>> or c-span.org/history. >> good afternoon everyone it is my great privilege and honor to introduce matt he is a native of houston mississippi he received a ba in general business in a d.a. and history from the university of mississippi and ma from louisiana monroe he has worked at petersburg national battlefield, the national

historical park, the battlefield and vicksburg military park he is currently employed as a ranger/historian at gettysburg national park and today matt will present about earl. [applause] >> this is the adjustment. were you find out what the mic is like. or like hank williams said in 1952 a good friend in georgia hank williams stepped up to the microphone and he blew in it. and he said well boys this works, let's see if i do. i appreciate you having me again, it is good to be back in

davidson ridge and i have an impossible task i have 13 pages of singlespaced notes on earl van dorn and i have 45 minutes and i have a man standing in the back, this is such a big seminar they had a introducer of an introducer. that's when you're big time when you're an introducer of the introducer. i got time to do 13 pages of singlespaced, please excuse me if we have to do double for time i would love to spend time on p ridge with van dorn but i don't have it so you're going to get the 90-mile an hour tour of those, i need to tell you about the honda give you an update on my honda the only thing when i spoke last time the only thing you people got out of my lecture was a story about my electric

chair being down and be writing from gettysburg with no foxsupport, i have a new story if i remember to tell you. let's do earl van dorn i was supposed to do this last year or the year before but i can help it. let's see if i can get to work. earl van dorn when chris murkowski came to me and said i need an idea i forget the whole thing how the conversation went down it's been three years ago but i said i think i have a winning topic a guy that has and violence. and especially after lunch when you get this lot, thank you very much for moving me i will introduce you to the reason that i have to do double for time and

why i keep glancing to stage left, just a minute. earl van dorn let's see where he is from. he was born in port gibson mississippi the same site the civil war battle from the vicksburg campaign boarding 1820 he came from a wealthy and influential family i have been in tse is in a lot better shape when i saw 20 years o5 or 20 years ago b i think that picture prete th that, his father dies when he's a teenager leaving him to fend for himself. you know i was just talking to greg about 40 years in the park service, i have 22 and we have all these college kids wanted to get on with the government and applying this to earl van dorn i don't know how much skill in life and how much is who you

know none other than andrew jackson the great uncle of earl van dorn, when earl van dorn's daddy dies and he needs a new career great uncle jack will give him an appointed to west military academy and that's how he gets going. on graduated in 1842 he ranked 52 out of 68 that would be about where i would fall in my high school class. , incidentally i'm saying this i have not seen him in decades not that he sends me christmas cards i'm sure he would appreciate the statement earl van dorn beat out james for 55th in his class, that is for you wherever you are, foreshadowing the coming years of rebellious life he

accumulated 183 merits in his tenure and ranked 210 out of 217 i bet i could rank lower than that. such offenses of van dorn came across including a failure to salute and passing, failure to attend church as well as not suppressing the profanity of friends, i did not know you had to do that at west point. the first assignment for the graduate, of course they sent him to the middle of nowhere and as the newly man in second lieutenant he had a short assignment then fort morgan in mobile alabama his collateral duty sent him to mount vernon alabama and while there he met another then 16-year-old martha caroline

from a personal standpoint i historian stamp and very curious i would like to know more than i

wish i had more to tell you when i tell you the stories about earl, i will not mention your much anymore but she's always in the shadow to me lingering i boston wondered what she thought of what i'm about to describe to you. [laughter] so much for a sentimental crowd around here. , and 1846 you will never believe this but a war broke out with mexico and earl was assigned to the seventh u.s. infantry and began the war and fort texas and brownsville texas, future texas i guess you could argue, when the american flag fell from the pole it was van dorn who re-raised the flag in 1847 transferred to the command where he earned two promotions for conduct one

promotion to the rank of captain if i'm pronouncing that correctly in the major came at mexico city where he was wounded in the foot following the mexican war the army assigned him the various posts across the country such as jefferson barracks in st. louis, always a favorite, baton rouge louisiana, must have a tennessee fan in here somewhere, didn't like baton rouge. in florida somebody shirley from georgia where he was fighting the seminoles in mississippi, by the late 1850s he was in texas and oklahoma chasing the indians in october 1, 1858 he was fiercely wounded at the battle of wichita village, while holding the reins of his horse, i'm going to describe this and i

have a lot to cover and i will probably short myself somewhere else, right here in his life in case i cannot finish this program, and his life this is where the style of command that earl van dorn exercises come from the time he was stationed in the piecework army, anyway at the battle of wichita village while holding the rain in his left hand and aero that probably would've hit his heart instead hit him above the wrist and after passing between two bones stopped near the elbow, i don't know exactly how to describe that to you but i don't think i have to if that did not get your goose up after lunch i'll tell you this another arrow fired from below his horse, the

opponent was below struck him on the right side puncturing both lungs and stomach before exiting his left side. he reportedly extracted the arrow himself, the arrows himself, van dorn was expected to die but you know people like that like him, who do we add to the category, they do not die but revealing like no other back in the saddle five weeks later. , i am a government man myself, i need workstations is what i need. van dorn my father would hate that statement he became known as one of the greatest indian fighters in the united states army and he received a silver serving set from the citizens of fort gibson try to say that when you're in a hurry from the citizen apart gibson and his

career i should say he was also given several swords over his career one from the state of mississippi this is van dorn circa 1860 and the sword he has is the one from the state of mississippi. getting to the war in 1860 and 61 he was on leave from the army when the civil war broke out he promptly resigned and joined the provisional army of mississippi basically the state army while montgomery is organizing the confederate state they have provisional armies, he gets into that any rises to the rank of major general in the provisional army of the state of mississippi which means absolutely nothing. however, he wanted to rank in the national government and therefore excepted a courtesy in

the confederate infantry in march of 61, on april 11 he was given command to the department of texas, let's get into earl van dorn the federal troops are starting to withdraw or most have been withdrawing from texas but there is one last contingent and van dorn shows great audacity or at least i don't know if i would've pulled this he does not have any naval forces you can imagine the state of texas does not have a navy but the last remnants of the union army air pulling out they have a transport ship called the star of the west to make it a small world this is the same vessel charged with reinforcing fort sumner in april of 61 and turned back by the confederates, i am reaching deep, long story short he proceeds to get a transport ship and hiding the men below the deck he sails up to the star of the west and he

hails the captain and says were pulling in the port, do you mind if we tie up. >> sure, go ahead they pull it out and the next thing you know the confederate flag above the stars, guess what you cannot have a corvette like that with a bunch of rednecks, it eventually goes to new orleans and when new orleans falls they take it further north. the union navy coming south what would that be from st. louis et cetera in the other flotilla ascending north the confederates i know you can't see that very well but that's the best i could do and i'm really in a hurry they told the star of the west to the interior of mississippi or the state of mississippi when the union army approaches during the expedition, if you got that when my hat is off to you i have

been writing about and chris murkowski wait on this book lord have mercy i will show you what's holding up a cup in just a few seconds, they literally sailed this into the interior of the state when the union navy approached they sink it and guess what that vessel that was supposed to resupply fort sumter the one that van dorn captured outside of galveston texas is sitting at the bottom in greenwood mississippi. there is some trivia. while he is down there going back to texas the good folks of san aonio durable and after generous toast he responded like this, the only reason i'm telling you this is because i

like to hear my voice echo office microphone, it will give you all honesty a good taste of what he was like and it's all cavalier if you will. sir, walter scott, i hope you did not do this off-the-cuff, if he did i am jealous. this assemblage of beauty ends to the thirsty is ambition. one smile from the beauty contended in the rough arena of life where more than sufficient to compensate me for all my humble labors on the field. the smile of women and the approbation of men of our aspirations. to win them the student burns

the midnight lamp the soldier sheds his blood on the battlefield and for them all are willing to die they are the sweetest apples. i'll never get this one his parities, anybody no agent history, guess what all that convoluted stuff i went to the mississippi public education system. [laughter] what is your excuse, thank you for bailing me out. you know were on live television. allow me too propose the women of the south the safeguards of her honor wherever they point there are honor lies.

you can smell the whiskey on his breath when you read that quote right there, you look at a drink and right there a cold beer. in september of 61 he was ordered to richmond virginia when he would ride to richmond he receives the promotion to major general making him the senior major general in the south have first he was given all the commands of the calvary and virginia that the department commander referred to another officer named jeb stuart van dorn was reduced to inspection et cetera he did his duty but he longed for action one eyewitness said many people visited is headquarters where around his board the dangers of the field were forgotten giving place to

the feast of reason in the flow of the soul. which means what, one knock on this darn banquet you don't get all you can drink layout open the tabs of after lunch, you sit here for an hour to add a banquet by general james and argument ensued on what song should be the southern national anthem, some suggested maryland while others dixie not van dorn he argued for the liberty duet from ip rotondo, the liberty duet in his merriment he began to sing at the table, van dorn could not be heard in long

street retorted to show yourself we cannot see you and on the table he went but not before telling long street the only way he would get on the table is if long street joined him, and up on the table they went. and joining them none other than gestapo smith that must've been a heck of a birth. and joe johnson looked on but the words contradicting honor interior and enemy let the trump sound fearlessly all fight courageously it is a fine thing to face death crying freedom. that's the best i can do for you. a lady name constance designed a new battle flag for the army the senior major general in the confederate service and her family being from mississippi

she sent one of the originals to earl at the request to liberate her hometown of virginia. here is a note theselags run for the troop inovember 281, 8621 and the reason ihis appearing told you the story is one of the few paintings i've ever found the house earl van dorn in it, that gentleman right here you cannot really see him but this is p gt this is long street earl van dorn that is gw smith, i believe that may be johnson i hear, anyway i always liked troy, he's always one of my favorites. as a new year of 62 turned over van dorn reached a new assignment out west all the confederate forces have been driven out of missouri they had rallied in arkansas but the two principal commanders then mccaul and sterling could not get

along, jeff davis sent earl van dorn to unite the two forces, this is going to set up the battle of p ridge. thank you very much doing a lot better than the last word, this is samuel curtis short strip to the battle i apologize but the federals were under the command of curtis on the screen right here in van dorn ordered his forces about 16000 total which included 1000 indians under the command of albert pike a confederate organized indian to unite offensive for his part federal commander curtis took up a defensive position along sugarcreek with 10000 federals 16 versus 10000 from a confederate standpoint he might think that they are pretty good odds, van dorn did not wish to

attack the ferals in the strong position along this creek you cannot see very well and i cannot either it's at the bottom of the screen blue is what you see in the line is sugarcreek, anyway he proceeds to outflank them and tries to attack curtis from the rear the confederate march was too slow to surprise curtis in an effort to speed things up made things slower. in order to expedite things because the army is backed up on one road he hits upon an idea that he would divide his army into two parts. basically he has a mountain that separates the two halves of his army, you should know even if you aren't civil war or military historian without instant communication it is impossible

to coordinate two separate forces with the memes at which they had a hand in that time. but this is what van dorn is going to do, one half of his army is under mccullough a long story short they are going to meet and an army will focus solely on mccaul's half of the confederate army near the town of lee's town arkansas he has 18000 in the wilson's creek they marched out mccaul promptly gets killed his second-in-command james mcintosh gets killed shortly thereafter and everything goes to pieces after that is not concise enough right there? >> the remaining confederate tried to stand them off which included the indians under albert pike they eventually are

checked by fresh union reinforcement even though the seesaw battle and jefferson davis, c davis arrives with his division and turns the tide for the union. his half is defeated as a side note i cannot resist putting this picture appear as we go through it these are veterans, and american indians that are up there pikes indian brigade did participate in the fight in the war years did not fight well and conventional tactics basically they came up and ran off however, they did return later after the fight was over and retrieved. >> you didn't laugh for that one did you. meanwhile he spoke with the fting there is mccullough with the left and price with the

right on the morning of march 7, 1862 van dorn's column struck the 24thissouri near alcorn tavern the federals russian reinforcen van dorn is slow to deploy the federals are lod to deploy in their own positions but nevertheless the confederates hit them on the flanks and they collapse the union line sending them back, samuel curtis the union commander is not done even though van dorn scores a success at the tavern the next day samuel curtis has that right there, i need not even explain the action you can look at the map and tell us what happens from here, siegel will be in tactical command of the field and he will counterattack and drive his forces from the battle of p ridge, he is very lucky to get away in the retreat, he is

actually needing to retreat south and he's on the northern side of the battlefield the union don't knows the roadmap in van dorn slips around he gets very lucky that kinda comes back with van dorn from time to time to say the least. van dorn writes richmond if they will leave him in command he will be willing to go on the offensive then he would have no problem doing that, the next step is the confederate government finding out that you cannot defend everywhere about thousand mile front of the confederacy and arkansas will be sacrificed, after the battle of p ridge albert sidney johnston

consolidates all the forces including the confederate forces from west of the mississippi so van dorn and his command will march east and cross the river they will not make it in time for the battle with albert sidney johnston. what they bring with them this is a personal interest, they do bring the former staker, the militia from missouri which turned out to be some of the combat troops later if you ever want to see heavy lifting you look at john bowens in the campaign there is a reason those are being called on. anyway he goes back a crossed they missed that in the meantime president davis is not happy.

in the mississippi situation. and they get on the river and he sent earl van dorn in the summer of 62, that is when van dorn sends john c breckinridge to attack baton rouge that's the end of the css arkansas, van dorn is over that department of the time of the offensive taking place, does that make sense. what i'm trying to get you an overview of how many places this guy is that in the short span that is in the war, no doubt jefferson davis trusted him up until this point. we have a problem again in northern mississippi, the

missourians who crossed the river are under the command of sterling price the same guy at alcorn tavern van dorn is supposed to go up there and unite with him and take over and they are jointly going to attack the real junction of mississippi. the battle of shiloh with the real junction at the mississippi. . . .

over and over and october 3 indian army is a lot to and is awaiting its arrival william rosecrans. there's a small gap between what the two union brigades in the confederate eventually exploit that gap and drive the union forces back. so here is of course the frontline the exterior line and the union forces are going to fall back closer per on october 4 this is going to happen. the attack is delayed because a number of different reasons. lewis hébert sickness come -- postpones it. i was feel sorry for these soldiers both sides that have two attack the strongly entrenched enemy lines. entrenchments and that kind of

firepower and the confederates momentarily raked through at a place called ateret robinett but it's just pleading if you will. the then result is b van dorn h get out of there as best he can. rosecrans loses 2510 door and loses 42200 pic to show you the sense of his losses dthn front of battery robinett. it's interesting. on the left foreground the gent pro up on the left is colonel william t. rodgers. i hate to say this and i'm not tryi tbe flippant right now but the monument is still standing on the square. i believe it's supposed to be the likeness of the confederate

monument. i was at a seminar in virginia and that guy said william p. rodgers is up on that statue. i figured you all needed a reprieve. the confederate government lost favor to van dorn, no really. in his ability to lead an independent army or they send john c. to supersede him and that's even more puzzling. [laughter] van dorn received a core command as a result. beginning in november of 62 france begins an offensive against pittsburgh and what ends up happening here ladies and gentlemen is grand has not yet learned in his career that you all are seeing something that not many people see.

matt standing still. i hope you are enjoying this moment. there are two railroads right here at the center top of your map. basically grand is going to rebuild the rear wall road. he has not yet learned that he can forge off the countryside so he's trying for he has tethering to a railroad. the confederates start off their three main rivers the cold water which is at the top of tallahassee which is right here in the yellow bush right to hear. pam burstyn decides to retreat back to the sender of this map and this is where van dorn is going to come into play. he will go for at least he will take a deep drive to one of the texas cattlemen cattlemen will come to him come down and say jama why do we write around grant's army.

grant is approaching granada and his supplies at holly springs the van dorn proposes or believes he will get the credit that we write around grant army and destroy his supply base at holly springs. this is december of 1862. i would say this is the peak of van dorn's career. he rides around and destroys the union garrison and destroys 1.5 an estimated $1.5 billion worth of supplies. angrand is forced to turn around. the net result of that big picture is that sherman has trusted lieutenant has set sail on boats and has gotten to vicksburg mississippi buddies waiting on grant to come in from behind. while he's in front grant astarte turned back around and sherman attacks. so van dorn is responsible for

turning back grant's army. folks positive press was now at van dorn and can you imagine i hope you are getting offensive what kind of guy -- he's not a coward. i do not sense a coward. he does not send men to places where he he would not go himself. van dorn radio anywhere but he these impulsive. that's what my senses. he's got it in impulsive character to him and he loves the lord. he loves the glory of war. on march 5 van dorn scores another success at a small place called hopkins station. it's not a very good picture but i love that jacket. look at that jacket. i saw lang and all i wanted to talk to you about what that

jacket he had done. where did you t that jacket? that's a nice jacket. the conversation in march 5 of 63 van dorn scores a step against the small federalist force. he has sent classic i'll just let the masses bring it to you. you have whitfield armstrong on the right and i will let the arrows to show you what happened. it's never good to have an aero with the name at the bottom pointing to your rear. [laughter] that's the battle of thompson's station. as a sidenote in the midst of this fighting and i thought this was interesting into the fray when the confederates were on fighting a cease on the front lines as 17-year-old alice thompson not much older than you

all ladies she picked up the banner and waved it around and after the battle alice tended to many do want it. the reason i'm telling you this is she later married the surgeon that she assisted that day dr. david duncan. the story does not end well though. never does, right especially when you start off talking about hank williams. alex tizon 1869 at the age of 23. some people just don't have any luck. i've got one more story for you. ladies could you bring me a drink please? i forgot it. thank you. i appreciate it. so you can imagine how van dorn and forests are going to get along. do you want to come up? no, you want me to come there.

we are on the way to the beach. [laughter] i decided -- come on up here. i decided there's no use going to gettysburg to go out way back in turn around so here we go. i would like chris michalski to know if these present that this is the reason is vicksburg book is not done. [laughter] right here. [applause] i've got one to match over here. >> that's an excellent reason, man. >> thank you very much. you want a sip before you go, don't you? i learned i used to work at vicksburg and i had 12,

12-year-old boys underneath me 100 degrees 100% humidity and shooting a canon 12 hours a day. you would be surprised what you drink up. you'd get over it in a hurry. oh lord. she said daddy -- thank you. i appreciate it. [applause] daddy you aren't going in and talking about those dead people are you? [laughter] forest and van dorn can get along and there was a heated engagement, not an engagement. it's a heated argument between the two of them and van dorn's headquarters about some kind of article that came out over thompson's station in the battle but i just detailed and forests got the credit for it. van dorn was hot.

van dorn told him if he. >> the author of the article he would have been recanted. van dorn said --van dorn according to him quote talking about forest the general expressed his conviction that my two great willingness to listen to stories to get the credit to his discredit. one thing led to another that throughout throughout followers today denied directly expressed my relief in his treachery and falsehood. suggesting there was a good of place and time as any to settle her difficulties. an action to my word i stepped to her my sword was hanging on the wall snatched it down and forests was really excited to see it. he had written and advanced one step for this sort have drawn and a space of flames but even

as they achieve my own sword a wave of some kind seem to pass over his countenance in the slowly return his sword and steadily regarded me and said general van dorn you i am not afraid of. but i will not fight you and i leave you to reconcile with yourself a the gross wrong you have done me. it would never do for too often. i never felt so ashamed of my life indoor and said to his staff officer and he went on to say and recalled for his manly attitude and word a truer position was restored quote immediately replied that he was right and apologize for being used for such expression of me.

i wish i could talk like that. we parted better friends and i believe that we had been before and whatever else the man is certainly no coward. i hope to show and in this is the part i wanted to dwell on right here i hope the show has brought out a couple of things. what is coming out of van dorn and also his love for glory and that love also is going to expand of course to the --. even after the bloody -- the confederate army retreating van dorn still wanted to turn back and attack the city. sterling turn to van dorn during this time and he says you are the only man i ever saw who loves danger for its own sake. when any daring enterprise

before you cannot adequately estimate the obstacle in your way. van dorn one is a renaissance man. painting poetry and horsemanship. he also is they said had an insatiable desire for glory. we come now to the ladies. the mobile newspaper reporter described van dorn quote as the ugly husband and serious -- would you like for me to repeat that? [laughter] nevermind. the terror of ugly husband did the same newspaper report described the following conversation while van dorn was in springfield quote with the buxom widow of 20 after the life of the creature had congratulated him upon his recent success she close by

saying general you are older than i am but let me give you a little advice. leave the winner alone until the war is over. my god madam replied van dorn i cannot do that. i hate all men and were it not for the women i should not fight at all. [laughter] besides if i had dotted your generous advice adviser would not now be speaking to you. now that man is going to say that he's got good hair. [laughter] he's got good hair. i'll tell you what i'm going to try that. by the time he got to springfield in 1863 he was already having affairs. while he was in texas from 5760 he took up with the local laundress named martha goodrich.

[laughter] and had three children during those years. he was stationed in texas. during the civil war he had an affair with an 18-year-old and pulled the staff officer's letter one time when i was researching it at the library of congress and he was writing his parents saying all these rumors you are hearing about that home are not true and i'm thinking e i think they are, i don't know. now we come to april of 63 in van dorn goes to the home of dr. george peters to inquire about using his farm into grace's caliber horses. the good doctor about but the lady of the house's name was jesse mckissick peters and after an introduction mrs. peters offers the general these of the cabin on the estate for his headquarters. van dorn isn't something he

instantly jumps on. you'd rather be in town. that's where all the stuff is happening but eventually he does and he goes outside and when she finds out and sees him in that cabin what else is there to do? [laughter] when dr. peters arrived back in town he's about 51 years old and he's been out doing the rounds. he's 51 in 1863. jesse was his third wife who he married in 1858 and i'm sorry this was the only picture i could find. she is not 25. she was a local dark-haired beauty witty and intelligent the daughter of a former and spring hill family. apparently the married couple were not well-suited for each other.

can you imagine she wanted to go out and socialize and he wanted to sit at the house. you can see what's coming, can't you? all right so the doctor would take him over there and i think he had some plantations. during this time to van dorn and her get to know each other. dr. peters was present at some of these things. it was a social gathering and one time the doctor came home and there were a bunch of kids they are just not van dorn's and there was a big row upstairs about that in everything and everybody left anyway rumors were started. van dorn moved. after dr. peters kicked everyone out of the party van dorn moves to whitehall apparently jesse was not far behind him. you've got to rememb tt the will add on this they are gd

christian folk and when you open the door up and jesse walks there and asked where the generalist you are supposed to wait him in the parlor. >> she's not waiting for she go straight up the stairs to his office and they close the door and they don't come down for couple of hours. you can't have that happening. so the missus takes sick puts it on on her husband to kick van dorn out and van dorn moves down the hallway to the martin share home also known as ferguson hall. meanwhile dr. peters who has been making sick calls found out something was amiss and he returned home. here's the story. george peterson did not appreciate that so he's ready to go goes to find van dorn and there are two versions of the story. one is that he found van dorn at his house came home unexpectedly

and there was a driving rainstorm out there and van dorn came out and he found them in the house and he dragged them out of the house beat him up and stuck a gun to his head and van dorn told them to spare his life any and become to the headquarters the next day and he would write him a full confession. the second story and tying it all and, second story has dr. peters and going to the headquarters and van dorn knowing nothing is up. whichever one you want to believe. anyway regardless this is true. he shows up at headquarters and van dorn is sitting at his desk and i can imagine van dorn didn't know something was coming because dr. peters gets a single shot to the backside behind the left ear of earl van dorn. why would you turn your back on

a man who came to haunt you? i believe dr. peters and this would indicate that dr. peters was a simply to getting a pass to go through the line to make sick calls in the staff thought nothing about it when he went in there. it's nothing unusual. he got away and he made it to union lines believe it or not. interestingly enough and i've got to rap this up. you're being very gracious with me. interestingly enough jesse gives birth to a baby girl on january 26, 1864. would you like to do the math with me? [laughter] in 1866 dr. peters files for divorce citing abandonment on the base at may 7, 1863.

a couple reconciled though a couple of years later and georgian jesse sold their springfield home and 73 and moved to memphis with george passing in 1889 and jesse passing in 1921. ironies of all ironies. the daughter reportedly took care of the doctor on his stick bed. that was the point if there's splitting in the first place i'm sure. in conclusion ladies and gentlemen that's the reported bloodstains that are in the house today. in conclusion ladies and gentlemen the coverage of van dorn's death was toward the allegiance of the publication. the murder quote the murder of general van dorn had conspicuous traitor poster i can a thrill of horror through the whole south. pennsylvania's weekly herald said this man was the conspicuous traitor and he had

not a particle of moral principles. he he would seek to see friend and foe and a violent death was the natural consequence of a life stained all over with violence. i don't think that they liked him. i want to end this right where he began it. earl van dorn could not be buried in the hometown because it was in federal hands. he was buried in the family plot. remember the girl i told you about in the very beginning, his wife takes home to alabama mt. vernon to be exact. an eyewitness reported as we watched the procession of soldiers the hearse drawn by six white horses a gorgeous array of white and plumes of grand casket in which the dead hero by we saw with sorrow for handsome face with death is truly widowed.

his little daughter was the chiefs our visible. the wife being too frustrated with grief to leave her room. do you believe it? do you believe it? would you show up? if you were her? she can read. in november of 1899 emma miller with the help of her son t. marshall miller had her brother's body disinterred project company the casket by rail to rebury him next to his father at wintergreen cemetery both facing south toward the old home. at fort gibson the casket was reopened and after 30 years would you like to know what they found? you always like that, don't you? to like when the coffin is open for the remains were found to be

in an excellent state of preservation. quote the confederate gray uniform of the major general the belt buckles being attacked and around his shoulders with the curls familiar to soldiers on 100 battlefields as the intrepid warrior rode at the front of his men and burned as them to battle. ladies and gentlemen the earl. mr. van dorn. thank you all. [applause] i don't have any time for any questions. i don't burn through that. anybody got a quick one? >> as tawdry as this tale is imagined the version we would have gotten had -- [inaudible] c oh yeah. that is carmen is what sitting over there. >> would you consider over all

van dorn to be an asset or liability to the confederate cause? >> he's like anybody else come it depends where you put him. i can say the same thing about myself and you probably say the same thing about yourself. if you supervise and you put them in a place to succeed there were some people that you just can't put in a position so in answer to the question i think it was in excellent calvery men desk calgary man but he does need to be in total control. he's too impetuous. also in his defense he is the quintessential southern type general. he is the type that the confederate government wants. he's a combat general is what he is and that comes from the indian fighting which he learned on the planes to attack, attack and attack before the indians get set.

you are constantly moving, moving, moving fast paced but his larger battle was pretty slow. calgary's had to do well.