These two battalions of the 33rd were a week or so apart in arriving at Sulphur Springs. One in early July the other after July 15th. The 33rd is mention in the September 29th order of reorganization in the O.R.'s but according to Hindman's Telegraph they were still at Sulphur Springs as of the 4th of October. Shavers actually went to Little Rock at the end of September and then had the 33rd join him on their march North. It would seem that Shavers did some string pulling regarding the 33rd and rangled a Brigade command while he was in L.R.
Shaver had been promised a regiment while he was at Sulphur Springs. I am given the impression for the Telegraphs that he had the choice of which ever Regiment he chose from those he was training at Sulphur Springs. It would seem he took a shine to the 33rd over the 19th and 24th Arkansas.
As for everybody going throught Sulphur Springs?Pine Bluff. The place was an important location involving major roads systems south and east to Camden, Monticello and Monroe, La. not to mention the Arkansas River. It was a very important link between Little Rock and Vicksburg and communications east to Richmond. As Henry Merrill observed in his Biography, of his evaluation of the Lower Arkansas River defences in 1863 after the fall of Arkansas Post, that should Pine Bluff fall to the Federals, Little Rock could not be defended by the Confederates. That the Confederates would have to abandon Little Rock because the Federal once they occupied Pine Bluff could threaten, by land attack, the Confederate supply line at Benton and cut off and bypass Little Rock completely. That is the reason why so much of the meager Confederate resources were funneled through Pine Bluff and it installations.