Artillery
Artillery during The Battle of Prairie Grove played an integral role in the outcome of the battle. Below is an account of the beginning of the battle leading to its conclusion, where there was heavy artillery activity.
"When the fighting started on the morning of December 7th, Union General Herron crossed the river and began deploying his footsore troops on Hindman's right flank. From this point, Herron ordered a two-hour artillery barrage on the Confederate position that was meant to single out individual Confederate cannons and concentrate on taking them out of action one at a time. Then around noon, the barrage was successful in that it had disabled most of the Confederate artillery and forced many of the Confederate troops to shelter on the reverse slopes. After seeing the effect of his artillery barrage, Herron ordered an advance on the hill as opposed to waiting for General James G. Blunt to arrive. His troops first encountered Confederate cavalry in the Borden wheatfield at the base of a ridge overlooking the prairie. Herron took these advanced troopers to mean that Confederate General Thomas C. Hindman was planning to attack and capture the Union artillery. So Herron sent forward two regiments from his own 3rd Division to assault a Confederate battery near the Borden house. When his men arrived on the hill they found themselves under a fierce Confederate counterattack from three sides by John S. Marmaduke and Brigadier General Francis A. Shoup. Half of the attacking Federals were wounded or killed within minutes, most near the Borden House.
As the surviving Federals began to retreat back down the hill toward the safety of Union lines, the Confederate soldiers followed them and attempted to break Herron's lines. Herron's artillery loaded with canisters caused terrible damage to the unorganized Confederates and repulsed their attack.
At this point Herron feared the Confederates would make another rush at his artillery and preemptively ordered another charge. This time two regiments were selected from Daniel Huston's 2nd Division. Again near the Borden house, hand-to-hand fighting endured. The Federal troops repulsed one counterattack before falling back towards Herron's artillery. Again the pursuing Confederates rushed the Union guns but were repulsed by troops from Colonel William W. Orme's brigade.
Meanwhile, Blunt realized that Hindman had gotten past his flank and intercepted Herron. Furious, he ordered his men to march to the sound of the guns. Not knowing the precise location of the fighting, the Federal troops ignored roads and traversed through farm fields and over fences straight toward the sound of battle at the double quick. This movement was probably initiated by Colonel Thomas Ewing and the 11th Kansas Infantry. While Blunt did not order the maneuver he quickly endorsed it even chastising a regimental commander for not showing enough initiative when he failed to follow the unorthodox procedure. Blunt's forces arrived on the field just as Hindman was ordering another attack on Herron's forces. Blunt's division slammed into the surprised Confederates and drove them back onto the hill. The heaviest casualties of the battle were felt during this attack by the 10th Missouri Confederate Infantry, which was caught in the open, at the flank of the Confederate forces. Blunt aligned his two brigades and sent them forward toward the Morton house on the same ridge to the west of the Borden house. Blunt's forces fought somewhat sporadically until being recalled off the ridge. Mosby M. Parsons' Rebel brigade swept across the farm fields of prairie toward Blunt's artillery. Once again the Union soldiers and artillery repulsed the attack and darkness put an end to the fighting.
During the night of December 7th and into the early morning of December 8th, Blunt began to call on his reserves. Hindman on the other hand had no reserves remaining, was low on ammunition and food, and had lost much of his artillery firepower. Hindman had no choice but to withdraw under cover of darkness back towards Van Buren, Arkansas. The Confederates reached Van Buren on December 10th, demoralized, footsore, and ragged. By December 29th Blunt and Herron would threaten Hindman at his Van Buren sanctuary and drive him from northwest Arkansas permanently."
Artillery contributed to the casualties on both sides, causing significant damage to the infantry and shaping the overall outcome of the battle. It is worth noting that the constant threat of artillery fire could also have a demoralizing effect on troops, affecting their willingness to advance or hold their positions for the duration of the battle. Artillery played a large role in the Battle of Prairie Grove, influencing the strategic and tactical aspects of the conflict. Its ability to provide firepower, support infantry movements, and contest enemy artillery were critical elements in the ebb and flow of the battle.
Battle of Prairie Grove Civil War Arkansas History, www.thomaslegion.net/thebattleofprairiegrovesettingthestage.html. Accessed 22 Nov. 2023.
Hess, Earl J., et al. “Prairie Grove.” Wilson’s Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove: A Battlefield Guide, with a Section on Wire Road, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Neb., 2007.