One of our teachers was planning to write his history masters thesis on this period of Arkansas History, but his professor would not approve the theme, because the information that would have been uncovered about locations of installations and operational planning would have conflicted with some other writings (of his). That is one reason why this board, or the Pat Cleburne SCV Camp in Pine Bluff, is the only place you will find much information on Camp White Sulphur Springs. And sorry to say, I am beginning to forget some of the finer details.
For many decades the underlying story was considered to be an "old wives tale" and was just that, a story. Until the advent of computerized Muster rolls (Thank You, Edward Gerdes, Bryan Howerton and Jeri Fultz) and research materials such as books, and community records, such as old masonic lodge memberships, it was hard to piece the puzzle together. And that is the main reason why it wasn't put together until now. But due to the efforts of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans camp in Pine Bluff the effort was made to either verify or debunk those old wives tales.
It has only been since 1990 that the evidence and research has begun to come together to prove the existance and extent of the miltary activities in Jefferson County, and along with its importance in shaping events during the War along the lower Arkansas and even Mississippi rivers in Arkansas that was being carried on from the installations, camps and forts around Pine Bluff. What started out as at attempt to identify an old wives tale turned up the actual location of several camps such as Camp Lee, Camp Holmes, Camp Wright and Camp Mills, and two little known, or completely unknown Forts, Fort Pleasent and Fort Douglas.
That the operation from these camps in their own way effected the the rebuilding of the Confederate Army in the Trans-Mississippi Dept in May of 1862, the Battle of Arkansas Post, threaten Union operation at Vicksburg, was the starting point for the battle of Millenkins Bend, and even influenced the battle operations against Little Rock.
Not bad for an "Old Wives tale".