Great Point. The 3rd Ark. was with Lee. Several Ark. Regiments were with the Army of Tennessee but there were still alot of Ark. men serving in state. A posting that was pretty quiet except for the 1864 Red River campaigning in the spring. I don't know about out and out desertions but I've got to think that smart officers granted liberal leave around planting and harvest. My great-great grandfather,for example was in Hardy's 19/24 Ark. and was posted to St. Charles, Little Rock and Pine Bluff for short periods and then latter in the war he was only a few miles from home when the Army was at Washington. I can't imaigine that these men weren't allowed to go tend to farms that also helped the war effort, but I'm speculating. Don't underestimate the resourcefullness of Arkansas women. I'm sure that many of them were more than able to garden and bring in a crop. The Trans-Mississippi quartermaster department may have been more efficient than previously thought as well. Supposedly Kirby Smith did a pretty good job late in the war of taking care of his army, for example new uniforms were issued in Shreveport just prior to the Red River campaign and apparently these men went off to Mansfield,Pleasant Hill and Jenkins Ferry, not attired as "ragged rebels" but in new gray uniforms. The department had the advantage also of drawing food,cotton and other supplies from untouched Texas.