his army from Northwest Arkansas and fled toLittle Rock.

  Again had the Army of the Northwest, now known as the Army of theFrontier, achieved a glorious victory in the face of immense odds.[17]

  [Footnote 17: The battle of Prairie Grove, for the number engaged, was abloodier and more fiercely contested battle than Pea Ridge. Bluntclaimed that he and Herron together had only seven thousand men on thefield. That Herron, with not more than half that number, had held theenemy at bay for three hours, speaks volumes for the valor of his wearymen.

  Hindman claims he brought only eleven thousand men to the fight.

  The Federal loss was about thirteen hundred; the Confederate loss wasestimated at from fifteen hundred to two thousand. Hindman admitted aloss of fourteen hundred.

  A few of the Federal regiments engaged lost heavily. The TwentiethWisconsin lost two hundred and seventeen; the Twenty-sixth Indiana, twohundred and one; the Nineteenth Iowa, one hundred and ninety-three; theSeventh Missouri Cavalry, one hundred and forty-two, and theThirty-seventh Illinois, seventy-one.

  General John C. Black, then colonel of the Thirty-seventh Illinois,states that his regiment marched sixty-six miles in thirty-six hours toget into the fight, and so exhausted were the men that during lulls inthe battle they would sink to the ground and be fast asleep in a minute,but would spring to their feet and renew the fight when the call came,with all the fury of fresh soldiers.]