"Our first quarters were at Pocohontas (sic), where many of our comrades died with measles.
February 2, 1862, we took a small boat-one company at a time down Black River to Jacksonport, where we took a larger vessel down White River and up the Mississippi to Memphis. Thence by rail we went to Tuscumbia, Ala., where we remained until just before the battle of Shiloh, when we were sent to Corinth, Miss. After the terrible battle of Shiloh the Eighth Arkansas Regiment and the Seventh Battalion were consolidated. Lieut. W.F. Gibson was elected captain of my company (I)."