The History & Men of Arkansas Cavalry
in the Civil War
Arkansas mounted units consisted of three types, Cavalry, Mounted Infantry, and Partisan Rangers. Cavalry forces fought principally on horseback, armed with carbines, pistols, and especially sabers. Only a small percentage of Arkansas mounted forces met this definition. Some Arkansas Confederate regiments carried shotguns, especially early in the war. Due to a lack of appropriate weapons and training in actual cavalry tactics, most Arkansas horsesoldiers were actually Mounted Infantry. Mounted Infantry moved on horseback but dismounted for fighting on foot, armed principally with rifles. In the second half of the war, most of the units considered to be cavalry actually fought battles using the tactics of mounted infantry. Irregular forces (partisan rangers or guerrillas) were generally mounted forces. There is little commonality as to their weapons—in general, any available were used.
While the concept of a mounted infantry force able to move quickly from point to point and fight as infantry seemed appealing, especially to new recruits, it proved to come at significant costs. Logistically a mounted force was much more costly to sustain and the units themselves tended to be less effective in the actual war effort than standard infantry formations.
Due to severe drought in Arkansas in 1862 and 1863, forage for horses became increasing scares and led to calls from multiple Confederate commanders to dismount the mounted units. Multiple Confederate commanders lamented the fact that the country had been "eaten out" by cavalry. General Hindman at one point stated:
cavalry duty could be performed by the independent companies of the Provost Marshall just as well and cheaper than the worthless, marauding, eating hordes of cavalry wandering the area.
Mounted infantry, while theoretically more maneuverable, were in practice less disciplined and less reliable than the standard infantry formation. Confederate commanders, especially in the Department of the Trans-Mississippi regularly bemoaned the fact that most recruits wanted to "jine the cavalry" as opposed to infantry. Confederate commanders often suggested dismounting cavalry and mounted infantry units in order to man infantry units and this happened to several Arkansas units that served in the Army of Tennessee.
I respectfully request that the department commander refuse all further recruiting for cavalry at once. So long as it is permitted it will be impossible to raise an infantry force which is so much needed now and the present cavalry force is more than ample to eat out all the forage of the country I should be pleased to have a cavalry regiment if it could be obtained but I have seen none throughout the war -I have not seen a cavalry officer who was a sufficient swordsmen to unfix a bayonet nor a single private who could go thru the manual of the saber nor have I seen on this side of the Mississippi 20 privates who were armed with the saber. Very few have carbines or saddle holsters for pistols and still less with the necessary dragoon equipments. If the C.S.A. is unable to furnish cavalry armed educated and equipped as above I am strongly of the opinion that all with shotguns and rifles in their hands should be dismounted excepting enough for scout and picket duty and put the remainder in the line as infantry.....
The continued organization of more and more mounted units, and the retention of so many others, in the Department of the Trans-Mississippi seem to defy prevailing military wisdom. The last standard infantry regiment formed in Arkansas during the war was the 39th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, formed in 1862. After 1862 all new organizations were mounted infantry
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