Today in history, in 1862, the Battle of Cane Hill began in Arkansas during the American Civil War. In this battle, the Union army, under Brigadier General James Blunt, outsmarted the Confederate troops under Brigadier General John Marmaduke. The Confederate army was attempting to push the Union army back into Missouri and out of the Arkansas mountains. The Union army moved first and was able to hold their own. While this battle wasn’t a large battle, lasting only nine hours, and isnt’ well-known, it is the battle that set the stage for the much larger Battle of Prairie Grove, which began on December 7, 1862, and resulted in the Union’s secured place in Northwest Arkansas.
For more information on the Battle of Cane Hill, please see:
http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARCaneHill.html
or
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc/canehill.htm
