There must be more that we do not know.Perhaps President Davis got his dates mixed up in his July letter to Governer Flanagin.I did note that in General Johnston's Narrative of Military Operations(p209),he does say that on the night of May 16,"All public property,and the sick and wounded,had been carried to the rear,to Brandon,and beyond."AS you say,it would not have made sense to return the important machinery to Jackson if indeed it had not been destroyed earlier.

I did not know the state government went to Hot Springs at that time in 1862.To my knowledge,the 1st troops up from Texas to Little Rock were Captain Alf Johnson and his Texas Spy Company arriving around mid-April.I like to think that the bold skirmishing by the Texas Rangers may have disuaded Curtis from taking Little Rock.However,it appears that General Curtis had logistic problems.In addition,Hindman employed some interesting cloak and dagger operations.You may recollect his fake letter writting campaign.Several hundred women wrote letters to husbands and aweethearts stating the arrival in Little Rock of thousands of Texas soldiers and the mail carrier intentionaly allowed them to be captured etc..In my personal opinion General Hindman should be given great credit for preparing the State for defense.

MWT