This study examines the logistical system that supported the Federal Army of the Southwest in the American Civil War during the Pea Ridge Campaign of January-March, 1862, under the command of Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis. The Pea Ridge Campaign was carried out along the U.S. frontier of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas, a sparsely populated region with little economic infrastructure. The forces operating in the region did not have the benefit of railroads or navigable bodies of water. This study concludes that the commander and his quartermasters overcame enormous problems posed by the environment and situation to win the most significant victory in the Trans-Mississippi Theater in the entire Civil War. Creating a logistical system that allowed the Army of the Southwest to extend its operational reach, improve freedom of action, and extend the endurance of the army. Logistics is a rarely explored, but very important, field of study. This study attempts to put the field of logistics in its proper place within the study of military history. Logistics is tied with strategy and tactics; without logistics, victory is not possible.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)