Category: Stories

The Tenth Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized at Springfield in Conway County in July 1861. This is where many volunteers from Van Buren County (Eastern Van Buren County later became Cleburne) were mustered into the Confederate Army.

Company “A,” known as “Quitman Rifles,” was headed by Captain A. R. Witt. Other officers were First Lt. W. W. Martin, Second Lt. C. M. Cargile, Third Lt. Israel Davis, and First Sergeant W. R. Corbin. The company had eight non-commissioned officers and 94 men in all.

Company “G” was called “Red River Riflemen.” Officers were Captain John B. Miller, First Lt. James E. Lockard, Second Lt. Henry J. Gatton, Third Lt. Edwin Ellis, and First Sergeant Daniel Johnson. This company with ten non-commissioned officers had 91 men.

Other companies in the regiment were the “Randy Rifles,” the “Choctaw Riflemen” from Conway County, “Pemberton’s Company,” “Muddy Bayou Heroes,” “Perry County Mountaineers”, “Conway Tigers,” and “Springfield Sharpshooters.”

Field and staff officers for the Tenth were Colonel T. D. Merrick, Lt. Col. S. S. Ford, Major Obed Patty, and Adjutant Robert C. Bertrand.

 

In the beginning of the conflict between the states most of the people in this area went about their business as usual. Since most of them had migrated from southern states they were in touch with relatives "back home" where the war was more active and news of the fighting filtered into the area and interest began to build as the war effort moved on.

Reprinted from Wolf Bayou and Healing Springs Township by Louie Clark, with permission