PEA RIDGE — By Feb. 21, 1862, Union soldier Henry Dysart and his comrades finally joined the rest of his regiment under Curtis’s command in northwest Arkansas.
Friday, Feb. 21st ’62
“Finally reached Curtis’ camp late at night. I found the 3rd Iowa camped a mile distant from the main one. I expected to find the boys almost starved they having been away from the train 10 days but on the contrary they are fairing (sic) sumptuously on chickens, fruit, ham and suchlike which they had taken from the secesh.”
Fayetteville, Ark. Sunday, Feb.
23rd 1862
“Left Gen Curtis’ camp this morning at 3:00 where for we knew not. At Mudtown (present day Lowell) a little deserted village 6 mi. on the way we fell in with 3rd Ill cav.”
“When within 5 miles of Fayetteville we were told that we would be fired upon as McCulloughs (sic) troops were in line.”
As they moved towards the city the Federals realized the city was mostly deserted.
“In the meantime a force of about 150 rebels were discovered escaping below the town when only a part of the Ill. 3rd exchanged a few shots. Theenemy fled so rapidly that any pursuit was abandoned.”
“The enemy was so suddenly surprised that they left their plunder behind. I picked up a haversack in the road in which was a live chicken. The Stars and Stripes now float from the dome of the court house and were furnished by an old citizen who had, he said, been long waiting for us.”
Fayetteville, Ark. Monday, Feb.
24th 1862
“This is a beautiful morning and the air seems to be softening for spring. Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington one of the prettiest counties in the state surrounded by mountain scenery.”◊◊◊
Henry Dysart’s cavalry unit would move from Osage Springs to reconnoiter Fayetteville two days after it was abandoned by Asboth.
Feb. 28, 1862
“After marching all day over Arkansas mountains and rocks it is pleasant to spend an Arkansas night in an Arkansas thicket as last night was spent with an Arkansas rock for a pillow and an Arkansas sky for covering.”
“We surrounded and entered Fayetteville again this morning at sunrise but found no enemy although it had been occupied by the rebels again yesterday.
They (the rebels) took the old gentlemen who furnished the Union flag on last Sunday (when the Federals first entered Fayetteville) as prisoner.”
Sugar Creek, Monday March 3, ’62
“… moved the camp to Sugar Creek 10 miles back to where the whole army isfalling back. The position is a strong one and fortified by nature.”◊◊◊
Confederate soldier Ephraim Anderson of the 1st Missouri Confederate Brigade with Price’s troops at Cove Creek commented on a new supply of goods from the sutler and a humorous commentary on his unit’s new uniforms.
“Our sutler received a good supply of oysters, sardines, lobsters, canned fruits and similar luxuries,which the boys enjoyed exceedingly.”
“Our regiment was uniformed here; the cloth was of rough and coarse texture, and the cutting and style would have produced a sensation in fashionable circles: the stuff was white, never having been colored … and the wool had not been purified by any application of water since it was taken off the back of the sheep. In pulling off and putting on the clothes, the olfactories (sic) wereconstantly exercised with a strong odor of that animal.
Our brigade was the only body of troops that had these uniforms issued to them and we were often greeted with a chorus of ba-a-a-a-a’s.”◊◊◊
Editor’s note: Troy Banzhaf, supervisory park ranger/interpretation at the Pea Ridge National Military Park, provided the diary entries from historical documents at Pea Ridge National Military Park.
News, Pages 1 on 02/29/2012