Also Known As
- Army of Southwest Missouri
Formation Date
- December 25, 1861
Dissolution Date
- December 13, 1862
Commanders
- Samuel R. Curtis
- Frederick Steele
- Eugene A. Carr
- Willis A. Gorman
Notable Engagements
- Battle of Pea Ridge
- Battle of Cotton Plant
Significance:
- Samuel R. Curtis commanded the Army of the Frontier from December 25, 1861–August 29, 1862
- Frederick Steele commanded the Army of the Frontier from August 29, 1862–October 7, 1862
- Eugene A. Carr commanded the Army of the Frontier from October 7, 1862–November 12, 1862
- Willis A. Gorman commanded the Army of the Frontier from November 12, 1862–December 13, 1862
- The Army of the Southwest operated as the primary force in the Military District of Southwest Missouri in 1862.
- The Army of the Southwest never numbered more than 11,000 soldiers.
- The soldiers of the Army of the Southwest were drawn mainly from Missouri. About one-half were German immigrants from St. Louis and eastern Missouri.
- Major General Henry W. Halleck and Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis organized the Army of the Southwest along ethnic lines.
- The Army of the Southwest’s two most notable battles were Pea Ridge (March 7-8, 1862) and Cotton Plant (July 7, 1862).
- On July 12, 1862, the Army of the Southwest occupied the Mississippi River port city of Helena, Arkansas.
- By November 1862, the Army of the Southwest was a small disorganized force that existed as an army in name only.
- On December 13, 1862, the Army of the Southwest merged with troops from the District of Eastern Arkansas, ending the existence of the Army of the Southwest.
