Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-08-06

1900 BnOWeu WnaJ great SefNlCe cOulu 10
rendered the Confederacy by mountedmen
led by dashing commanders. Van Dorm
had all of Forests personal courage and
restless energy, and he had at the outset
what Forrest won only by slow and painful
effort-the confidence and approval Of his
superiors and at the moment of his tragic
death was ut the head of a corps of cavalry
In a field Offering every advantage for bril-
liant results. Forrest was at the time a
brigade commander under Van Dorm, and
the death of the leader broke up the corps.
Van Dorm entered the fight in 1861 with
the prestige of trained West Point sol
der who had seen hard service, and more
over, he was a cavalrymS with a record.
He had served in the border troubles in
Mexico, and against the wild Apaches and
Comanches, and his name was familiar
one In many a home in the southwest,
where the veterans of those wars recounted
the deeds of their comrades into the recep-
tive ears of the boys growing up TO be war
riors too, when the time came. In the
news from Cerro GOrdo Van Dorm had
been gazetted "A hero; so, too, at Churu-
busco, Chaputepec, and ths gates of Mex
leo he had come Off with scars and brevets
When the Southern army was regularly
organized Van Dorn's promotion was
rapid, for he was under the eyes Of men
who knew his record, and, in fact, had
served with him while he was making It..
He entered the Confederate service as col
onel of cavalry in March, 1861, and before
the year closed was a major general com
manding the transmississippi depart
ment. This last assignment was given
him while he was in Virginia. He has
tened to the field Of action which was
along the Missouri and Arkansas border,
with his plans all laid for a campaign. He
would attack St. Louis, break up the
Union headquarters there, cross TO Illinois
and erect powerful batteries, and so con
troll the upper Mississippi channel and hold
Missouri to the Confederacy.
The people Of the west who sided with
the Confederacy took hope, for they looked
upon the dashing and graceful though
small statured Van Dorm, as a young Ma
poleon and savior. Gen. Sterling Price
was at the head Of an army of Missourians
organized for state defense against tn,
Federal government, and lay at Springfield
I'm the southwestern part Of the state. Van
Dorm at once ordered all the COnfederat
forces in the southwest to report to Pric
and TO his own headquarters at Pocahontas
lust across the border in Arkansas. Befor
the concentration Of forces could be effecte'
Price was driven out Of Springfield an
across the border by strong Union fore
under Gen. S. r. Curtis. Van Dorm the
turned his attention to Curtis and pushe
all the scattering detachments forward
Prices camp. Curtis had followed PriC
into Arkansas and held n strong positio
in the mountains On the 4th Of Marcl
1862, Van Dorm moved against Curtis wit
10000 men, divided into two columns.
force Of 10000 men, led by Gems Ben NJ
Culloch and James Mcintosh, was ordere
TO begin a direct attack, while Van Dor
and Price would make a det0ur and striB
the Union army on the flank. This tur
ing column was pushed out on the night
the 9th with secrecy and boldness worth
of a "Stonewall" Jackson.
The battle was Joined on all sides on Il
afternoon Of the 9TH Of March on the lie
known as Pea Ridge. The column und'
Van Dorm and Price carried everything b
fore It, but nightfall put stop 10 Il
movement, Just when victory was with
grasp. McCulIoch aud Mcintosh had n
done so well however. Both Of these len
ers had fallen and Gen. Hebert, who too
chief command when they fell, was
prisoner. On the morning Of the Sth VI
Dorm found that Curtis had taken up
new position, and that the main column
his own army was badly broken up by
experiences Of the previous day. lie
newed the battle without success.