morning of March
4, with three days' cooked rations in his men's haversacks, and the
intention of destroying the invaders and recovering the State of
Missouri.

319

Both sides were keenly eager for battle. The Confederates had been
harangued with stories of great victories in the East, which they
were to emulate; the Indians were fierce for scalps and plunder; the
Missourians burning to march back to their homes m triumph.

On the other hand, Curtis's men, weary of interminable marching and
skirmishing, longed to deliver a decisive blow which would end all.

Van Dorn's plan of battle was well-conceived, and if his immense
preponderance of force had been adequately handled it would have won a
crushing victory.

McCulloch, during his long stay at Cross Hollow, had familiarized
himself with the ground, and Price was also well acquainted with it. In
the conference held in Gen. Van Dorn's tent it was decided not to attack
in front, where Gen. Curtis had prepared, and where he had in addition
to his obstructions the advantage of the steep side of the ridge.
Instead, a movement would be made on Bentonville, to the southwest of
Curtis, where it was hoped to catch Sigel and destroy him before he
could receive assistance, then destroy Curtis before Vandever's
Brigade could reach him from Huntsville. Pike's Indians were to follow
McCulloch's Division, and when Curtis was beaten the wild Indian riders
would be let loose to exterminate the fugitives.

320

Sigel, with his usual indifference to orders, did not immediately obey
Curtis's command to abandon his camp four miles west of Bentonville and
move back to Sugar Creek. Instead he deferred starting his troops from
Cooper's Farm until 2 o'clock of the morning of the 6th, and stopped
himself with a small force at Bentonville while his troops and train
were passing through the town, and he was attacked about 11 o'clock. Van
Dorn reports that it was 11 o'clock before he could get the head of his
column to Ben-tonville, and "we had the mortification of seeing Sigel's
Division, 7,000 strong, leaving it as we entered. Had we been an hour
sooner we should have cut him right off with his whole force, and
certainly have beaten the enemy the next day."

Sigel had kept back about 600 men. His troops were part of the 12th
Mo. and seven companies of cavalry, besides five field guns. They were
resting with stacked arms when the rebel cavalry swarmed in upon the
town from various