Samuel
Curtis was a Republican Iowa Congressman and Colonel of the 2nd Iowa
Volunteer Infantry. Promoted to Brigadier General on May 17, 1861 he reported
to St. Louis and helped organize the Union forces in the area.
Given command
of the Army of the Southwest on Christmas day and it’s 3 divisions, he moved to
Rolla. In March 1862, the army moved into northwest Arkansas and won the battle
of Pea Ridge on March 7th and 8th. After campaigning in
Arkansas, Curtis earned command of the District of Missouri. Coming in political
conflict with the Union Republican Governor, Hamilton Rowan Gamble, Curtis was reassigned to the
Department of Kansas and Indian Territory.
On October 6th,
1863, Curtis’ son, Major Zarah Curtis, was killed by Quantrill’s guerillas at
the massacre of Baxter Springs, Kansas.
During Confederate General Sterling Price’s 1864 invasion, Curtis brought his forces, the self-styled Army of the Border, east and helped defeat Price at the battle of Westport on October 23. Afterwards he was assigned to the Department of the Northwest, leading the military response to Native American uprisings against white settlers.
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