The 8th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (1863–1865) was a Confederate Army cavalry regiment during the American Civil War. The regiment was designated at various times as Newton's Regiment Arkansas Cavalry, Morgan's Regiment Arkansas Cavalry, 2nd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry, and the 5th Regiment Arkansas Cavalry. [1]
The 8th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, originally the 5th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, was organized in the spring of 1863. Attached to J. G. Walker's Division, it skirmished at Helena, Brownsville, Bayou Fourche and Pine Bluff. Later it was reorganized as Morgan's Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. In the spring of 1864, it was assigned to Cabell's brigade and fought at Poison Spring and Marks' Mills where it lost 18 percent of the 130 engaged. It took part in Price's 1864 Missouri expedition and disbanded prior to the June 1865 surrender
The Second Cavalry Regiment was organized during the early spring of 1862 after the Battle of Shiloh using Phifer's Arkansas Cavalry Battalion as its nucleus. Many of the men were from Drew and Dallas counties. The unit served in the Army of the West and the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, and took an active part in the conflicts at the Battle of Britton's Lane, Battle of Iuka, Second Battle of Corinth, and Battle of Hatchie's Bridge. Later it was assigned to W.A. Crawford's, J.C. Wright's, and W.F. Slemon's Brigade in the Trans-Mississippi Department.
The Fifth Cavalry Regiment was organized from the Second Cavalry Regiment during the early spring of 1863. After fighting at Battle of Poison Spring, the regiment participated in Price's Missouri Raid and was captured at the Battle of Mine Creek on October 25, 1864. Its commanders were Colonel W.F. Slemons, Lieutenant Colonels Thomas M. Cockran and H. A. Withers, and Majors T.J. Reid and William J. Somervell.
Attached to J.G. Walker's Division, Trans-Mississippi Department, the unit skirmished at Helena, Brownsville, Bayou Fourche, and Pine Bluff. Later it was reorganized as Morgan's Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. Its commanders were Colonel Robert C. Newton, Lieutenant Colonel J.P. Bull, and Major John Smith.
The commanders of the 8th Cavalry include W. A. Bevens, Thomas J. Morgan, and Robert C. Newton.
The unit was composed of companies from the following counties:
Company A – Van Buren County and Jackson County
Company B – Jefferson County
Company C – Independence County
Company D – Sharp County
Company e - Conway County
Company F – Independence County
Company G – Fulton County
Company H – Independence County and Izard County
Company I - Mississippi County
Company K – Van Buren County
Company L – Van Buren County
The unit served in General Cabell's Brigade, Trans-Mississippi Department, and fought in the following engagements:
Battle of Poison Spring, Arkansas, April 18, 1864. General William Lewis Cabell report of the battle states that this unit killed "at least eighty Negroes". Battle of Marks' Mills, Arkansas, April 25, 1864
Price's Missouri Raid, Arkansas-Missouri-Kansas, September, 1864
Battle of Westport, Westport, Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri, October 23, 1864
Battle of Marais des Cygnes, Linn County, Kansas , October 25, 1864
This regiment surrendered at various places, but primarily at Jacksonport, Arkansas.