Prelude
General Van Dorn did not wish to attack Curtis's entrenched position along Little Sugar Creek head on. On March 4, 1862, he split his army into two divisions under Price and McCulloch and ordered them to march north along the Bentonville Detour with the hopes of getting behind Curtis and cutting off his lines of communication. Van Dorn left his supply trains behind in order to make better speed, a decision that later proved to be a crucial one. The Confederates made a three day forced march down the road leading from Fayetteville through Elm Springs and Osage Spring to Bentonville in the midst of a freezing storm. The Confederates arrived at their destination strung out along the road, hungry and tired.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Pea Ridge
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