These are some of the things that I was talking about that indicated to me that Van Dorn from the very outset only used his appointment as commander of the Trans-Mississippi as an excuse to obtain rank and the command of an Army.

He did not only remove his army across the Mississippi but also took every item of equipment and machinery that could possibly have been used for the defence of the Trans-mississippi by the few troops that were left here. He did not seem to have any intent of returning to his command and left nothing of value in his mind behind. This is why Arkansas (and probably Texas and Louisiana would have later)threaten to seceed from the Confederacy.

I do not believe that Van Dorn from the time of his appointment had any intentions of doing anything else that what he did. Take his army to Mississippi. He was only looking for an excuse. I can not concieve of any commander, who within 90 days of recieveing his command and before he has had enough time to even get his army organized, equiped, discipled, or trained. and after fighting only 1 battle, which he lost, abandoning his theater of operation in the face of his enemy for any reason.

If one is to believe that Van Dorn's motives were solely to cooperate with Johnson Army as his only reason for such drastic measures, then you must believe that he was a military genius far beyond his contemporaries. For it wasn't until 1863 and 1864 before the armies of either side started to cooperate in such a manner with each other. Lee tried it to some degree and with little success in Virginia and eastern Tennessee. And Grant was successful with his friend Sheridan. But, I haven't heard anyone credit Van Dorn with this level of foresight in his command of his troops.