Nonetheless, they were less forgiving of Van Dorn's late night visits to the Peters' home and unchaperoned long carriage rides. It was inevitable that the general's ungentlemanly conduct would be found out by the man whose wife he was enjoying a dalliance with. According to Dr. Peters' own testimony, he had finally decided to take the oath of allegiance to the United States while in Memphis. According to Peters' later statement to the Nashville police, when he threatened to kill the general, Van Dorn begged for his life and then promised to write out a public statement exonerating Mrs. Peters from any guilt if the doctor would spare his life. This was the doctor's explanation for Van Dorn's placement at his writing desk when shot from behind.
Much mystery still surrounds the murder.
Dr. Peters contended that Van Dorn had violated the sanctity of his marriage. Others said that the doctor had political reasons involving his support of the Federal forces in Tennessee. The mystery is further compounded by conflicting reports concerning the circumstances of the murder and the activities of Dr. and Mrs. Peters after the incident. The couple soon divorced but later reunited in Arkansas, where Dr. Peters had mysteriously received a grant of land. Regardless of the validity of Peters' statement, he paid a visit to Van Dorn's headquarters on that fateful morning of March 7th, and so robbed the cavalry general of his own testimony in defense of his honor and reputation.