Bill,

Co. I, 2nd Arkansas Infantry, was recruited and organized at Johnsville, Bradley County, Arkansas, but was mustered into service at Memphis, Tennessee, on June 20, 1861. The original members of the company are listed as having enlisted on that date, though they had originally joined the company back at Johnsville.

Likewise, a number of men recruited after the company had left Johnsville were mustered into service at Powhatan, Arkansas, on July 18, 1861, where the regiment was then stationed. So they are listed as having enlisted at Powhatan, though they were originally picked up by the recruiting officer back at Johnsville.

It is very common for the Compiled Service Records to show a date and place of enlistment different from the date and place where a company was organized. The reason is that a company's term of service was deemed to begin when they were actually mustered into Confederate service. The muster-in date is significant because that's when the Confederate States assumed responsibility for the pay, rations, arms and equipment of the company.

It does cause modern researchers some confusion. A classic example is the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles, which included companies organized all over the State in April and May 1861, but was actually mustered into service at Fort Smith in June 1861. Thus, men who joined their respective companies at Augusta, Little Rock, Batesville, etc., are all shown as enlisting at Fort Smith, causing some modern researchers to wrongly conclude that the entire regiment was recruited in Sebastian County.

It gets even more confusing when a company was mustered into State service before being mustered into Confederate service. That gives you three different places and dates of enlistment!

I hope this helps.

BTW, I don't know of any published regimental history of the 2nd Arkansas Infantry. If anyone knows of one, please advise.