On March 7–8, 1862, the fields around Pea Ridge Mountain and Elkhorn Tavern were the site of the Battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War. The battle raged between 16,000 Confederate troops led by General Earl Van Dorn and 10,500 Union troops led by General Samuel R. Curtis. This was the largest Civil War engagement west of the Mississippi River and is credited with preserving Missouri for the Union. Pea Ridge National Military Park, on the battlefield site, was created by the United States Congress in 1956 and dedicated in 1963.