Bill; This seems to be a fairly accurate summary of the facts.

Some would take exception to the statement that Lt Col Thompson was in sole command of the 1st Arkansas in Virginia.

"The 2nd remained in Virginia February 1862 THOMPSON requested his regiment be assigned to Tennessee".

However, this would also seem to be accurate because Col. James Fagan, being the political operative that he was, had become bored with being detached so far from the politics of Little Rock. Lt Col Thompson was the defacto commander of the 1st Arkansas Inf.

To me it seems strange that Thompson would request his regiment to return to the Tennessee Theater. Thompson as you have already stated was a Virginia native and U of Virginia alumni. You would think that Thompson would be well thought of in the Virginia circles as was Bronaugh with the 2nd Arkansas battalion later.

What was the real reason that Thompson requested the 1st Arkansas to return to the Tennessee Theater?

Was Thompson, Fagan, MacGregor and Bronaugh trying to recruit and form an all Arkansas Brigade in Virginia?

That having failed when Bronaugh returned to Virginia with only 3 additional companies, forming the 2nd Arkansas Batt., is that the reason that Fagan returned home to the political arena of Arkansas?

Was Thompson's request for the Regiment to be transferred back west also a method of his returning to the intrigue of military politics? Seeing that a large portion of Arkansas troops were in that theater in Kentucky at that time.

Was that Thompson's ambition? To raise to higher command?

I know that this is not your interest or purpose but they are some of the questions that arrise from a study of these people.