Col. O. M. Roberts, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 11.1, Texas
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

General Hebert was at a disadvantage in being a total stranger to the people of Texas. He was also surrounded with officers equally unknown, who were brought from Louisiana with him; and being on or near the coast they were not informed of what was transpiring in different parts of the State. Col. Ben McCulloch, who had great reputation in Texas as a valiant officer in frontier service, repaired to Montgomery, seeking assignment. Elkanah Greer, of Marshall, Tex., was there for the same object. He had the repute of good service as a private in Col. Jeff Davis' regiment in the war with Mexico. To provide for them, an expedition to Southern Kansas was planned. Col. Ben McCulloch was commissioned brigadier-general, and Greer, colonel of cavalry. The command was to consist of one regiment from each of the States of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Both officers set about the organization of the expedition. Colonel Greer called for ten companies to meet him some day in June, 1861, at Dallas, which was promptly complied with, and upon the election held for field officers, Greer was made colonel, Walter P. Lane, lieutenant-colonel, Geo. W. Chilton, major, and Matt Ector was appointed adjutant. At the same time an artillery company was organized by men from Smith and Dallas counties, with John J. Good as captain and James P. Douglas as first lieutenant.

General Price, at the head of the Missouri State Guard, achieved a victory in the western part of that State, but was compelled to retire to the southern part, where he joined Gen. Ben McCulloch, who had his force collected, consisting of Greer's regiment from Texas, Colonel Hebert's Louisiana regiment, and several regiments from Arkansas, five of which, under N. G. Pearce, were State troops called out for three months service. General Mc-Culloch was in command of the combined force, when it was attacked at Oak Hills, 10 miles south of Springfield, at the break of day on August 10, 1861, by a Federal army with infantry, cavalry and artillery, under the command of