Date: 5/18/26 9:12 am From: <jwdavis...> <jwdavis...> Subject: Re: Pea Ridge then and now
Park roads and US Forest Service roads do not have enough pull-offs for people that want to stop and enjoy activities other than just getting from one point to another. Engineers are not in touch with the public's need for dispersed recreation. It would not take much in road construction to provide this opportunity.
The Baltimore Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks that arrived at my yard on April 14 finally departed on May 15. At the high point I had 16 Baltimore Orioles (10 males and four females) Two Orchard Orioles, and 8 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. What many may not realize is that the Orioles came to the Peanut Delight No Melt Suet as often as they did the oranges and jelly and hummingbird feeders.
On a side note, my gg grandfather William Billington and one of his son Francis Marion Billington were in the Ford Battalion out of North Arkansas. On June 5, 1865, they and Confederate General Jeff Thompson formally surrendered the army of Northern Arkansas to Union military authorities at Jacksonport. More than five thousand officers and enlisted men who served under Thompson were paroled there, as were several hundred more Confederate soldiers from other commands. On the way back to Sage, Arkansas, William and Francis were attacked by Jayhawkers that rushed in to rob them. Since Fransis Marion had lost an arm in the war he had difficulty controlling his horse and they killed him. William walked the 12 miles to his land in Sage to get to the wagon to pick up the body. They are all buried on the family farm in Sage, Arkansas.
Jerry Wayne Davis
Hot Springs, AR
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From: The Birds of Arkansas Discussion List <ARBIRD-L...> on behalf of Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...>
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2026 8:14 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...> <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Pea Ridge then and now
When I visit Pea Ridge National Military Park, I always wonder about Francis Marion Neal, my grandpa several greats back who was a Confederate soldier from Van Buren. He’d gotten involved at start of the Civil War in a volunteer militia group called Frontier Guards. In March 1862, his unit was part of the 17th Arkansas infantry (later termed 22nd) at Pea Ridge.
His unit was said by some “to have not acquitted itself well” during the battle. (I never heard anyone in my Neal relatives talk about this, however).
My visits to Pea Ridge now involve taking my time to slowly and introspectively drive the tour loop road (about 7 miles) where I imagine how my relative, then 21-years old, must have experienced a deadly contest with hundreds killed, many more wounded. The Park Service has provided places to stop at various points of the old battlefield. In addition, I make a lot of stops inbetween, pulling partially off the road so others in more of a hurry (most visitors) can pass. This also provides safety for the many walkers, runners, and cyclists on the same road.
During the past years I have done numerous bird surveys in park, all submitted to either Arkansas Audubon Society database, to ARBIRD list, and Cornell’s eBird, in case anyone in the Park is interested in bird communities that now occupy the former battlefield of my g g grandfather. It’s a great place to see native birds and plants.
During my latest visit, May 16, 2026, I had wonderful views of Acadian Flycatchers near the Leetown battlefield stop and then numerous Summer Tanagers all along the tour road over Pea Ridge itself.
We had just seen Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies on Indian Hemp when we started seeing Sundrops (AKA, Narrow-leaf Evening Primrose, Oenothera fruticosa). Of course we had to stop, and briefly park partially off the road for all that. The Park police politely claimed I was blocking traffic and wasn’t allowed to pull off on the side.
I don’t argue with law enforcement, but I do wonder how the public is supposed to appreciate the historical importance of the entire 4,000 acres and the subtle natural beauty of this Ozark landscape if partially pulling off on the roadside to allow others to safely pass while others stop is somehow interfering with park management.
Anyhow … I will always try to get along with law enforcement while wondering if what I am seeing is anything like what my Neal relative saw and experienced in March 1862. Of course these are not the same birds and plants, but still … a functioning park is a place that stimulates wonder … and Pea Ridge NMP is a great place to see birds typical of this part of the country.
