The Civil War Muse

McCulloch Falls

Tour Stop

Directions: The place where Confederate Brigadier General Ben McCulloch was killed [ Waypoint = N36 26.876 W94 03.472 ] is located just west of State Highway 72 along the northern edge of Oberson's Field.

• Continue to walk west along the southern edge of Oberson's Field towards State Highway 72.

• After about 150 yards, start heading north across Oberson's Field along the snake rail fence. It is about 450 yards to get to the northern edge of Oberson's Field.

• When you reach the northern edge of the field, carefully cross to the western side of the two-lane highway.

• After walking about 100 yards along the northern edge of Oberson's Field, you will have reached the spot near where McCulloch was killed.

Description: You are now standing on the northern edge of Oberson's Field near the location [ Waypoint = N36 26.876 W94 03.472 ] where Confederate Brigadier General Ben McCulloch was killed by a Federal volley. McCulloch was in the woods behind you scouting out the Federal positions when he was killed.

When Hebert's infantry had returned, McCulloch deployed his forces to prepare for an attack against the Federal position. Colonel Hebert kept command of four regiments from his Infantry Brigade that remained deployed east of the Leetown Road. McCulloch took command of five of the regiments in Hebert's Infantry Brigade and deployed them on the Confederate center and right. The 16th Arkansas was on the far right, just east of the gap in the belt of trees between Oberson's Field and the Round Prairie. Just east of them was the 17th Arkansas. Next in line were the 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles followed by the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles and the 4th Texas Cavalry Battalion. All of these were dismounted during the fight.

Good's Battery was deployed along the Leetown Road just between and behind the 4th Arkansas and the 4th Texas Cavalry regiments. His battery of four 12-pounder guns and two 12-pounder howitzers were supported by the 6th Texas Cavalry from McIntosh's Cavalry Brigade.

Brigadier General McIntosh had finally gotten most of his Cavalry Brigade organized after the earlier fighting. He deployed them in the Confederate center, in and around Foster's Farm just south of the Ford Road.

McCulloch went forward in order to scope out the enemy positions. He was just north of the belt of trees near the right flank of his infantry. As support, he ordered two companies from the 16th Arkansas Regiment forward into the belt of trees and McCulloch followed them into the woods.

Waiting in the north end of Oberson's Field were two companies from the 36th Illinois Infantry Regiment acting as a skirmish line for the Federals. Around 1:30 in the afternoon, they spotted someone moving in the woods on horseback. Colonel Nicholas Greusel described what happened in his official report:

“I threw out Companies B and G of the Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteers – Company B to skirmish and Company G to cover. These companies soon discovered three regiments of the enemy's infantry lying in ambush and one formed in square, whom they engaged for about fifteen minutes, retiring in good order, but with the loss of 20 wounded – 13 in Company G and 7 in Company B. It was during this skirmish that the officer supposed to be General Ben. McCulloch was shot by Peter Pelican, of Company B, Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteers. I then directed the artillery to fire upon the ambushed enemy, and moved forward the Thirty-sixth Illinois, but the enemy retreated in great confusion, when I retired to my first position.”

McCulloch was killed instantly by the Federal volley.

 

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