McRae seemed to have had the potential and certainly the experience to be an effective combat infantry commander. Holmes was furious at McRae because of the debacle at Helena, and although McRae was cleared, he resigned sometime after the loss of Little Rock.

Hopefully, a student of McRae can give us a more thorough analysis of him as a general.

I am a great admirer of Parsons and his brigade. Seems the Missouri infantry brigades on both sides of the river had quite a fighting reputation.

Perhaps the comments by Bruce Allardice are pertinent to the quality of brigade that Parsons led. He apparently had some capable officers and even some experienced state guard soldiers to provide a core group of strength.

Also seems that the Missouri [and Kentucky] boys that were driven from their homeland were inspired fighting men.

In 1862, Parsons was able to build a respectable force from the remnants of the state guard that he brought back from Mississippi, and the residue of McBride's command in north Arkansas. With these, he made an arduous trek across north Arkansas to join Hindman near Van Buren in late 1862. Reinforced by a couple of regiments from Raines' old command, Parsons' brigade became what many claimed to be the best disciplined and most effective combat brigade in the Trans Mississippi.

By 1864, Parsons was so optimistic [unrealistically it would seem] about Price's Missouri raid that he expected to get enough recruits to fill up his brigade and fill the other Missouri brigade so as to have command of a Missouri division. At times, he had previously led a "demi-division of a brigade and a half, and was certainly looking forward to the additional troops that subsequently proved to be mostly illusionary.

OR, LXI, 1054-1055

HEADQUARTERS PARSONS' DIVISION,
Camden, Ark., November 16, 1864.

Major General STERLING PRICE, Commanding Missouri Expedition:

GENERAL: Allow me to congratulate you on your successful campaign in Missouri. Though you were unable to hold the State, the injury you inflicted on the enemy and the large number of recruits brought out by you exceeded my most sanguine calculations. While we all deeply regret your loss of some very valuable officers and gallant soldiers, we look upon your campaign as a brilliant success. My old brigade is here; the other, commanded by Colonel Mitchell, is at Washington. The men are in excellent health and spirits. …I presume, general, that the scarcity of forage and the absolute necessity for more infantry will require the dismounting of the greater part of the force under your command. As you stated to me your purpose before leaving for Missouri was, if you succeeded in recruiting sufficiently, to fill my old regiments to their maximum; a new regiment should be added to my division in order to equalize the brigades. I have now five regiments, one battalion sharpshooters, and two batteries. To fill all to the maximum and form the new regiment would take 5,900 men. I, by your direction, stated to my officers on my return from my last visit to you your intentions on this subject. It was highly satisfactory. They and the men were all content. Only two desertions since you left. After giving the complement of men I ask, I should like very much to see another infantry division organized of Missourians, then take mine and that and make a corps for you. You would have a command of infantry about 20,000 strong, which, drilled and equipped, would be the finest corps in the service.

With great respect and esteem, your friend, truly,
M. M. PARSONS
Major-General.

Official Records
HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, MISSOURI INFANTRY, Near Washington, Ark., January 13, 1865. Col. GEORGE G. VEST, Member of Congress, Richmond, Va.: M~ DEAR COLONEL: Please accept my warmest thanks for your good letter handed inc on yesterday, and permit inc to say I feel obliged to you for the very complimentary manner in which you chose to speak of me. I fully believe you appreciate my friendship for you, and I take this occasion to say, while you are absent r am trying to guard well your interest here. In regard to my appointment I have only to say, if my services and seniority do not entitle inc to it, I do not want it, nor shall I ask for promotion, but leave the matter entirely with those who feel and know the interest of the service. General Magruder has recommended me for promotion, and I am led to believe General Smith will consider favorably my interest. Since reading your letter I have directed that complete returns be made of my brigade and forwarded, as you suggested, by some reliable person, direct. This General Magruder has consented to. In a few days I hope to be able to forward the returns. At this time I am actively engaged in reorganizing the recruits assigiied to me from the dismounted cavalry of General Price’s army, which, when finished, will make my command one of the most effective in the department, and should I be permitted to command it during the next campaign I will try and see that it does honor to the noble State they represent. Parsons is now commanding the Missouri division of infantry, but will be returned to his brigade so soon as General Price returns from leave of absence. This division will distinguish itself whenever called into action. It is regarded as the best one this side of the river. Affairs here are in any other state than a satisfactory one. The great want of subsistence in this district is truly alarming. Already our forces are forced to draw their supplies and occupy Red River. By
reference to the map you will see that a great part of the district on this side of the Arkansas River is not fully protected. It is true we have a small garrison at Camden and a few mounted men in that direction, but I hold that country is given up for the present. But we have the................

CHAS. S. MITCHELL.

Jim McGhee will attest to one of my favorite "could have-would have-should have." premises. And that is to have increased the infantry force by dismounting some of the over abundant cavalry force. If Hindman had stayed in command long enough, there was a good chance of that happening based on his track record on that score. If so, then perhaps we could have seen how effective Parsons could have been with a division sized force of infantry. Kirby Smith made a futile effort to increase the infantry by decreasing the cavalry, but it was another case of too little, too late.

I'm sure Bill Gurley's forthcoming book on Parsons' command will illustrate to us all the value of Parsons as a military commander. And, perhaps Bill will be able to expand on some of the fascinating accounts of the murder of Parsons after the war down in Mexico.