This is the final installment of my report of the trip Eric J. Wittenberg and I took to the Trans-Mississippi Theater in July 2010. These photos are from our excursion into northwest Arkansas on July 17, 2010. On this unusually warm day, even by Arkansas standards, we visited Pea Ridge National Battlefield Park, Fort Smith National Historic Site and Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. While Eric and I did not do as much hiking, as at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, we did journey most of the way up Telegraph (Wire) Road to the historic tan yard (Pea Ridge). The trip up the road was more comfortable than the trip back, as it was primarily downhill. While Fort Smith was an interesting site, it did not offer quite as much excitement as the battlefields. We finished our excursion with a visit to Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. This is one of the better battlefield state parks in the country. With excellent interpretation, and many scenic views, it is well worth a trip for any serious Civil War battlefield student. After our visit to Prairie Grove, we drove back to St. Louis, arriving at 11:00 PM – quite exhausted. Our last stops were on Sunday morning, July 18, when we visited Jefferson Barracks and Grant’s Farm. I had an incredible time wandering the Trans-Mississippi battlefields and Eric experienced one final bit of excitement when his flight back to Columbus was delayed by a thunderstorm and then a “mechanical problem” with the Boeing 737. Thanks for a wonderful time, Eric!
Mike’s Trans-Mississippi Battlefield Trip on Flickr.
