ANSWERS: 1
  • 1) 800 Cherokee Indian troops: "Union forces in Missouri during the latter part of 1861 and early 1862 had effectively pushed Confederate forces out of the state. By the spring of 1862, Union Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis determined to pursue the Confederates back into Arkansas with his Army of the Southwest. Curtis moved his approximately 10,500 Union soldiers and 50 artillery pieces into Benton County, Arkansas, along a small stream called Sugar Creek. Union forces consisted primarily of soldiers from Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. Over half of the Federal soldiers were German immigrants. Curtis found an excellent defensive position on the north side of the creek and proceeded to fortify it and place artillery for an expected Confederate assault from the south." "Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn had been appointed overall commander of the Trans-Mississippi District to quell a simmering conflict between competing generals Sterling Price of Missouri and Benjamin McCulloch of Texas. Van Dorn's Army of the West totaled approximately 16,000 men, including 800 Cherokee Indian troops, contingents from the Missouri State Guard, Confederate cavalry, infantry and artillery from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri. Van Dorn was aware of the Union movements into Arkansas and was intent on destroying Curtis's Army of the Southwest and reopening the gateway into Missouri." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pea_Ridge 2) "Report of Brig. Gen. Albert Pike, C. S. Army, Commanding Department of Indian Territory On The Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern)" In this description following units are named: - Colonel Cooper's Choctaw and Chickasaw battalion - Col. D. N. McIntosh's regiment of Creeks - part of the First Choctaw and Chickasaw Regiment - the Creek regiment (the one mentioned above, I suppose) - Col. Stand Watie's regiment of Cherokees - Colonel Drew's regiment of Cherokees "My whole command consisted of about 1,000 men, all Indians, except one squadron." Source and further information: http://www.civilwarhome.com/pike.htm So there were: 1 regiment of Creeks, 1 Regiment of Choctaw and Chickasaw, 2 Regiments of Cherokees. In the total 4 Regiments.

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