Pea Ridge National Military Park
Many of our National Historic Sites preserve the landscapes of America’s military past, especially Civil War battlefields. So many of these places are found in Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas, but Pea Ridge stands as one of the important Civil War sites in the West. Here a pivotal chapter of the conflict is found in the hills of northwest Arkansas.
Pea Ridge National Military Park was the site of the Battle of Pea Ridge, fought on March 7-8, 1862. Also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, the clash proved decisive in the struggle for control of the Trans-Mississippi region. The Union victory here, helped secure Missouri and shaped the direction of the war beyond Arkansas.
More than 23,000 soldiers converged on these ridges. The narrow roads and dense forest intensified the chaos of combat. At the heart of the battlefield stood Elkhorn Tavern, that became a focal point of fierce fighting.
Recognizing the site’s national importance, Congress established Pea Ridge as a National Military Park on July 20, 1956, and the legislation was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Like so many National Historic Sites across the country, Pea Ridge invites us to walk the ground and reflect on our collective history and how we choose to remember it.
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