this is the legacy of van doran. not just the defeat at pea ridge, but the abandonment of the trans-mississippi to the mean. the federals and other officers could not believe it. they thought it was a ploy. finally in late spring it dawned on them that the confederates were gone, not only was there no more threat to st. louis. there was no threat no missouri and arkansas was defenseless. the overland skwloistical supply train could supply line, could not be stretched any farther. curtis men with all his officers and everyone adpreeed. better to march the union army to a river port that was available year-round and just wait for better conditions. so curtis turns around and marches eventually across the death at that through clarendon and so forth to helena. just a few days after the union army arrives there, as we'll see, a relief conv