It was first started in August 1861 as Camp Lee in White Sulphur Springs as a place where newly forming regiments of volunteers such as the 9th Arkansas and 2nd Arkansas Battalion, in September 1861, were encamped and recieved their organizational training.
In February 1862 Camp Lee was used as an enlistment point for Companies of Carroll's 18th Arkansas Infantry.
The Pine Bluff Hospitals were used to recieve some of the Missouri wounded from the battle of Pea Ridge in Match of 1862.
Camp Lee was again activated to encamp new enlistees in May of 1862 such as a Battalion which was to become the 26th Arkansas Infantry and Parson 12th Texas cavalry which was stopped ther on it way to Memphis. The only Troops left in Arkansas at the time. Pine Bluff became the headquarters of Brig Gen John S. Roane who was left in command of all military force left in Arkansas when Van Dorm abandoned Arkansas on Orders from A.S. Johnson to transfer the Army of the West to Mississippi.
In June of 1862 Camp Lee became an assembly point for regiments such as the 19th "Dawson's" Arkansas Infantry which had been ordered back to Arkansas from Oklahoma. On the way back to Arkansas the 19th recruited new members for their regimanet. These new enlistees were reorganized as Portlocks' 24th Arkansas Infantry at Camp Lee.
In July 1862, Gen Roane was order to move all Military headquarters operation, Hospitals in Pine Bluff and Commissary stores to White Sulphur Springs. AT this time Grinsteads 33rd Arkansas Infantry was ordered to Camp White Sulphur Springs and conscripts from the 1862 Conscription act were enlisted at Pien Bluf and sent to Camp White Sulphur for a Camp of instruction under the Command of Col Robert G. Shavers. At theis time Crawfords Arkansas Infantry Battalion and the Dallas "Harts" Battery of Artillery were organized there. Also Col Robert R Garlands 6th Texas Infantry was order to Camp White Sulphur to organized a new Brigade of Texas Infantry to be known as garland's Brigade which consisted of Garland's 6th Texas Infantry, the 24th Texas Cavalry Dismounted and the 25th Texas Cavalry dismounted. The Texas Troops established a new Camp named Camp Holmes. Also operating from Camp White Sulphur Springs was Denson' Louisiana Cavalry, Nutts Louisiana Cavalry, Richardson Texas Cavalry. And at time Parson 12th Texas cavalry and Gillespe's 21st Texas Cavalry.
At the end of July and beginning of August 1862 Brig Gen M.M. Parson's Missouri Infantry Brigade returned to Arkansas from Mississippi bringing with them a convoy of supplies and artillery for the Trans-mississippi army and Parson infantry began operations in Southeast Arkansas under the command of Roane At White Sulphur Springs. In August of 1862, Fagan's 1st Arkansas Cavalry regiment was organized at Camp White Sulphur Springs. Monroe's 6th Arkansas Cavalry was also organized there.
In September of 1862 Garland's Brigade of Texas Infantry (6th Texas Inf, 24th and 25th Texas Cavalry Dis) along with Hart's Battery were order to Arkansas Post area. Dawson's Arkansas Infantry Brigade (19th and 24th arkansas Infantry and Crawfords Batt.) was ordere to Arkansas Post to begin construction of Fort Hindman there also River battery fortificationa at St Charles, Ark.
Camp White Sulphur Springs was continued as a Commissary and Hospital for the support of operations in Southeast Arkansas during the fall of 1862.
In December of 1862 Camp Holmes and others sites were reoccupied by Brigades of Major Gen John G. Walkers Texas Division in support of Arkansas Post.
In January 1863 Camp White Sulphur Springs became a major operations in support of Walkers Texans as a commissary and Hospital to take care of sick and wounded from the battle of Arkansas Post at one point reciving over 70,000 bushels of corn for their commissary. As operations at Arkansas subsided in late January military operations at Arkansas post were scaled back and a new Fort (Fort Pleasent) was built to take it place, just North of Pine Bluff and Walkers Texans established first Camp Mills in Pine Bluff, then Camp Wright 4 mils north of Pine Bluff. Brig Gen Daniel Frost Brigade of Missouri Infantry (Mitchell's 8th, Clark's 9th, and Musser's batt of Missouri Infantry) along with Ruffer's and Von Phul Artillery occupied Fort Pleasent. Camp White Sulphur Spring facilities opperated in support of these operations.
In February 1863, the survivors of Arkansas Post were assembled at Camp White Sulphur Springs to be reorganized into what later became known as Hardy's Arkansas Infantry regiment, (A complicated story)
March 1863 to August 1863 Hardy's regiment contiuned to be stationed at Camp white Sulphur Springs. Sick from Fort Pleasent and Camps Day and Wright were treated at the Hospital there. Troops of Parson cavalry along with Clark's 9th Missouri and Ruffner's Artillery operated from Fort Pleasent against the Union shipping on the Mississippi River carring supplies to Grant and the Union Army and navy at Vicksburg. Walkers Texans along with such units as the 27th Arkansas Infantry staged at Pine Bluff and left Pine Bluff to conduct operation in Louisiana and eventually the Battle at Millenkins Bend, La. opposite Vicksburg.
In August 1863 most of the installation at Fort Pleasent and other camps were abandoned except for the Hospital and Commissary at White Sulphur Springs to take part in the battle of Little Rock.
In September of 1863 Union Cavalry, (5th Kansas Cavalry) occupied Pine Bluff and camp White Sulphur Springs. They captured all the confederate soldiers in the hospital at that time and some of the medical staff. They then burned at buildings which had been used for military operations such as the hospital and churches and warehouse and barns used as the commissar or headquarters, including the homes of loyal southerners of the community.
Sorry for being so long winded. But, In a nutshell that is the general history of Camp White Sulphur Spring. In all least 23 Companies of cavalry and Infantry, or Batteries of Artillery were enlisted at Pine Bluff, most all of which made camp at one time or the other at Camp White Sulphur Springs. At least 5 Brigades of Arkansas, Texas or Missouri Infantry, at different times, was stationed there and it was the operational center of all military operation for the entire Southeastern part of Arkansas including the lower Arkansas and Mississippi rivers. It was in fact also the lower gateway defence for Little Rock.