The Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Van Dorn's Exodus
In Response To: Re: Van Dorn's Exodus ()

As I said in an earlier post that I understand sometimes the military necessity of concentrating your military forces to accomplish a specific military objective. But as Bryan pointed out in his post Van Dorn (orders or no Orders) simply abandoned Arkansas and his command of the Trans Mississippi district and apparently had NO INTENTIONS of returning ever.

Not only that, but he also took every item of any military use that was in the state. He took every arm he could lay his hands on, every percussion cap, and even down to the cartridge papers to make ammunition. He left the people of Arkansas with absolutely nothing to even rebuild a new army with.

In one of Hindman telegraphs to Gen Rust, Hindman told Rust to hang two spy's he had caught because they didn't have enough gun powder in the state to waste on a firing squad. In another telegraph to the Lt Col commanding the 21st Texas Cavalry, Hindman was inquiring what had happened to the 20 rounds of ammunition per man that he had issues to that unit engaged against Curtis' cavalry along the White River in August 1862. Hindman was concerned because that was all the ammunition that was in the state at that time.

My point is that no matter the military objectives at the time, Arkansas and the Trans Mississippi District was not expendable. The Union force saw that the value in capturing the Mississippi River was to cut of supplies to Richmond from Mexico by way of Texas. It was part of the Union Anaconda Plan since the Union navy couldn't blockade Mexico. There was no need to capture the Mississippi River if the Union Army controlled Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. You have to own both side of a river to control the traffic on it.

So if it wasn't a conspiracy in the Confederate high command, It was shortsightedness and stupidity to sacrifice long term logistics for short term objectives.

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Van Dorn's Exodus
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