1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Crawford's)

The Crawford's 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (1863–1865) was a Confederate Army cavalry regiment during the American Civil War. Officially designated by the State Military Board as the 10th Regiment Arkansas Cavalry, it was almost never referred to as such during the Civil War. It was generally referred to in contemporary documents as Crawford’s 1st Arkansas Cavalry. The Compiled Service Records of the men are archived under 1st (Crawford’s) Arkansas Cavalry, Rolls 1 and 2.

Organization

The unit was enrolled in Confederate Service on December 30, 1863 at Camden, Arkansas. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following Southern Arkansas counties:

:*Company A – was organized at Camden, Arkansas, on January 12, 1863, by Captain John Wesley Walker. The company was composed primarily of men from Ouachita county, and operated as an independent cavalry company throughout 1863. On December 30, 1863, upon the organization of Crawford’s Regiment, the company was assigned as Company A, and Captain Walker was elected major. He was succeeded as captain by John C. Peoples. One muster roll for Company A survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Cut Off, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company B – was organized at Benton, Arkansas, on March 26, 1863, by Captain Mark S. Miller. The company was composed primarily of men from Saline county, and operated as an independent cavalry company throughout 1863. One muster roll for Company B survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, and bears the following notation: “This Company since its organization has been scouting almost all the time, part of the time in the mountains after Jayhawkers. Has had several skirmishes with the Jayhawkers and Robbers without the loss of a man. Had an engagement with the Federals near Princeton, Ark. on the 8th of Dec. 1863 in which we lost 1 Officer and twelve men captured and were forced to retreat on account of superior numbers against us.”

:*Company C – was organized at Lewisville, Arkansas, on July 7, 1863, by Captain Richard B. Ford. The company was composed primarily of men from Lafayette county, and operated as an independent cavalry company throughout 1863. One muster roll for Company C survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Monticello, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company D – was organized at Camden, Arkansas, on September 26, 1863, by Captain Holly Brooks Wilkinson. The company was composed primarily of men from Ouachita county, and initially operated as an independent cavalry company. One muster roll for Company D survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Monticello, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company E – was organized at Magnolia, Arkansas, on September 19, 1863, by Captain Dawson Lee Killgore. The company was composed primarily of men from Columbia county, and initially operated as an independent cavalry company. On December 30, 1863, upon the organization of Crawford’s Regiment, Captain Killgore was elected lieutenant-colonel. He was succeeded as captain by John C. Henderson. One muster roll for Company E survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Cut Off, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company F – was organized at El Dorado, Arkansas, on October 6, 1863, by Captain John D. Holloway. The company was composed primarily of men from Union county, and initially operated as an independent cavalry company. One muster roll for Company F survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Cut Off, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company G – was organized in Saline county, Arkansas, on December 9, 1863, by Captain Isaac Harrison. The company was composed primarily of men from Saline county, and initially operated as an independent cavalry company. One muster roll for Company G survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Cut Off, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company H – was organized in Clark county, Arkansas, on December 24, 1863, by Captain H. W. McMillan. The company was composed primarily of men from Clark county. One muster roll for Company H survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Monticello, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company I – was organized in Union county, Arkansas, on December 5, 1863, by Captain Lewis H. Sheppard. The company was composed primarily of men from Union county. One muster roll for Company I survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Cut Off, Drew county, Arkansas.

:*Company K – Company K was organized at Arkadelphia, Arkansas, on December 15, 1863, by Captain John D. McCabe. The company was composed primarily of men from Clark county. One muster roll for Company K survives. It covers the period January 1 to February 29, 1864, when the company was stationed at Monticello, Drew county, Arkansas.

Later, two additional companies were attached to the regiment, but no muster rolls for these companies have been located.

:*Company L — organized in Lafayette county.

:*Company M — company was organized in Prairie county.

The Field Officers were:

:*Colonel William A. Crawford.

:*Lieutenant Colonel Dawson Lee Killgore.

:*Major John Wesley Walker.

:*Surgeon William Thompson.

Battles

Crawford’s Cavalry was assigned to Fagan’s Cavalry Division of the Trans-Mississippi Army, brigaded with Wright’s cavalry regiment and Poe’s and McMurtrey’s cavalry battalions. It was ACTIVE in the battles associated with the Camden Expedition in the Spring of 1864, and was heavily engaged in the many battles of Price’s Missouri Campaign in the Fall of 1864. The following notation appeared on the Field and Staff muster roll for the period ended February 29, 1864, stationed at Cut Off, Drew county, Arkansas:

The Crawford's 1st Arkansas Cavalry was involved in the following engagements:

:*Red River Campaign, Arkansas, Mar-May, 1864.

::*Battle of Mt Elba, Arkansas, March 29, 1864.

::*Battle of Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas, April 30, 1864.

::*Battle of Poison Spring, Arkansas, April 18, 1864.

::*Battle of Marks' Mills, Arkansas, April 25, 1864.

:*Price's Missouri Raid, Arkansas-Missouri-Kansas, September–October, 1864.

::*Battle of Fort Davidson, Missouri, September 27, 1864.

::*Fourth Battle of Boonville, Missouri, October 11, 1864.

::*Battle of Glasgow, Missouri, October 15, 1864.

::*Battle of Sedalia, Missouri, October 15, 1864.

::*Second Battle of Lexington, Missouri, October 19, 1864.

::*Battle of Little Blue River, Missouri, October 21, 1864.

::*Second Battle of Independence, Missouri, October 21–22, 1864.

::*Battle of Byram's Ford, Missouri, October 22–23, 1864.

::*Battle of Westport, Missouri, October 23, 1864.

::*Battle of Marais des Cygnes, Linn County, Kansas, October 25, 1864.

::*Battle of Mine Creek, Missouri, October 25, 1864.

::*Battle of Marmiton River, Missouri, October 25, 1864.

::*Second Battle of Newtonia, Missouri, October 28, 1864.

Surrender

Crawford’s Cavalry was included in the general surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Army on May 26, 1865.

See also

• List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
• Lists of American Civil War Regiments by State
• Confederate Units by State
• Arkansas in the American Civil War
• Arkansas Militia in the Civil War

Bibliography

• Crawford, Sybil F. “Science Takes a Look: William A. Crawford’s Burial Vault.” The Saline 20 (April 2005): 19–32.
• Rushing, Anthony C. "Rackensacker Raiders: Crawford's First Arkansas Cavalry." Civil War Regiments, I (1991): 44-69.
• Williams, Charles G., ed. “A Saline Guard: The Civil War Letters of Col. William Ayers Crawford, C.S.A., 1861–1865.” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 31 (Winter 1972): 328–355.
• Williams, Charles G., ed. “A Saline Guard: The Civil War Letters of Col. William Ayers Crawford, C.S.A., 1861–1865, Part II.” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 32 (Spring 1973): 71–93.