$Log1 <FONT=HelpText,C,20,20,20> March 7th, 1862
Northwest Arkansas, Benton County
 
<FONT=HelpText,L,20,20,20>        
The Confederate position deep in Cross Timber Hollow was like being at the bottom of a well. Van Dorn could not see what was happening atop Pea Ridge, three hundred feet above his head. At this critical moment Van Dorn apparently became unnerved by his blindness and the unexpected presence of Yankee skirmishers. He made a fateful decision. Instead of continuing to hurry toward Elkhorn Tavern and the rendezvous with McCulloch's division Van Dorn directed Price to halt, deploy his division in line of battle at the foot of the slope, and "move forward carefully."  
The Missourians slowly formed a long, irregular line of battle across a series of steep ridges and narrow valleys, Confederate soldiers on the right, Missouri State Guard troops on the left. When all was ready, Price sent his men up the slope. The woebegone Missourians had not encountered so steep an incline since leaving the Boston Mountains three days earlier, and they trudged uphill at a snail's pace, steadily pushing back the screen of Union skirmishers.

//
$Price <FONT=MsgFont,L,20,20,20>Headquarters (Van Dorn)<FONT=MsgFont,R,20,20,20>Northwest Arkansas
2:00 p.m., March 7th, 1862
<FONT=MsgFont,L,20,20,20>General Price
      Word has reached us that General McCulloch's division has been delayed.  We have no other options now and must drive the enemy off this ridge to our front.  I have already ordered flanking movements before we begin our attack, you will command the left wing and assault from the east, Colonel Little will command the right wing and assault from the west.  If all goes well we will crush the enemy at Elkhorn Tavern.
 
<FONT=MsgFont,R,20,20,20>
Major General Earl Van Dorn
Commanding Officer 
Army of the West
//
//
$Price2 <FONT=MsgFont,L,20,20,20>Headquarters (Van Dorn)<FONT=MsgFont,R,20,20,20>Northwest Arkansas
2:00 p.m., March 7th, 1862
<FONT=MsgFont,L,20,20,20>General Price
      Elkhorn Tavern and the ridgeline is ours, congratulations sir.  Scouts report enemy reinforcements arriving to the south on Telegraph Road, proceed to that arena and continue our victory.
 
<FONT=MsgFont,R,20,20,20>
Major General Earl Van Dorn
Commanding Officer 
Army of the West
//
$Price3 <FONT=MsgFont,L,20,20,20>Headquarters (Van Dorn)<FONT=MsgFont,R,20,20,20>Northwest Arkansas
2:30 p.m., March 7th, 1862
<FONT=MsgFont,L,20,20,20>General Price
      My brigade has reached what appears to be the far end of the Union left flank.  Waiting for orders to advance sir.
 
<FONT=MsgFont,R,20,20,20>
Colonel William Y. Slack
Commanding Officer, 2nd Brigade, Price's Division 
Army of the West
//
$EndMajorFail <FONT=EndFont,L,0,0,0>In northwestern ARKANSAS, near the MISSOURI border, our forces met the enemy in battle and suffered a major defeat.  Reports are just arriving by telegram to this office, but an anonymous source was quoted as saying, "An inquiry will be forthcoming, as certain officers should be removed from command immediately."  The flower of our youth has died on the field of battle.  A retreat is probable.  We must be prepared for the worst.  Heavy casualty lists are to follow...
//
//
//
$EndMinorFail <FONT=EndFont,L,0,0,0>In northwestern ARKANSAS, near the MISSOURI border, our forces met the enemy in battle and suffered a minor defeat.  Reports are just arriving by telegram to this office as the fight continues.  A retreat is possible.  We must be prepared for the worst.  Casualty lists are to follow...
//
//
//
$EndDraw <FONT=EndFont,L,0,0,0>A battle in the West was fought in northwestern ARKANSAS today.  Reports are just arriving by telegram to this office as the fight continues, but victory or defeat is still unknown.  We wish good fortune to the troops on that faraway field, and as always we must be prepared for the worst.  Casualty lists are to follow...
//
//
//
$EndMinorSuccess <FONT=EndFont,L,0,0,0>In northwestern ARKANSAS, near the MISSOURI border, our forces met the enemy in battle and achieved a minor victory.  Reports are just arriving by telegram to this office as the fight continues, but there is a long road to march before we see the end to this struggle.  Casualty lists are to follow...
//
//
//
$EndMajorSuccess <FONT=EndFont,L,0,0,0>In northwestern ARKANSAS, near the MISSOURI border, our forces met the enemy in battle and achieved a major victory.  Reports are just arriving by telegram to this office as the fight continues, but there is a long road to march before we see the end to this struggle.  Casualty lists are to follow...
//
//
//
$EndKilled <FONT=EndFont,L,0,0,0>Today our side lost another valiant officer at the Battle of Pea Ridge, in ARKANSAS -   Major General Sterling 'Pap' Price. 
At the August 10, 1861, Battle of Wilson’s Creek, Missouri, Price’s Missouri State Guard and Confederate forces, including units from Arkansas under the command of Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch, met the Union army and pushed back its advance into southwestern Missouri. Later in the summer, Price led his troops to Lexington, Missouri, where they captured the Union garrison stationed there.
During the winter of 1861–1862, many of the Missouri guardsmen transferred into the Confederate army, and two Missouri brigades were formed. Early in 1862, the Federal army forced Price and his men to withdraw from Missouri and enter Arkansas. On March 7–8, the Confederate army, including the Missouri units and Price, engaged the Union army at the Battle of Pea Ridge.
//
//
//
$BattleInfo <FONT=EndFont,L,0,0,0>March 7, 1862
 
The first battle of the Civil War on Arkansas soil was fought near Elkhorn Tavern, on Pea Ridge, in Benton county, near the point on the Arkansas-Missouri boundary, where the Telegraph road crossed that line.  The Confederates had in the vicinity the army under Brigadier General Ben McCulloch and such forces as General Earl Van Dorn had succeeded in organizing at his camp at Pocahontas.  Besides these, there was the army of Missourians, under the command of General Sterling Price.  The Confederates had a combined army of about 16,000.  The Federals, commanded by General Samuel R. Curtis, numbered about 10,000.  Not all of the troops on either side actually participated in the battle, which was brought on by an attack upon the Federal position by that part of the Confederate army commanded by General McCulloch.  The engagement last for seven hours, until it was halted by darkness.  During the night of the seventh, the Federals retired to a stronger position.  The next day, General Van Dorn, who by right of rank was chief of the Confederate command, moved southward in the direction of Fayetteville, and went into camp on the north side of the Boston mountains, about 15 miles from the battlefield.  The loss of the Confederates was given as 185 killed, 525 wounded and 300 missing.  General Curtis reported 402 killed, 800 wounded and 300 captured.  General McCulloch, who, though commanding a division at the time, had not yet been promoted to the rank of major general, was among the dead.  Colonel McIntosh, in command of a brigade, though not yet promoted to the rank of brigadier general, was killed also.
//
//
//
//