Arkansas Civil War 150 Year Sesquicentennial
The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in Arkansas by sanctioning events, encouraging research and education programs related to Civil War Arkansas, and preserving the sites that witnessed the Civil War. The Civil War Sesquicentennial will be celebrated between 2011 and 2015.
Cane Hill.
Cane Hill is in Washington County, and it’s among of the oldest settlements in Northwest Arkansas. The community took on military significance in 1862 as Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman pushed cavalry forces north to Cane Hill in anticipation of a movement north from the Arkansas River valley by his main army. The first shots of the Prairie Grove campaign were fired Nov. 28, 1862, at the Battle of Cane Hill.
Fayetteville National Cemetery
700 Government Avenue, Fayetteville.
After the first five acres were acquired for the National Cemetery in 1867, the first burials were the remains disinterred from local Civil War battlefields. Fayetteville National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, and the cemetery was later added to the Civil War Discovery Trail.
Washington Co Historical Society – Headquarters House
118 E. Dickson St., Fayetteville.
479-521-2970
Headquarters House was built by Judge Jonas Tebbetts in 1853, and it miraculously survived the Civil War. The Battle of Fayetteville was fought on its front lawn and a Headquarters House doorway bears the scar of a minieball; the scar is preserved in testament to the battle.
Pea Ridge National Military Park
15930 U.S. Highway 62, Garfield.
479-451-8122
More than 26,000 soldiers battled to decide the fate of Missouri on March 7 – 8, 1862. The only national military park in Arkansas, this 4,300-acre park honors those who fought for their way of life during the Civil War. The grounds include a visitor’s center, picnic area and trails for horses, biking and hiking.
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park
506 E. Douglas St., Prairie Grove.
479-846-2990
Prairie Grove is recognized nationally as one of America’s most intact Civil War battlefields. The park protects the battle site and interprets the Battle of Prairie Grove, where on Dec. 7, 1862, the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi clashed with the Union Army of the Frontier, resulting in about 2,700 casualties in a day of fierce fighting. Prairie Grove marked the last major Civil War engagement in Northwest Arkansas. The park hosts Arkansas’ largest battle re-enactment biennially in even-numbered years during the first weekend of December.