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Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign (Civil War America)
by William L. Shea Product Details
• Hardcover: 392 pages • Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (October 24, 2009) • Language: English • ISBN-10: 0807833150 • ISBN-13: 978-0807833155 Review by James Durney
By 1862, the "regrettable tendency to concentrate on the East, slight
the West and ignore the Trans-Mississippi" is well established. One
author that counters this tendency is William L. Shea, "Pea Ridge:
Civil War Campaign in the West" covered that critical campaign. This is
the companion volume to that excellent history, covering the Prairie
Grove Campaign in the winter of 1862. Each book is a complete
standalone history of a campaign. However, reading both is an enjoyable
rewarding learning experience that I recommend. Prairie Grove is the last major battle on the Missouri Arkansas border. The Union "victory" ensures that Missouri is safe and converts Arkansas into no man's land. This small battle plays a major role in the direction of the war during 1863 and much of 1864. The size of this battle allows the reader to become friends with all of the major players and understand what diverse and colorful armies existed in the Trans-Mississippi. Indians, ruffians, red legs and bushwhackers mix with volunteer units under the command of Kansas Abolitionists, dynamic West Pointers, tired old men and backstabbers. The characters are larger than life and while almost unknown, great fun to read about. This is a detailed history of the campaign. The first 90 pages, establish the situation, the characters and the hostile environment. The Boston Mountains and the Ozark Plateau are a primitive area presenting major logistical problems. Roads are few, poor and not able to bear the load an army places on them. Moving cross-country is difficult at best and almost impossible at worst. This forces the campaign into a structured environment with few options for either commander. The author excels at explaining the available options and detailing the difficulties the armies face. While doing this, he never loses sight of the civilian population, slave and free, living in the area. The ebb and flow of the armies has a dramatic impact on their lives. Slaves flock to the Union encampments following the army to freedom. Whites welcome their army, shun the other army but find either army is very hard on fences and storehouses. For most of the men in these armies, `Hard War" had started in the late 1850s. They were not reluctant to take what they needed from the "other side" and felt they had no choice if they took it from their side. The area will be unknown to the majority of readers. Anticipating this, the book contains an excellent series of well-placed maps. I never had a problem understanding the marches and counter marches or in following them on the limited road net. In addition to the maps, illustrations are everywhere. All the major characters and photos of places, most taken just after the war, fill the book. This very nice touch personalizes the history giving names faces and images. The battles at Crane Hill, Fort Smith, Old Fort Wayne and Prairie Grove are well done and detailed as Blunt, Herron, Curtis, Hindman and Holmes struggle for a Confederate return to Missouri. This is the third Confederate invasion of 1862 and the one we hear the least about. This is a "must have" book in every Civil War library, readable and enjoyable. |
