The Civil War in Arkansas, 1862

Abstract

The Civil War in Arkansas in 1862 saw only two major battles, at Pea Pidge (or Elkhorn Tavern) and Prairie Grove, both of which were substantial Union victories. But of at least equal importance, the war in this sparsely populated, largely rural and impoverished region was characterized by deep and bitter divisions in loyalties of the states’ citizens, the marked indifference of the administration of Confederate Pres. Jefferson Davis in Richmond, and a notable lack of effective leadership and cooperation among the various Confederate generals. The result was the loss of the state to the Southern cause and the onset of brutal partisan warfare behind the lines between secessionist and Unionist neighbors.