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Re: 6th Regt Tx Infantry
In Response To: Re: 6th Regt Tx Infantry ()

Gary

I sort of figured that was your source. I have seen this error repeated many time.

Appearently Sifakis became confused by the situation and events which followed the abandonment of the Trans-Mississippi department by it's Commander Earl Van Dorn and his Army in April of 1862.

It seems that Van Dorn had ordered all viable military Units in the Trans_Mississppi to follow him to Mississippi. This was the case with the 12th (Parson's) Texas Cavalry. And probably was the case with the 6th (Garland's) Texas Infantry. The problem was that obeying such an order meant the totally abandonment of Arkansas and its Capital (Little Rock) to the 12,000 man Union Army Under Gen. Samuel Curtis, then at Batesville, Arkansas, 100 miles to the northeast of Little Rock.

The Governor of Arkansas, Henry M. Rector, threaten to secede from the Confederacy if there were not southern troops sent to the state for it defence. And issued orders stopping all Texas Unit, then heading to Mississippi, to join Van Dorn, to remain in Arkansas and start the reorganization of a Confederate Army in the Trans-Mississippi Department to resist Gen Curtis advance on Little Rock. Hence, Colonel Garland's 6th Texas Infantry was stopped, in its journey to join with Van Dorns command, At Camp Texas, Benton Arkansas 20 miles southwest of Little Rock.

This process was basically the same for most of the other Texas Regiments, Cavalry and Infantry, which found their way to Arkansas, and later comprised Gen Nelson's and later John G. Walker's Texas Division.

The short story of all of this is that while there was much talk, plans and even orders for the Colonel Garland and his Regiment and later his Brigade to cross the Mississippi River for various reasons, The fact is that neither Colonel Garland, nor his 6th Texas Infantry ever crossed the Mississippi River until they boarded the Union Transports as Prisoners of War, headed to Union Military Prisons after the battle of Arkansas Post, January 11th 1863.

I hope that this will aid others who are looking for Texas Units a basic outline of activities in Arkansas during a very critical period of time in the reorganization of the Trans Mississippi Army in Mid 1862.

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