As one of the history-sites.com administrators and primary administrator on the ITCWMB, I thought I should guide you to the other message board. Also, I wanted to steer the conversation back to the historical points in question such as the participation of white soldiers and officers (Texans I assume) with the Choctaw and Chickasaw. If find this quite interesting and I'd like to know about these persons, their backgrounds, and what put them in the right place at the right time to be in Indian units instead of white units.
If you are a prolific reader, I'd point you to Annie Abel's book first. A quicker read and more entertaining (to me) is Whit Edward's eyewitness accounts in The Prairie was on Fire. (My only criticism is he confused the accounts on the exodus of Chief John Ross and mistakenly has him leaving in July when he actually was protected at Park Hill by the Pins until Col Cloud escorted him north in early August). If you're interested specifically in the Pea Ridge Campaign, the definitive history is Shea and Hess's book.
(btw, I coincidentally stopped at the Pea Ridge Natl Battlefield visitor's center on Sunday and bought another book I don't have time to read. I didn't have time to drive through the park though I've been there many times before. I completely agree with your comments about the quality of the park which, other than having less open land, is quite similar to descriptions of its appearance at the time of the battle. I too had ancestors on both sides at the battle near Leetown -- a Martin in the 22nd Indiana and West/Brewer/Fields/Crittenden in Watie's Regiment.)
Ken Martin