The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-01-28

1856 showed what great service could Be
rendered the Confederacy by mountedmen
led by dashing commanders. Van Dorm
had al Of Forests personal courage and
restless energy, and he had at the outset
what Forrest won only BY slow and painful
e1ort-the confidence and approval Of his
superior, and at the moment Of his tragic
death was at the head Of . corps Of cavalry
IN fald offering every advantage for bril-
liant resultsL Forrest was at the time q
brigade commander under Van Dorm, and
the death Of the leader broke up the corps
Van Dorm entered the fight in 1881 with
the prestige Of q trained West Point sol
DIR who bad seen hard service, and, more
over, he was q cavalrymAn with . record
He had served in the border troubles in
Mexico, and against the wild Apaches and
COmanches, and his name was a familiar
one IN many q 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
Fiora, too, when the time came. In the
news from Cerro Gordo Van Dorm had
been Rnzetted . hero; 50, too, at Churu-
buseo, Chapultepec, and the gates Of Mex
leo he had come on 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 a. col
onOl Of cavalry in March, 1851, and before
the year closed was q major general com
mAnding the tFansmississippi depart
ment. This last assignment was given
him while he was in Virginia He has
tened to the fleld Of action, which was
along the Missouri and Arkansas border,
with his plans all laid for 9 campaign. He
would attack St. Louis, break up the
Union headquarters there, cross to Illinois
and erect powerful batteries, and 30 con
troll the upper Mississippi channel and hold
Missouri 70 the Contederacy.
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, a. a young Ma
poleon and q savior. Gen Sterling Price
was at the head Of an army Of Mlssourians,
organised for state defense against the
Federal government, and lay at Springfield,
IN the southwestern part Of the state. Van
Dorm at once ordered all the Confederate
forces In the southwest TO report To Price
and 70 his own headquarters at PocahontRs,
fust across the border In Arkansas. Before
theeOncontration Of forces could be effected
Price was driven out Of Springfield and
across the border by strong Union force
under Gen. s. R Curtis. Van Dorm then
turned his attention TO Curtis and pushed
all the scattering detaehments forward to
Prieo's camp. Curtis had followed Price
into Arkansas and held . strong position
in the mountains. On the 9TH Of March,
le19, Van Dorm moved against Curtis with
1900 men, divided into two columns. A
force Of 1000 men, led BY Gems. Ben Nc
Culloch and James Mcintosh, was ordered
10 begin q direct attack, while Van Dorm
and Price would make . detcGr and strike
the Union army on the flank. This turn
ing column was pushed out on the night Of
the 9Th with secrecy and boldness worthy
Of q "StUneWall" Jackson.
The battle waa Joined on all sides on the
afternoon Of the nh Of March on the field
known a. Pea Ridge. The column under
Van Dorm and Price carried everything be-
fore Il, but nightfall put Q stop TO the
movement, just when victory was within
grasp. McCulloch and Mcintosh had not
done 90 we'll however. Both Of these lead
ers had fallen, and Gen. Hebert, who took
chief command when they fell, was =
prisoner. On the morning Of the 9Th Van
Dorm found that Curtis had taken up q
nsW position. and that the main column Of
his own army was badly broken up BY its
experiences Of the previous day. He 70
noWod the battle without success.