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Letters concerning the conduct of Major Emeric Meszaros in the Battle of Pea Ridge
Title
Letters concerning the conduct of Major Emeric Meszaros in the Battle of Pea Ridge, 1862-1863.
Physical Description
18 items. (in 1 folder and 1 broadside folder)
Language
English
Provenance
Gift of Charles and Lindley Eberstadt, 1969.
Biographical / Historical Note
The Battle of Pea Ridge, 1862 Mar 7-8, was fought by the United States Army of the Southwest and the Confederate Army of the West. Defeat of the Confederates by the Army of the Southwest, led by General Samuel R. Curtis, resulted in United States control of Missouri for the remainder of the Civil War. The Frémont Hussars, raised by George E. Waring in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1861 combined with the Benton Hussars to form the 4th Missouri Cavalry, with Waring as colonel, in 1862. Major Emeric Meszaros commanded the 4th Missouri Cavalry during the Battle of Pea Ridge. Meszaros was accused of cowardice during the battle and resigned when the Army of the Southwest reached Helena, Arkansas, in July, 1862.
Summary
Eight ALS to Colonel George E. Waring from officers of the 4th Missouri Cavalry, 1862 Mar-Apr; three ALS to Waring from Emeric Meszaros, 1862 Mar-Apr; and five additional letters and drafts of letters concerning Meszaros and the 4th Missouri Cavalry, 1862-1863 and undated. Letters from officers Oscar P. Howe, Howard Dwight, Thomas W. Cooper, William S. Burns, Fred Cooper, John B. Waring, and Gustav Illig, dated at Camp Hoffman, near Cross Timbers, Mar 24-25, accuse Meszaros of cowardice in the Battle of Pea Ridge and report continuing misconduct by him; discuss communications regarding Meszaros between officers of the 4th Cavalry and generals Samuel Ryan Curtis, Alexander S. Asboth, and Franz Sigel; and request Waring's presence with the 4th Cavalry. A letter from Oscar P. Howe encloses a copy of a letter dated Mar 12 from officers of the 4th Cavalry to Meszaros requesting his resignation. Also included is an AL from an unidentified officer, Apr 8, apparently a fragment, with a note written in shorthand, Apr 5. In three letters to Waring dated Mar 17-Apr 13, Meszaros describes the Battle of Pea Ridge and discusses the charges against him, giving an account of his actions and criticizing the conduct of his subordinate officers.
Additional letters include ALS and drafts concerning alleged misuse of government property by Meszaros, 1862 May-Jul, and a pension requested by Mathias Messiner for his service in the 4th Cavalry, 1863 Jul. Also present are a list of field and staff officers of the 4th Cavalry and a list of company officers, both written in manuscript in an unidentified hand, 1862 Aug 31. The letters are accompanied by an envelope annotated in manuscript in an unidentifed hand.
Format
Archives or Manuscripts
Added to Catalog
June 01, 2002
References
Letters Concerning the Conduct of Major Emeric Meszaros in the Battle of Pea Ridge. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Cite as
Letters Concerning the Conduct of Major Emeric Meszaros in the Battle of Pea Ridge. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
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