The National tribune., 1888-11-08


breaking of day should be the signal for battle.
While they are sleeping we viii look at the
organization of the two armies and the plans
on which tie battle Of Pea Ridge was fought,
As before stated, the army of Gen. Curtis was
about 10000 s,rong when it started from Rolla,
but the number had been reduced by leavinga
garrison 1T SlEriu gGeld and by the other causes
that always reduce the strength of an army in
the field, SO that the aggregate of effective men
ready for battle was little If any above 10000.
II was in four diyisions-the first being com
manded by Gen. Csterbaus, the second by Gen.
Asboth, the third by Gen. JEFF c. Davis, and
the fourth by Gen. Carr. Some of these officers
had not then received their commissions as
Generals aud were still known as Colonels; but
as they all rose to the rank shortly afterward,
it viii be convenient and not unjust for Us to
designate them by the higher titles, whose
duties they we're performing
Each division consisted of two brigades, but
some Ofthe bIjgades were very small, and did not
contain enough men for full regiment. Gen.
Sigel was in command of the First and Second
Divisions and thss held the position of Field
Marshal, under the superior command of Gen.
Curtis, the Chief. Theinfantry
regiments that were in the battle of Pea Ridge
on the Union side were the 25th, 35th, 36th,
39th and 44th H., the Sth, 18th and 22d Ind,
the 8th and 9th Iowa, and the ID, eth, 10Th.
18th, 18th, 25th, and a part of the Sd Mo; OF
cavalry regiments there were the Sd Iowa, the
Sd and 39ih H., and the lst 4th and 9th Mo,
together with two battslions of Benton Hus-
sars, and Mai. Bowens battalion of cavalry,
which served as a body-guard to the General
n-ChieL The artillery comprised about 90
field guns OF various sizes, in / and 6-gun bat
teries, from the same States as were repre-
sented by the infantry.
The rebel army was commanded by Gen.
Earl Van Dorm and its aggregate was said to be
not far from 80, coo men. Van DOrn's army was
composed as follows: Missouri troops, under
aiaj.-Gen. Sterling Price, about 5000; Arkan-
sas Louisiana and Texas troops. under Brig.
Gen. Ben. McCulloch about 1900; ChOctaw,
Cherokee, Chickasaw and other Indian troops,
with two white regiments under Brighten.
Albert Pike about 1000. No exact statement
OF the number Of rebel troops in the battle has
ever been published, but the aboye-named
figures are not far from the correct ones. An
officer OF Prices army wrote an account OF the
battle, which was published Ia the Richmond
Whig. ia this account he said the rebels esti-
mated their strength at $4,000, and making ali
deductions for straggers and the usual falling
oil on the line of march they had from 25OO0
to 10000 men TO 60 into action.
Great things were expected of the Indians
under Gen. Pike, but it is safe to say that the
rebel leaders were sadly disappointed with
their dusky allies. To Albert Pike belongs the
tary force to take the field on the side of the
rebels.
When the war broke out the Indians were
inclined to be neutral and if they had been
left 10 themselves they would doubtless have
remained So Unfortunately their Territory
lies on the border of Arkansas and Southern
Missouri and In the early months of the war
the country bordering the Indian Nations was
in possession of the rebels. At his own sug-
inf
sloner OF the Confederate States to all the ma
tons and tribes of Indians west of those States"
and Immediately proceeded to induce them to
take part in the rebellion
At first they refused TO consider the proposal,
but after much pressure and great deal of
Misrepresentation they yielded and formally
seeded from the Union. Then Pike proceeded
to get up the military force of Indians which
he commanded at Pea Ridge. 1t was most
impolitic performance on the part of the rebels,
as X served 10 embitter the people OF the North
western States, and IN fact Of the whole coun-
try, more than any other single act of the Seces-
sion leaders during the war.
That Misrepresentation was used in securing
the adhesion of the Indians to the Confederacy
was we'll illustrated by the documents which
passed between Pike and band of Comanches
on the upper Arkansas River. A treaty was
made with the band, and a safeguard signed by
Pike was handed over TO the Chief, who took it
TO the United States Agent Col. A. G.. Boone.
The latter wrote at once TO the Interior De-
partment at Washington, inclosing the docu-
ment. He said the Indians We're greatly sur
prised on being informed that they had made
treaty with the enemies of the Government
aud of their Great Father at Washington, and
wished the paper sent to him TO be destroyed
or otherwise used, as the Great Father might
see fit.
Pike labored with John Ross Principal Chief
Of the Cherokee Nation, for some time before
he convinced him that the Secession cause was
the proper one for him to espOuse. The argu-
ment that finally carried the Indians over to
the rebel side was the probability that slavery
would be destroyed in case the rebellion was
suppressed. The Indians were themselves slave
holders, several thousand negroes being owned
By them and, besides, all the agents of the
Government among them were Southerners
and symPathIZers with secession.
a convention was called TO meet at Table
quah, the Capital Of the Cherokee Nation, and
on recommendation Of John Ross, the conven-
ton passed Secession ordinance, aud on the
7th of October 1861 a treaty was signed be-
tween the Cberokees and the Confederate Com
missioner 10 the great satisfaction of the latter
The Chickasaws and ChOcktawS followed the
example of the Cherokees, and so did the
Greeks, though. the latter were about equally
divided. One-haIf adhered TO the Southern
cause and the other to the Northern With the
aid Of Southern troops the loyal Creeks were
defeated and driven out of the Territory and
into Kansas.
If the Cherokees had remained loyal they
might have suffered from depredations of the
Confederates, which, of course. could not have
been prevented N the early DAYS; but they
would not have had occasion to mourn the de-
vastation caused by the Union armies which
followed their espousal Of the rebellion. Their
houses and mills were destroyed, their stock
to the value Of 600 was driven off or
killed, and the Government took the ground
that the Indians having forfeited their rights
By Joining the rebellion must give the negroes,
their former slaves, portion of their lands or
lose certain funds that were held for them by
the Government. Albert Pike never did a
woIsek khing both for the Confederacy and for
the Indians than when he persuaded the red
skinned tribes and Nations to rally under the
Secession banner
Some OF the Confederate leaders argued that
the Indians were so far civilized that thev
would not indulge in their ancient practice of
scaping, but the very first battle in which thev
were engaged showed that this argument was
unfouuded.
Read the following from rebel account
Fort Smith ark. Times, Dec. Is, 1S6l-of the
battle Of Bushy Greek, between loyal Creeks
and Cherokces and rebel force of white
troops, Chocktaw, Chiclzasaw and Creek In
diaus under Col. Cooper:
The Yankees followed Col. Cooper several miles
and attacked him with r.Teat fury Col C,,.a-