Interesting topic for a new discussion thread!

I see two separate issues raised so far in this discussion.

First, Doyle's issue of Arkansas State Troops declining to enroll in Confederate service. The timeframe for this issue is July 1861. After Arkansas seceded from the Union, there existed two separate military organizations -- the Arkansas State Troops and the Provisional Army of the Confederate States. Most of the regiments organized in May and June of 1861 were Arkansas State Troops, enrolled in State service for 90 days (a few independent companies enrolled for 30 to 60 days). A handful enrolled directly into Confederate service for a period of 12 months (Fagan's 1st Arkansas and Hindman's 2nd Arkansas) or 3 years (Rust's 3rd Arkansas). The Arkansas State Troops were organized into two divisions -- the 1st Division in Northwest Arkansas (headquarters at Bentonville) and the 2nd Division in Northeast Arkansas (headquarters at Pocahontas). When Governor Rector offered the services of the Arkansas State Troops to the Confederate States, all of the regiments in northeast Arkansas agreed to sign on for a 12-month hitch (later extended to 2 years, and finally 3 years or the duration of the war). Only three companies declined to enroll in Confederate service (one disbanded, and the other two eventually enrolled in another regiment). All of the regiments in northwest Arkansas disbanded before they could be transferred to Confederate service. The blame for this is usually directed at Brigadier-General Pearce, the division commander (that's a whole different discussion thread in itself).

The second issue, raised by Jim Martin, took place almost a year later, in the Spring of 1862. This is the issue of men remaining in Arkansas when their regiments were transferred east of the Mississippi River. All of the regiments which crossed the river left men behind, most of them sick, a smaller number recovering from wounds received at Pea Ridge. I've reviewed the service records of about 90 percent of all Arkansas soldiers to date, and the large number of men left behind were, for the most part, legitimately sick -- the two main illnesses being measles and diptheria. The 18th Arkansas was the most severely affected regiment, with about 30 percent of the men either dead or unable for duty from measles. Jim's estimate of 25 percent of the 4th Arkansas is reasonably close (in this case, diptheria being the predominent disease). Very few of these men ever rejoined their regiments east of the river. Most joined other regiments back in Arkansas, some voluntarily, some "detained" (shanghaied) by order of the Department commander. All of these men dropped from the rolls of their original commands between June and December 1862. Most of the service record entries state simply "absent west of the Mississippi" or "absent sick in Arkansas". Some men left no footprints at all -- they were on the roll in April, and disappeared from the roll in June; no reason given. Most of them later appeared on the rolls of other regiments. According to the records of those who later applied for pensions, they had been left behind sick when their original commands crossed the river.