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

[125] to blame for this, nor am I; nor am I to blame because your troops have not been paid. Moneys have been sent to us long ago and stopped on the way, just as your clothing has, and the arms and ammunition I provided for you. By and by these things will all be remedied. To make it certain that this shall be done, and that you shall have justice done you and your rights, I have resigned, in order to go to Richmond and make known to the President the manner in which you have been treated. As far as it is in my power, every dollar due your troops and to the people shall be paid. . . . Remain true, I earnestly advise you, to the Confederate States and yourselves. Do not listen to any men who tell you that the Southern States will abandon you. They will not do it.

The comment of General Holmes upon this proclamation was that, ‘Under the plausible pretext of sustaining the government, he has led them (the Indians) to believe that they have been betrayed and deserted by the general in command.’ Is it not rather an apology to those people, with whom the author had made treaties, for the seeming reckless disregard of them by the generals in command? General Pike doubtless thought that Van Dorn and Hindman were to be held responsible for the discontent, if any existed, instead of the Confederacy.

Hindman's rules were iron, his commands were steel, to which he could admit no exceptions or modifications. Pike was a ‘Confederate general,’ with troops, arms and munition, and he ordered him to the front. The order was not obeyed. Therefore, he would strip him of the arms which he refused to employ in the common cause, and accept his resignation; all of which he did with utmost abruptness. He seemed not to be able to grasp the thought, pronounced everywhere through Pike's address, that the Indians were children or wards, and their supposed ‘general’ only a suzerain or diplomat, who employed the arms as toys to keep them amused. As soldiers they could not use them, as was shown at Elkhorn tavern.

Hindman's motto was, ‘Salus populi est suprema lex’