In the fall of 1861, the Confederacy was in need of more soldiers. Lt. Thomas H. McCray of the Fifth Arkansas was sent to recruit men from the north central part of the state--Conway, Independence, Jackson, Pope, Van Buren, and Yell Counties. By February, 1862, the Thirty-first Infantry was formed. The unit participated in the sieges of Corinth and Jackson, the Kentucky campaign, the battles of Chickamauga, Franklin, and Nashville, the Atlanta campaign. The regiment's story is told from scraps of information found in service records, excerpts from the official records, and letters and diaries of the soldiers and officers. The author, Ronald R. Bass, is a descendant of Captain William Cullum of Company D of the Thirty-first Infantry. He has written an interesting, straightforward regimental history. A roster of the soldiers is included with details about when and where each man enlisted, his birthplace, occupation, personal description, and service record. A bibliography, endnotes, 15 maps, and index assist the reader.