Beginning about May 1861, Pocahontas and the nearby strategically important Pitman’s Ferry became an important Confederate military depot, and also served as the headquarters of the Military District of Northern Arkansas. During the initial call-up of troops for State and Confederate service in May and June of 1861, most of the new regiments were ordered to Pitman’s Ferry for organization and training. Virtually all the regiments stationed here were sent east of the Mississippi River in September and October of 1861, leaving the “gateway to Arkansas” defenseless. A second round of recruiting for new regiments was just getting underway when Colonel Solon Borland, depot commander, received vague reports of enemy movements in Missouri. Although this movement of Union troops eventually headed southwest, culminating in the battle of Pea Ridge the following spring, the initial reports seemed to indicate a possible movement on Pitman’s Ferry. On November 5, 1861, Colonel Borland issued an appeal for volunteers in the surrounding counties to hastily organize companies for the defense of Pitman’s Ferry until new regular Confederate regiments could be organized and dispatched.
Some two dozen of these emergency companies were organized in Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence and Randolph counties, including the areas now encompassed in present-day Clay, Cleburne, Sharp and Woodruff counties. They converged on Pocahontas and Pitman’s Ferry, beginning about November 9, and were mustered into Confederate service for a period of thirty days. Few records of these hastily-organized and short-lived companies have survived. It appears that three thirty-day regiments were organized from these companies.
The First Arkansas Regiment, 30-Day Volunteers (infantry), seems to have been formally organized on November 23—at least that is the date of the appointments of the field and staff officers—under command of Colonel James Haywood McCaleb. A Second Arkansas Regiment, 30-Day Volunteers (infantry), may not have completed its organization—only the records of one battalion of this regiment have survived. A Third Arkansas Regiment, 30-Day Volunteers (cavalry), almost surely never completely organized—only the rosters of two mounted companies, under Captains Reves and Hooker, have survived. Five or six other companies appear to have never been assigned to any regiment.
The period of enlistment for these emergency companies expired from mid-December to early January, about the time that the new regular regiments arrived, and they were discharged and sent home. Most of the volunteers subsequently enlisted in various regiments organized in the third round of troop mobilization in March and April of 1862.
Field and staff officer appointments were dated November 23, 1861.
McCaleb, James Haywood—Colonel.
Ligon, David G—Lieutenant-Colonel; elected from Co. K.
Black, John P—Major; elected from Co. A.
Temple, S W—First Lieutenant and Adjutant; appointed from Co. E.
Baxter, Elisha—Quartermaster; elected governor of Arkansas in 1872.
Kelsey, Hiram A—Commissary; appointed from Co. A.
Vaughs, H W—Surgeon.
Baxter, T A—Sergeant-Major.
Vest, James J—Drum Major; appointed from Co. G.
Hurn, Simon Peter—Wagonmaster; appointed from Co. D.
Johnston, James—Assistant Wagonmaster.
The companies comprising the First Arkansas Regiment, 30-Day Volunteers, included:
Company A—Capt. A. G. Kelsey—Randolph and Lawrence counties.
Company B—Capt. John W. Peter—Sharp, Independence and Izard counties.
Company C—Capt. M. Shelby Kennard—Independence county.
Company D—Capt. Thomas S. Simington—Randolph county.
Company E—Capt. Joshua Wann—Sharp county.
Company F—Capt. Israel Milligan—Sharp and Izard counties.
Company G—Capt. Daniel Yeager—Sharp county.
Company H—Capt. James Campbell Anderson—Greene and Clay counties.
Company I—Capt. Beverly B. Owens—Independence county.
Company K—Capt. L. W. Robertson—Lawrence and Sharp counties.
This 2nd Regiment does not appear to have completed its organization. Only the records of the four companies of the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment are extant.
Four companies from northeast Arkansas constituted the 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment: Capt. John H. Miers’ company from Jackson County, Capt. W. T. High’s company (“High’s Repellers”) from Prairie and present-day Lonoke counties, Capt. James R. Morris’ company from Independence and present-day Cleburne counties, and Capt. Thomas G. Shinpock’s company from present-day Woodruff County. The companies enlisted for 30-days of emergency service on November 18, and were discharged on December 18, 1861.
The men of Companies A, B and C returned to their respective homes after being discharged. The men of Company D, however, stayed on to enlist in Confederate service for one year and became Company K of McCarver’s 14th Arkansas Infantry.
No colonel or lieutenant-colonel was ever assigned to the 2nd Regiment. The only field-grade officer mentioned in the record is a Major Allen, commanding the 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment.
Co. A—Jackson County.
Co. B—Prairie and Lonoke Counties.
Co. C—Independence and Cleburne Counties.
Co. D—Woodruff County.