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

On January 29, 1862, with headquarters at Little Rock, General Van Dorn assumed command of the district, which comprised Missouri, Louisiana north of Red river, Arkansas west of the St. Francis, and Indian Territory. Headquarters were established at Pocahontas, Ark., and the following staff officers announced: Maj. W. L. Cabell, chief of quartermaster's department; Maj. A. M. Haskell, inspector-general; Maj. R. W. Keyworth, chief of subsistence department; Capt. W. N. R. Beall, assistant adjutant-general; Surg. J. J. Gaenslan, medical director; Lieut. Clement Sulivane, aide-de-camp. February 6th, General McCulloch was commanded by Van Dorn to order two regiments of infantry, two of cavalry and one battery of artillery to proceed at once to Pocahontas, where they would be stationed for the time being.

The appointment of Major-General Van Dorn to the command of the Trans-Mississippi district was no doubt made in order to bring about harmony of action between the Missouri and Arkansas troops, or, rather, between the commanders of the respective forces, the soldiers being on the best of terms, and their sympathies alike in many respects. The Arkansans were eager to advance against the enemy wherever they could find him, and were equally indignant at the cruelties of war inflicted upon the once prosperous and happy districts of Missouri, which the enemy had invaded and ravaged. They were sorry they could not have a chance at Fremont, who had induced the large enlistment of Germans in the Federal army—‘Dutch,’ as they were called all alike—immigrants lately from a strange land, but eager to precipitate themselves into a conflict growing out of questions that were supposed to be settled and compromised in the formation of the government that offered them an asylum. They were principally from the servile grades of their