rigidly attended to and the Indians had done their fair share of the irregular warfare that terrorized and desolated the border in the late spring of the second year of the war.  Not all of them, regularly enlisted, had participated in it, however; for General Pike had, with a considerable part of his brigade, gone away from the border as far as possible and had intrenched himself at a fort of his own planning, Fort McCulloch, in the Choctaw Nation, on the Blue River, a branch of the Red.[262] Furthermore,

[Footnote 260:  (cont.) in your judgment may be deemed necessary, also that the difficulties we experienced while the expedition was under the control of Gen’l Halleck are now removed by your appointment, and that you will designate the general to command the whole expedition and see that such supplies for the transportation and subsistence as may be necessary are furnished to the whole expedition (Indians as well as whites).  Lieut.  Kile informs me that there was doubt whether the Quarter Master would be expected to act as Commissary for the Regiment.  I suppose that you fully understand this was the intention....”—­Dole to Blunt, May 16, 1862, Indian Office Letter Book, no. 68, pp. 241-242.]

[Footnote 261:  Daily Conservative, May 9, 1862.]

[Footnote 262:  “...  General Albert Pike retreated from the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, a distance of 250 miles, and left his new-made wards to the mercy (cont.)]

Colonel Drew and his men, later converts to secessionism, had, for a good part of the time, contented themselves with guarding the Cherokee Nation,[263] thus leaving Colonel Cooper and Colonel Stand Watie, with their commands, to do most of the scouting and

[Footnote 262:  (cont.) of war, stringing his army along through the Cherokee, Creek and Choctaw Nations, passing through Limestone Gap, on among the Boggies, and halted at Carriage Point, on the Blue, ’away down along the Chickasaw line.’  Cherokee Knights of the Golden Circle followed Pike’s retreat to Texas ... “—­Ross, Life and Times of Hon. William P. Ross, p. viii.]

[Footnote 263:  These two letters from John Ross are offered in evidence of this.  They are taken from Indian Office Miscellaneous Files, John Ross Papers: 

(a)

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, PARK HILL, March 21st, 1862.

SIR:  I am in receipt of your favor of the 23rd. inst.  I have no doubt that forage can be procured for Col.  Drew’s men in this vicinity by hauling it in from the farms of the surrounding Districts.  The subject of a Delegate in Congress shall be attended to so soon as arrangements can be made for holding an election.  I am happy to learn that Col.  Drew has been authorized to furlough a portion of the men in his Regiment to raise corn.  I shall endeavor to be correctly informed of the movements of the enemy and advise you of the same.  And I shall be gratified to receive any important information that you may have to communicate at all times.  I am very respectfully and truly, Yours, etc.  John Ross, Prin’l Chief, Cherokee Nation.