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On the morning of March 8, Van Dorn positioned three of his artillery batteries on either side of the Telegraph Road and prepared to continue the offensive. At 8:00 a.m., a fierce artillery duel began, opening the 2nd day's fight.

The Confederate artillery fire quickly began to fall off though. During the night, Van Dorn had failed to order his wagons forward and now, his artillery was nearly out of ammunition.

The Confederate artillery was driven from the field by a concentrated fire from the Federal artillery with severe losses.

"Such an incessant booming of cannon and bursting of shells I had never heard. Large trees were falling all around us, making a man almost as nervous as it would to submit to the extraction of a tooth by some of our modern dentists."

Isaac V. Smith
3rd Missouri Infantry
1st Missouri Brigade

Tour Introduction | Pea Ridge Campaign | Dunagin's Farm | Bentonville - The Eagle Hotel | Bentonville Detour | Pratt's Store (Stop #1) | Leetown (Stop #2) | Leetown Battlefield - Day 1 (Stop #3) | Foster's Farm - Day 1 (Stop #4) | West Overlook (Stop #5) | East Overlook - Day 2 (Stop #6) | Elkhorn Tavern (Stop #7) | Fighting at Elkhorn Tavern - Day 1 (Stop #8) | Confederate Artillery - Day 2 (Stop #9) | Federal Artillery - Day 2 (Stop #10) | The Human Cost | After the Battle

Home | The Battle of Pea Ridge
Voices of the War | Volunteers in Parks | Site Map