Red River Campaign/Civil War

Red River Sections
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THIRD ARKANSAS CAVALRY COMPANY OFFICERS

I COMPANY

Capt. Archibald D. Napier
1st Lt. Wallace H. Hickox
Capt. William Williams
Lt. William L. Conley

K COMPANY

Major David Hamilton (Transferred to Staff)
Lt. Joseph L. Koonce (Transfer from 3rd Illinois Cav.)
1st Lt. John W. Jay

L COMPANY

Capt. Anthony Hinkel
Lt. Madison Moore
Lt. William A. Lennox (Transfer from 3 Michigan Cav.)

M COMPANY

Capt. Benjiman F. Taylor
1st Lt. Darwin E. Hand
1st Lt. William H. Lee

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THIRD ARKANSAS CAVALRY

COMPANY F

Captain Bright W. Herring

1st Lt. John M. Wishard
2nd Lt. Hiram Dacus

Sgt. John T. Briggs
Sgt. Erastus Foster, Duty Sgt.
Sgt. Clarence E. Haney, 3rd Duty Sgt
Sgt. Elisha A. Johnson
Sgt. Milander F. McCurley

Cpl. James M. Cook
Cpl. Thomas Choate

William Dacus, Bugler
Lewis Miller, Saddler

PRIVATES

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THIRD ARKANSAS CAVALRY

COMPANY F

PRIVATES

Trobaugh, Dabiel A.
White, Francis
Williams, Lewis
Woodward, Ripley J.
Wysinger, James E.

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OPERATIONAL AREA

THIRD ARKANSAS CAVALRY

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FIRST RIDES, JANUARY - MARCH, 1864

Muster Rolls for Company F, 3rd Arkansas Cavalry, for January, February and March, 1864, indicate the James S. Nunnally, Jr. was present for duty, and was due pay for his horse and horse equipment from the 4th October 1863 to date.

Units of the 3rd Arkansas Cavalry were already in the field, as a report dated February 5, 1864, by Capt. Albert B. Kaufman, 11th Missouri Cavalry, of an expedition by his unit from Bates-vill to Searcy Landing, Ark. indicates. Extract from this report:

Batesville, Ark. Feb. 5, 1864

" Sir: In accordance with instructions from Headquarters District of Northeastern Arkansas, I left Batesville with a detachment of Eleventh Missouri Cavalry Volunteers, 75 men, at 11 P.M., January 30. Crossing White River at this point, I took the Jacksonport Road to McGuire's Place; thence South along Dupartee Creek to Grand Glaize, arriving at the Glaize about sundown the 31st. I remained at the Glaize about two hours, until Capt. Castle arrived with a detachment of the Eleventh Missouri and Third Arkansas, under Capt. Dunscomb, who had left Batesville at the same time I did, but marched by way of Jacksonport. Capt. Castle on his way down captured two prisoners, one a river pilot, whom he brought with him. Taking command of both detachments, I at once marched for the point indicated in your instructions, on Glaize Creek, the supposed camp of McRae, with intentions of attacking his camp at daybreak, but owing to the swollen conditions of the streams and the difficulties encountered in crossing the Dupartee, I did not reach his supposed camp until 8 A.M. February 1. I found his camp broken up, and learned he had left some two days previous, marching in the direction of Denmark. His camp did not indicate more than 30 or 40 men, and were said to be Little's Company. As Capt. Dunscomb, with Detachment of the 3rd Arkansas, was to proceed to Little Rock, I detailed Capt. Castle, with detachment of Eleventh Missouri, to proceed with him as far as Searcy Landing. With my detachment I moved up to Denmark, where I bivouacked for the night. The next morning I moved West to the Little Rock road, where I learned that a detachment had passed during the night from Batesville. Taking their trail, I moved down the Rock road to within five miles of Searcy Landing, where I met the detachment under Capt. Castle returning. From him I learned that the troops that preceeded me were of the First Nebraska and had joined Capt. Dunscomb, Third Arkansas, and were sufficient to go through.."

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Capt. Kaufman moved on and engaged some of the enemy, and determined to return to Batesville. Although he indicated that Dunscomb and the Third Arkansas detachment had departed earlier, he adds later in his report:

" .... Two horses were abandoned on the road from exhaustion and were not able to be brought back. One lieutenant of Little's Company and 11 prisoners were captured, and several horses, which were turned over to the provost-marshal. The lieutenant and 2 of the prisoners were captured by Capt. Dunscomb, Third Arkansas.......

Captain Leander S. Dunscomb was commander of G Company, 3rd Arkansas Cavalry. There is no size of the detachment he commanded, but I assume it to have been in Company strength, as a Major would have commanded a battalion. This is the first scout that the regiment was engaged in and took place some 70 miles northeast of Little Rock on the White River.

Other units of the regiment were busy elsewhere. Capt. Charles Galloway, commander of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry (U.S.A.) made a report from Fayetteville, Ark,, February 21, 1864,

EXTRACT

" ... On the 27th, six companies of the Third Arkansas Cavalry came in from Dover, and reported having found Colonel Witt (CSA) with 400 men running from our command, and that he was pursued by them across the Arkansas River below Clarksville. On the 29th Ultimo Capt. Human, with Eighth Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, was ordered back to Marshall Prarie; the Third moved back to Dover.....

This detachment of the Third Arkansas would have been a battalion plus two companies. The other two were probably at Lewisburg, where headquarters were being set up. The location is some 80 miles Northwest of Little Rock, and in an area which was to become the main operational area of two battalions of the Third Arkansas. The other battalion remained at Little Rock for the present time.

Lt. Col. J. W. Fuller was now placed in command of the post at Lewisburg. He received the following instructions from his Headquarters at Little Rock:

Headquarters Detach., 7th Army Corp
Little Rock, Ark., March 30, 1864

Lt. Col. J.W. Fuller
Third Arkansas Cavalry, Commg., Post, Lewisburg

The General commanding directs that you throughly scout the country towards Searcy and northerly and northeasterly from your post, and that you use the upmost vigilance in guarding the telegraph line from destruction by

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guerrilla raids, and that the greatest promptness in affording every facility in your power for it's repair when broken. You will arrest every person found outside of his camp, if in Federal uniform, and cause him to account to you satisfactorily for his absence. You will arrest all suspicious persons. The general desires you to inform him as soon as practicable, by telegraph or otherwise, if Major Van Houten is with you, that he may be assigned to the command of the post of Dardanelle.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E.D. MASON
Assistant Adjutant-General

From this order it seems that the command was to be further broken down with one battalion to be sent to Dardanelle. The next day Lt. Colonel Fuller sent a reply:

HEADQUARTERS POST
Lewisburg, Ark., April 1, 1864

Capt. E. D. Mason, Asst. Adjutant General

Sir: In obedience to General Orders, No. 26, headquarters detachment Seventh Army Corps, Department of Arkansas, Little Rock, March 24, 1864, I have the honor to forward the enclosed report (Note, this has not been located) of my command, located at this post, and respectfully submit the following information regarding matters at this point and surrounding counties: I relieved Lt. Col. Wells 50th Indiana Infantry, at this post, agreeably to General Orders, No. 26, Headquarters, Seventh Army Corps, Department of Arkansas, March 11, 1864, having as my command two battalions of the Third Arkansas Cavalry. There being a large amount of Government cotton at the Armstrong and Carrol plantations, 6 miles west of Lewisburg, on the river, I was obliged to station one squadron at these points for it's protection. There was also a fine grist and saw mill stationed on Cadron River, 15 miles East of Lewisburg, 1 mile from the Arkansas, from which the troops stationed had derived a large amount of breadstuffs, and knowing the disadvantages attending the transportation of subsistence stores from Little Rock I deemed it advisable to squadron a garrison at this point, leaving me six squadrons to garrison this point.

I found on my arrival many destitute families in this locality, the majority of them unable to provide for themselves. These I have assisted as far as in my power. My command has been kept actively employed in scouting the country for a distance of from 60 to 120 miles north and west, some of the expeditions having had engagements with the guerrillas, resulting in nearly every instance to our advantage The country

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from and above Little Red River to across the Boston Mountains is in a very desolate, unsettled state, full of bushwhackers, thieves and rebel sympathizers. There are numerous bands of guerrillas in the mountains reported to be detachments from General McRae's command, who is stationed near White River with a force of about 600 or 700. These detachments, in numbers of from 20 to 50, are constantly scouring the country in that locality, committing every dep­redation devisable by the human mind, and, being well mounted, having a thorough knowledge of the country and very many sympathizers and friends, are almost impossible to reach by any scout from this point of such numbers as I am able to send, my picket, provost, and fatigue duty being so heavy that one squadron is all that I can spare at any one time. I shall use my upmost endeavors to protect all loyal citizens in every pursuit, and also to bring to justice every enemy of the Government, and any information gained shall be promptly furnished you.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

I. W. FULLER
Lt. Col., Commanding Post

If Lt. Col. Fuller seems pessimistic, it was with good reason. He was responsible for a large area, and had only two battalions. Somewhere to the south was a Confederate army of some 15,000 to 20,000 with capable commanders such as Shelby, Cabell and Gano. In the surrounding mountains there were band of Confederate guerrillas, sometimes in uniform and sometimes not. They operated in small units, struck hard and vanished into the mountains. It was not unknown for them to sometimes wear Federal uniforms. Then there were the "bushwackers" and outlaws. These were simply criminals who took advantage of the fact that most able bodied men were gone to the army. The plundered, robbed and murdered both Union and Confederate families. They might be wearing uniforms of either side, and they struck fear into the population. Civil law and order was gone.

Mr. Alexander Turrentine of Russellville, wrote in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly:

"..My grandfather died during the Civil War leaving a widow and large family living in a farm in Yell County, Arkansas. Conditions in Yell County were becoming very bad. There were Federal soldiers in Clarksville and Lewisburg. There were bands of Confederates south of the river (Arkansas) and skirmishes and raids were frequent; but the terrors of the countryside were the "bushwackers" - gangs of petty thieves and outlaws who were taking advantage of the situation to pillage the countryside. Grandmother hid everything possible, but Bushwackers found and took most of it. Feed, food, horses, guns, money, jewelry, table silver - all were taken..."

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The above research, written by Paul P. Steed, Jr. is entitled Arkansas Fed.

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