Col. John M. Harrell, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[88] be allowed if such accommodations would be reciprocated. The general regretted to state that many of the Federal dead had been tomahawked and scalped, and their bodies shamefully mangled, contrary to civilized warfare, and expressed a hope that this important struggle would not degenerate into a savage warfare. To this note Col. D. H. Maury, Van Dorn's adjutant-general, made an immediate reply, as follows:

General: I am instructed by Major-General Van Dorn, commanding this district, to express to you his thanks and gratification on account of the courtesy extended by yourself and the officers under your command to the burial party sent by him to your camp on the 9th inst. He is pained to learn, by your letter brought to him by the commanding officer of the party, that the remains of some of your soldiers have been reported to you to have been scalped, tomahawked and otherwise mutilated. He hopes you have been misinformed. The Indians who formed part of his forces have for many years been regarded as a civilized people. He will, however, most cordially unite with you in repressing the horrors of this unnatural war. That you may cooperate with him to this end more effectually, he desires me to inform you that many of our men who surrendered themselves prisoners of war were reported to him as having been murdered in cold blood by their captors, who were alleged to be Germans. The privileges which you extend to our medical officers will be reciprocated, and as soon as possible, means will be taken for an exchange of prisoners.

On March 11, 1862, the actual strength of McCulloch's division was reported as follows: Greer's brigade of Texas cavalry, 947, men and horses ‘in dreadful condition;’ Churchill's brigade, 2,902.

On the 18th of March, 1862, General Van Dorn reported that the entire army he had marched against the enemy some days since was in camp a few miles from Van Buren, and that he would march in a few days for Pocahontas to make a junction with whatever force might be assembled at that point. His intention was then to