Adruain
I agree. I could not make myself believe the connection to Ft. Pillow either. That is why I skipped the first four paragraphs.
I went back in the archives and read some posts and one person said (I think it was Kimberly Lynch) that the seven men had missed the surrender at Jacksonport and Wittsberg so they went to Pocahontas to surrender. Do you have any info on that? If we could pin down the place and time the massacre happened then we could find out which troops were in the area.
I also read in the O.R. last night that a citizen scout was sent from Mo. to within 20 miles of Pocahontas near that time period.
Peach Orchard Ark. is just a little east of Pocahontas, if it is in the same place as during the civil war.
Jacksonport and Wittsberg are both pretty far south of there.
Elmer