Bryan

Don't get me wrong. I have no doubts about your "Presumes" and "About". They are more accurate than most others "facts".

As I said, I am not sure that this "75 men per company" organizational order was not unique to Dawson's 19th, Portlock's 24th and Crawford's Battalion at White Sulphur Springs? Or was it a general application to any other regimental organizations in the Trans-Mississippi?

I am sure that the Army regulations applied and were enforced east of the Mississippi River. And applied to Arkansas regiment organized in 1861 that were transferred east of the Mississipi River to Virginia and other parts, along with Van Dorn's Army of the West.

But the Conscript Act in April 1862 seems to have been a game changer, along with Van Dorn's abandonment of the West after Pea Ridge. The general attitude after that seemed to be more about raiseing men and units for the defence of the homelands rather than careing very much about "Confederate Army regulation". That is what makes me wonder if the 75 man organization order was not more a general order in the Trams Mississippi rather than just pertaining to Dawson's Arkansas Brigade reorganization.

As I said Southeast Arkansas seems to have been bled dry of recruits by the time mid summer 1862 came about. Both Porlock's 24th and William Crawford' Battallion seemed to have a hard time filling out their quota of men. It does not seem like Portlock's 24th Ar. would have reached it required enrollment without the heavily overstrenght 19th Ar. which had reached White Sulphur Springs after an extended period in their home countys recruiting under the Conscript Act authority.

Likewise Crawford's Battalion seems to have been made up of only one company of conscript recruits from Jefferson County, and an extra company from Grinstead's 33rd Ar. and was not able to fill its ranks to regimental strengh with further recruits. Grinstead's 33rd Ar. had been reduced by these orders from 11 companies to the regulation 10 companies and I am not sure that even they were the Regulation muster of 100 men per company.

When you go through the muster rolls and the dates of enlistment none of these companys seem to add up to the regulation muster.