[Since I am not pretty much convinced that high ranking officers in the Army of the Southwest were involved in cotton speculation, I will not be revealing my sources as I am going to write a scholarly article on these findings. I will offer what I have found.]
Parts of the Army of the Southwest were kept in eastern Arkansas for three months camped along the Mississippi River. From there one brigade in particular made almost DAILY expeditions for the sole purpose of cotton confiscation and speculation. From letters, diaries and regimental history books I find that one brigade in particular was very active in cotton collecting. That for three months they were kept in one region to do just that. This seems to collaborate John S. Phelps belief that Curtis purposely kept his army idle for the sole purpose of cotton grabbing. The following is from a regimental history from this “Cotton Brigade:”
As to the service of the [regiment] for the next three months, I hesitate to speak. During that time there was scarcely a day when a detachment of the regiment was not sent on expeditions, on one side of the river or on the other; sometimes at a distance of a hundred miles of more… to collect baled cotton and load it on steamboats, and in nearly every one of these forays a scrimmage was had at some cotton gin or pile of cotton bakes, the regiment losing from time to time a number killed and wounded to say nothing of being continually shot at while passing up and down the rive in boats.
[after being ordered to move there camp to a very in-hospital place, he writes] …There was no reason that we should be sent to that deadly place, expect that we would be somewhat nearer the cotton area.
…How much of this ‘cotton collecting’ was done for the government and how much for private interest, I do not know…
This falls right in line with accusations by Phelps. I have some other documents to share and shall within the week.
