I'm not understanding this comment. Crawford was wounded in April of '62 at the battle of Shiloh. He replaces Lt. Col. Thompson during the reorganization of the 1st Arkansas. He resigns his position on July 21st, '62. he is back in Arkansas in Aug of '62 beginning the organization of his Infantry battalion, on Sept 28th, '62 his Battalion is order to Clarendon with the rest of the troops from Sulphur Springs. Hindman was replaced by T.H. Holmes around August 1st, '62. So there is no six month gap here that I can see.
Are you talking about after his Battalion is consolidated with Hardy's in February '63 and he reports to Hindman, as Corp commander, being the six months?
As far as I can surmise I believe that the military authorities send Lt. Col Crawford to Sulphur Springs to organize a unit out of the extra companies and conscripts there. I am given to believe that there was thought to be more troops there to be organized than just the two companies of record that we have for Crawfords Battalion. There were, at least mentions, of three companies other than those organized into Dawson's 19th and Portlock's 24th Arkansas. There was an extra company of the 33rd Arkansas, and a company of conscripts under Captain Ingram. And an extra company of Dawson's 19th Arkansas. It seems odd that there was only one company of Conscripts (Ingrams) raised by the Conscription act in all of Southeast Arkansas.
The 19th was also a very over strenght regiment when ordered to reorganize into a regiment of 10 companies of 75 men each. Most of these extra men were organized into the 24th Arkansas and one out of 10 of them died of disease at Sulphur Spring. Making up this lost, and those men of the 24th who were assigned to Hart's battery, may have been where the extra company of the 19th and some of these other went to that were to have been Crawfords, went to.
Another possibility is that Crawford may have in fact been sent to Sulphur Springs just in case Col. Dawson or Portlock needed to be relieved in their command. Neither were esteamed very highly. And Col. R.G. Shavers had simular orders to assume command which ever regiment that he wish. But command of a mear regiment was not in Shavers plans after commanding a brigade at Shiloh. As we know Shaver keep the 33rd seperate from Dawson's Brigade at Sulphur Springs and rangled them to go north with him at the end of September.