The twelve Parrotts were at Ft. McCulloch, named for the late Gen Ben McCulloch. Pike seems to indicate that the guns were at Ft Smith during the Elkhorn Tavern/Pea Ridge battle. Pike also seems to say that he acquired the guns with the assistance of Gen Price though it is unclear whether he is speaking of the Parrotts or other supplies and ammunition. The guns were probably purchased from Indian funds or Pike's personal funds. Hindman states that Pike had "ten 10-pounder Parrott rifles".

In May 1862, Pike wrote to Pres. Davis, a personal acquaintance of his, "Up to this time I have with great exertion, and owing in a great measure to the kindness of Gen. Price, received at this point [Ft McCulloch] eighteen pieces of artillery, twelve of which are Parrott guns, 100 rockets, what rifle powder I had procured, a small quantity of buck-shot, a supply of percussion caps, a little lead, about 1,900 pairs of shoes out of 8,000, some 900 suits of clothing out of 7,000, a small portion of the socks and drawers I had obtained, about, 1,000 shirts out of 4,000, about 75 tents out of 1,000, and none at all of the small-arms I had purchased in Arkansas and North Carolina." Pike is complaining that the above items were purchased with funds from the Indian Dept, not the War Dept, out of funds belonging to the several tribes, or out of his own pocket but Van Dorn and then Hindman are taking everything. Besides being a Brig Gen, Pike was also appointed special Indian Commissioner.

In June, Pike writes to Hindman, "I had twenty-six, of which twelve are iron Parrott guns, and the rest bronze, two of them rifled."

Later in June, Pike writes to Randolph, "Gen. Van Dorn had endeavored in March to send all my supplies from Fort Smith to Little Rock. Fragments of them were received, but I lost the caissons of twelve Parrott guns, every ounce of my cannon powder (3,000 pounds), and nearly all the clothing, shoes, and tents provided me for the Indian troops. My whole supply of medicines would have gone but for Gen. Price, and all my powder for small-arms, but for the rescue of it by my assistant adjutant-general. A battery of bronze guns at Little Rock was taken and sent to Memphis, and a large quantity of small-arms, including three hundred and eleven purchased with money furnished by me in North Carolina, and those purchased by Maj. N. B. Pearce with $3,000 placed by me in his hands, with others purchased by Col. Dawson, and eighty shot-guns receipted for by me to the military store-keeper at Little Rock, have been taken and distributed at Fort Smith and Little Rock."

Ken