CHAPTER 4
30 Day Volunteer Companies Formed in Answer to Bor1and’s Call of November 5: Fall 1861
After Gen. Hardees division was transferred in late September east of the Mississippi River to Bowling Green, Kentucky, a small and inexperienced force of state troops transferred to the Confederate service under Col. Solon Borland at Pitman’s Ferry was the only defense left between Jackson County and the Missouri border. The Union army was massing troops in southeast Missouri mainly for the purpose of a thrust down the Mississippi River. But this posed a very real threat to all areas of northeast Arkansas. Reports of these Union troop movements were sent to state militia units. The Jacksonport Herald of October 26 1861 published two communications received by Col. Board the day before. One was a copy of a dispatch sent
to Capt. Hodnett at Pocahontas, and the other was a direct message to Board.
Pittman’s Ferry Arkansas
Oct. 22, 1861
"Capt. H.T. 1-hxlnett, Pocahontas:
. . . Reinforcements of enemy troops from Cape Girardeau and a massive buildup
at Ironton present danger for Pitman's Ferry.
J.J. Herndon
Commander of the Post.”
The second message:
Oct. 23, 1861
Col. Board . . . We have commenced taking steps to call out the militia but will
not call them out unless there is certainty a necessity for it. It might be well for
your officers to take such steps as will enable prompt action in case of necessity.
I send it to you, believing that you can have the proper persons ready for action;
and at the same time keep down all unnecessary excitement . . . J.C. Marvin.'
J.C. Marvin was evidently an officer in the state militia.
Col. Borland moved his command from Pittman’s Ferry to Pocahontas and was sufficiently alarmed over the reports to issue a call for reinforcements from the militia on November 5. This call received almost as immediate response as the report of invasion in June, but Borland had serious misgivings about the whole situation. On November 10, he wrote to Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk, C.S.A., commanding the 1st Division Western Department. Columbus. Kentucky, and reported the forces at Pocahontas: Bor1ands own cavalry regiment of seven companies, Col. McCown’s five companies of infantry, Maj. Desha's four companies raw troops Capt. Robert artillery unit of 60 men but no guns and about 150 recruits brought by Maj. McCray - altogether about 1286 men. But of these, owing to sickness and casua1ties he said he could count on no more than 600 for fighting service, and all were "raw, inexperienced, poorly disciplined and indifferently armed." He told of his call for reinforcements from the militia and said the response was “somewhat tumultuous." On November 9, 1000 men had arrived unorganized and so ill-supplied with arms that be deemed it best to direct them to return home. They followed this direction and assured Borland that within a week lime he would have at least 3000 men at his command. He told them that companies thus organized and prepared would be received into service for 30 days from the time they reported again to him. Borland added a postscript to this letter, saying that he had just received a
report from his scouts that a Federal force of 7450 was between Reeve's Station
and Greenville in Missouri. He told Gen. Polk that the force he had was wholly insufficient for either attack or defense. It should be three times as large or be abandoned altogether; and finally he asked to be relieved of his command.
"It is a Brigadier’s command, and should have his responsibility, which I am daily growing more and more distrustful of my competency to sustain. Public interests here would be better provided for by other and abler hands.”
News of Borland’s call for volunteers and the resulting convergence upon Pocahontas was of course reported to other parts of the state. The Arkansas True Democrat of November 14 printed a dispatch from Des Arc dated November 9, 11:00 p.m.:
“The steamer Kanawa Valley left Jacksonport this morning and reports here that large numbers of men are flocking to Bor1ands aid. The Federal forces 7,000 strong are advancing on Pocahontas rapidly, and were expected to make an attack on the town to-day. There is a tremendous excitement throughout the country. The women and children are all being moved from Pocahontas and active preparations are making for a stern resistance to the invaders. Borland's command has retreated from Pittman's Ferry to within a mile of Pocahontas, where they have made a stand. This intelligence is perfectly reliable. J.C. Morrill."
The Kanawa Valley had left Jacksonport before Borland directed the volunteers to return to their homes, of course, and this is an example of how false rumors could be stated as fact in time of war. The suspense nevertheless was very real and some evacuation of civilians from Pocahontas had no doubt taken place. Among the 1000 volunteers who arrived at Pocahontas and returned home, there were four companies who organized the 1st Battalion, 2nd Arkansas Regiment, 30 Day Volunteers. Company A was entirely made up from Jackson County, under the command of Capt. John M. Miers. This company was organized at Jacksonport on November 1 8 and travel led by boat to Pocahontas, where it was mustered into Confederate service, receiving its discharge December 1 8, 1861.
Information written on the muster roll of this company, which is in the National Archives, states: 'Entitled to pay from date of muster to time set opposite their respective names, and to transportation and subsistence from Pocahontas to Jacksonport, 150 miles by water." Company D of this battalion was raised at Augusta by Capt. F.G. Shinpock and was mustered in at Pocahontas, serving from November 24 to December 18, 1861 . the muster rolls of Company A and Company D are given in the appendix. Many of these men later enlisted in other companies.
Another company of 30 day volunteers in response to Borland’s call was organized in Jackson County by Capt. Richard Hooker. This company was mustered into Confederate service November 29, and discharged December 28, 1861. Muster rolls for this period bear the remark: the men were armed with shotguns and borrowed sabers." Hooker's Company began as a cavalry unit, for the heading on the first muster roll is: Capt. Hooker's Company, Arkansas Mounted Volunteers, 30 days 1861, Confederate. They had evidently spent time training in camp at Jacksonport before going to Pocahontas.
In the report of purchases of army equipment at Jacksonport for the military board, R.R, Kellogg wrote on December 20:
“Jacksonport, Ark.
Col. G.W. Glenn.
Sir, Enclosed please find an Invoice of Goods by the Committee for Jackson County at this place - together with the receipts of all that we have distributed. The tents loaned to Hookers Company have been returned and are now subject to your order.”
Although Hooker's Company was originally organized for 30 day service, it was reorganized on February 26 by Capt. Hooker at Jacksonport and more men mustered into it. It figured prominently in the action around Jackson County in the spring and summer of 1862.
Brig. Gen. Theodore H. Phillips offered his services to Col. Borland, who welcomed his aid in the emergency. Phillips undertook the organization of the new 30 day volunteer companies into a brigade. He put in a requisition for camp equipment as follows:
“Requisition for Camp and Garrison Equipage viz: Four camp kettles. 4 ovens, lids and pot hooks, 4 coffee boilers, 15 tin cups. 25 tin plates. 4 mess Bins, 1 coffee mill, 6 spoons, 8 knives.
Requisition for forage for 8 horses, 96 lbs. of corn.
He added his explanation for the requisition: ‘In response to Col. Borland's call for militia service for 30 days. We have responded and entered service. [with] Capt. Ruffner. T.H. Phillips. Brig. Gen.” The receipt was dated Pocahontas November 23. 1861, and was signed by "T. H. Phillips, Brig. Gen. 8th Brigade of Arkansas Militia.”
Capt. Ruffner commanded a company of volunteers from the southern part of Lawrence County and evidently camped with Gen. Phillips. They remained at Pocahontas until the emergency was over and Col. Borland felt their service was no longer needed.