Pea Ridge — Uncover the Hidden Orders

Your quest begins at the Pea Ridge National Military Park Visitor Center, opened in 1956. This first intact national military park in the United States, spanning 4,300 acres, is your starting point to understand the Battle of Pea Ridge. The Visitor Center's museum houses artifacts from the March 7-8, 1862, engagement, managed by the National Park Service. Here, 300,000 annual visitors begin their exploration, with interactive films and exhibits on the Civil War preparing your mind for the events that unfolded in Arkansas. You will find your first instructions here to decipher the hidden orders.

The path then leads you to Leetown Battlefield, a 528-acre site that was the scene of intense fighting on March 7, 1862. It was here that Federal forces fiercely repelled the Confederates, a key moment in the Battle of Pea Ridge. Commemorative markers installed in 1917 by the Pea Ridge Battlefield Association bear witness to the Union's heroism. You will discover how Colonel Ellingwood of the 24th Missouri (Union) managed to capture 4 Confederate cannons, an exploit that changed the course of the fighting in this part of Arkansas. Your clues will lead you to identify artillery firing positions.

Continue to Elkhorn Tavern, a historic building constructed around 1845, named for its original deer antlers. This tavern served as Confederate headquarters on March 7, 1862, before being shelled by Union artillery. Restored in 1913, it tells the story of James A. Parks' family, who nursed over 200 wounded during the battle, transforming their home into a makeshift field hospital. In these places, imbued with the humanity of the conflict, you will have to decipher a message hidden within the restored walls, revealing a Confederate retreat strategy.

Your journey then takes you to Little Sugar Creek, a 12-mile stream that traversed the battlefield, serving as a natural barrier for Confederate troops in March 1862. This was the ford where Van Dorn's forces attempted to outflank Federal positions on March 7. Now a protected area within the national park, habitat for endemic fish like the orangefin darter, Little Sugar Creek will require you to observe the banks to find a clue related to flanking movements. Understanding the topography of this area of Arkansas is essential to anticipate enemy maneuvers.

The exploration concludes at Oberson's Field and Ruddick's Field, and then at the East Overlook. Oberson's Field, a 20-acre field, was the scene of the Confederate charge by the Iowa Brigade on March 8, 1862, at 4 PM, where the 36th Iowa and 24th Missouri held their ground. At Ruddick's Field, the final Confederate attack was repelled, and Confederate General Slack was killed. The East Overlook, installed in 1963, offers a panorama over 3 miles of the battlefield, allowing you to trace the movements of the 28,000 engaged soldiers. From this vantage point, you will assemble all the pieces of the puzzle, understanding the entirety of the Battle of Pea Ridge and the Union victory, a major page in Arkansas's military history.