Eleanor,
In my personal studies and research I accumulate bits and pieces of information on quite a few regiments. I am posting a bit of an itinerary for this regiment for your information.
Please note, these are simply my own personal notes and not compiled for purposes of publication, just self gratification. Much of this information came from the Alexander Papers.
http://www.ozarkscivilwar.org/archives/4746
Tracking the 18th Texas Cavalry through July 1862
[All dates are for the year of 1862]
4/20 letter #103 -From wife at Dallas-My Dear Husband.............I hear that Darnell’s Regt has been stationed at Boggy Depot. If so, I hope we will hear from Bro. Nat regularly
5/20 The Semi-weekly Shreveport News -The different Regts composing the Bgde from Tex under command of Gen M.T. Johnson, have been ordered by Gen Roan to hasten to Little Rock.
Gen Johnson & his party left here on Monday, [5/19] on his way direct to report in person.
All of the Regts under his command with the exception of the first (at Corinth) are already either there or hastening on their route.
We last heard of Sweet's Regt between Pine Bluff & Little Rock, hastening to the latter place last Saturday.
Col Moore's Regt was at the same time at Camden, crossed the river there last Sunday & is no doubt at the Capital.
The remaining Regt, (Col Fitzhugh’s') have partially passed this place, six Co’s having gone through & the others are at this time in the neighborhood passing on.
We learn that Col N.H. Darnell's Regt (not yet attached to any Bgde,) is just behind the rear of Fitzhugh's & will soon be along.
Also the Regt of Col Burnett, from Crockett, cdg a Regt & a Bn, are on their march to Little Rock through this place. The probability is that several Infy Regts now raised in Tex will be directed here.
-Washington (Ark.) Telegraph.
6/8 Rust to Hindman from Searcy- It is difficult to understand the enemy. He has been making demonstrations at various points on Little Red today-Parsons remains near the enemy tonight & will attack them in the morning if I let him. Would to God I had Darnell & Sweet & one or two Infy Regts – those last two remain in our rear while we cut up the enemy if he is retreating & capture his ammunition & commissary stores. We must have a little ammunition if you can possibly send it up. & compel Darnell & Sweet to move immediately if they are still opposite Little Rock.
6/8 Hindman to Rust-had great difficulty getting Darnell & Sweet across the river, they ought to reach Searcy tonight I am making every effort to arm & equip my Infy
6/20 Hindman to Rust continuing to urge Darnell forward to Nelson aid
6/21 Hindman to Col Nelson-send Col Shoup back here & you assume command of the force at Devall’s Bluff & of 18th Tex Cav when it arrives, & proceed at once to organized them into a Bgde which will therefore be composed of:
Nelson’s Tex Infy
The 1st Trans Miss Infy (Col Pleasants)
Morgan’s Infy Bn
Darnell’s Tex Cav
Wheat’s Cav Co
Clay’s Cav Co
Daniels Btry - Light Arty
6/22 Hindman to Col Nelson-directs that you immediately place Col Daniel’s [Darnell’s] Regt in a camp of instruction to be drilled each day in Infy tactics. You will assign a competent officer to the duty, if there be none in the Regt versed in such tactics. The horses of the Regt must be grazed somewhere in the vicinity & as to be convenient for use when needed.
You can of course detail such number as you many required for duty as pickets, courier & etc. You will have daily recitation of the officers of the Regt, requiring a report from time to time showing the capacity & progress of each. He relies upon you to perfect it in the Infy drill as also in thorough discipline.
7/4 Hindman to Rust-the miserable mismanagement of my commissary compelled me to come here to keep the troops at Devall’s Bluff from starving I will get them some supplies tomorrow enough to prevent suffering
I ordered Johnson, McNeill, Matlock & Darnell to get in Curtis’ front & resist him & destroy country on his line of march
McBride says Cav reinforcements at Batesville to go to Curtis -it may come down on Chrisman but I doubt it may want to get a section of Woodruff to him in case
McRae at Des Arc with an Arty section-the Tom Sugg ready for service as a gun boat if manned & protected by cotton
7/4 Hindman to Col Nelson cdg Nelson Bgde Fort Hindman-Instruct Col Darnell to divide his command into detachments to go out & destroy food stuffs on enemy line of march. Others of our troops are doing the same thing
7/8 Hindman to Gen Rust and Capt Dunnington, Col Nelson-Devall’s Bluff, our position on White, no longer tenable and no value if we could hold it move from there with secrecy
7/8Hindman to Rust having immense problem with stragglers from the Tex mounted Regts. Best if you camp the Infantry and arty at Bayou Metoe and Cav about Brownsville-I shall be compelled to dismount them for lack of forage
7/9 Nelson’s Bgde pulls out of Devall’s Bluff and goes into camp Bayou Metoe, 12 miles from Little Rock
7/10 Hindman to Rust-your cavalry will be camped near Brownsville, the Infantry and arty to move to Bayou Metoe
7/11 Rust to Hindman – I am issuing some most necessary orders. I understand that all the troops on this side of the river are under my command. The troops will all get back here and as soon as I [can] will be dismounted and reorganized. I would recommend that a healthier place should be selected
7/12 by now, Daniel's Btry was in camp near Bayou Metoe
The winter in Ark found Daniel's Btry northeast of Little Rock in Prairie County, at what they called the Austin Camps. Wright visited frequently in the city, and wrote several letters back to his family.
http://gen.1starnet.com/civilwar/chapt17.htm
7/13 Rust to Hindman-McRae’s Bgde and Woodruff’s Btry left for Little Rock this morning Col Nelson’s Bgde with Daniel’s Btry will march in the morning as the dismounted Texans and Pratt’s Btry.
7/14 Hindman to Rust, Brownsville-you are right about difficulty to find suitable camp ground anywhere here and you have to dig wells; on the other hand if we move them to Saline then hauling supplies is hard. We can discuss when you get here
McRae to camp his Infantry on north side of river in lower edge of town and ...put Nelson's Infantry at Cunningham's Lake- It will be necessary to find a camp for the dismtd men somewhere on north side of river...
7/16 the 18th Tex Cav was dismounted by Hindman's order
7/17 S O #36 Army of the South West- Col Hawpe cdg Tex Regt now at this place will move with his command to Fort Smith & report to Col Carroll cdg NW Ark
Col Darnell cdg Regt Tex Cav will detail 41 men to carry horses of his Regt to Tex
Col Gregg cdg Fitzhugh Regt will detail 76 men on same service
7/18 Hindman to Col Darnell cdg, etc.-Move with your Regt, Fitzhugh’s, and Sweet’s Regt tomorrow to the new camp Crystal Hill 12 miles above Little Rock on east side of river. The Major of Fitzhugh’s Regt is now at this camp and has been directed by Genl. Hindman to report to you tonight, and conduct you to the place.
7/19 Special Orders #38 Army of the South West- Col Darnell to exercise command of the Tex troops at Crystal Hill till further orders-officers of Rust’s staff to continue on duty and report to Col Darnell
In late July, these four Cavalry Regts [14th, 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Tex Cav Regts] were brigaded with the 10th Texas Infantry, and moved to Camp Crystal Hill, just north of Little Rock, AR. They remained there only a few weeks before yet another move was ordered, to Camp Hope near Austin, AR, where the water was better. The fall and winter of 1862 brought an end to the dry spell, but little improvement in the condition of the troops, and many died of disease, primarily pneumonia.
7/23 Hindman to Col Sweet cdg 15th Tex Cav -Immediately dismount your Regt & send horses home. After so doing, you move at once to the new camp Crystal Hill & report to Col Darnell
7/23 Hindman to Col Shoup AAG -go tomorrow am to Crystal Hill & inspect the Regts of: Darnell, Fitzhugh, & Taylor
Reduce their transportation to the standard as well as horses for staff-excess to be brought here to QM by a detail from Col McRae’s Bgde. Get written certification from Col Darnell than there are no horses above those allowed kept in the vicinity by any one of his Bgde
8/1 N.H. Darnell, cdg a Tex Bgde at Crystal Hill to Gen Hindman, making recommendations for appointments --[typescript] (Box 1) /1 N.H. Darnell, cdg a Tex Bgde at Crystal Hill [Ark], to Gen Hindman, making recommendations for appointments [typescript] (Box 1)-Ark History Commission