The 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, also known as "Slemons' regiment," was a cavalry formation of the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War commanded by Colonel William F. Slemons. The regiment was also referred to in the official records as the 4th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. Another regiment, commanded by Colonel Thomas J. Morgan, was also designated as the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. About December 1864, the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment was reduced to a battalion and officially redesignated the 18th Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, also known as "McMurtrey's battalion".Howerton, Bryan R.; "Re: McMurtrey's Cav Battalion-Bryan H.", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 19 April 2007, Accessed 23 December 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=15434

Organization The 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment was originally organized as the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Battalion at Memphis, Tennessee, in early April 1862, just after the Battle of Shiloh, from five independent cavalry companies from southern Arkansas:.Howerton, Bryan R., "Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, CSA", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 30 January 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2batcavs.html

Company A — This cavalry company was organized by Captain Alexander Mason at Hampton, Calhoun County, Arkansas, on February 20, 1862. When the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was formed at Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1862, Mason's troop was designated as Company A. Captain Mason resigned on May 12, 1862, and was succeeded by Captain Philip Henry Echols. On May 15, 1862, the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was combined with the Sixth Arkansas Cavalry Battalion to form the Second Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, with the Calhoun County Troop becoming Company H. During the regimental reorganization on August 18, 1862, the company's designation was changed to Company G.Howerton, Bryan R., "Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, CSA, Company A", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 30 January 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2batcava.html Company B — This cavalry company was organized by Captain Elisha L. McMurtrey at Mount Elba, Bradley County, Arkansas, on February 22, 1862. When the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was formed at Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1862, McMurtrey's troop was designated as Company B. On May 15, 1862, the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was combined with the Sixth Arkansas Cavalry Battalion to form the Second Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, with the Bradley County Troop becoming Company D.Howerton, Bryan R., "Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, CSA, Company B", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 30 January 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2batcavb.html Company C — This cavalry company was organized by Captain William Jones Somervell, at Tulip, Dallas County, Arkansas, on March 1, 1862. When the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was formed at Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1862, Somervell's troop was designated as Company C. On May 15, 1862, the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was combined with the Sixth Arkansas Cavalry Battalion to form the Second Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, with Somervell's troop becoming Company E. During the regimental reorganization on August 18, 1862, the Ashley County Troop, Company F, always an understrength unit that was never able to recruit enough men to maintain a full company, was consolidated into this company.Howerton, Bryan R., "Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, CSA, Company C", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 30 January 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2batcavc.html Company D — This cavalry company was organized by Captain J. N. Paine at Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas, on March 1, 1862. When the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was formed at Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1862, Paine's troop was designated as Company D. On May 15, 1862, the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was combined with the Sixth Arkansas Cavalry Battalion to form the Second Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, with the Jefferson County Troop becoming Company G. During the regimental reorganization on August 18, 1862, this company was redesignated as Company F.Howerton, Bryan R., "Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, CSA, Company D", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 30 January 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2batcavd.html Company E—This cavalry company was organized by Captain Obediah B. Tebbs, a veteran of the famous Third Arkansas Infantry Regiment, at Hamburg, Ashley County, Arkansas, on March 24, 1862. When the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was formed at Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1862, Tebbs' troop was designated as Company E.

Some of these companies appear to have been involved in the Battle of Shiloh as independent units, prior to being assigned to the Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, but few details are available. In a letter from Company D's Lt. Walter Greenfield to his wife on April 11, 1862, from his encampment near Shiloh, Greenfield writes:

Upon the organization of the battalion, Major William D. Barnett, a 36-year-old physician from Bradley County, Arkansas, was assigned as the commanding officer. The only other member of the battalion field and staff who can be identified was Assistant Surgeon Thomas W. Hurley, a 26-year-old physician from Calhoun County, Arkansas. The organization of the battalion was apparently marred by an alleged mutiny. The following report appears in the official record:

It is unclear just what the circumstances of the alleged mutiny were, or how it was resolved, but on May 15, 1862, this battalion was consolidated with the 6th Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Major Charles W. Phifer) at Corinth, Mississippi, to form the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment.

On May 15, 1862, the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Battalion was combined with the 6th Arkansas Cavalry Battalion to form the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, During the regimental reorganization on August 18, 1862, the chronically-understrength Company F (formerly Co. E, Second Battalion) was consolidated into Company E (formerly C, Second Battalion), and Companies G and H were redesignated as Companies F and G, respectively.Howerton, Bryan R., "Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, CSA, Company E", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 30 January 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2batcave.html

The 6th Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (also sometimes known as the 1st, Phifer's, White's and McNeill's Battalion) was organized in August 1861 at Pocahontas, Arkansas, originally composed of four Arkansas companies and two Louisiana companies, which were consolidated about April 20, 1862, into two Arkansas companies and one Louisiana company. The companies of the former 6th Battalion became Companies A-B-C and the companies of the former 2nd Battalion became Companies D-E-F-G-H of the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment.

The new regiment was placed under the command of Colonel William F. Slemons. The other field officers were:

Lt. Cols. H.R. Withers and Thomas M. Cochran, and Majors Thomas J. Reid, Jr., and William J. Somervell. Thomas Garrison was adjutant. W. Leeper quartermaster, and Wat Strong served as commissary.

Company commanders were:

Company A – Captain A.H. Christian. Company B – "The Drew Light Horse" under the command of Captain Joseph Earle (later H.S. Hudspeth). This company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company in the 52nd Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, on August 13, 1861.Arkansas Military Department Records, List of Commissioned Officers of the Militia 1827–1862, Arkansas History Commission, Microfilm Roll 00000038-8, Page 451 Company C – Captain Thomas Cochran. Company D – Captain James Portis (later "Cpt. Watt Green", probably Cpt. Walter GreenfieldGreenfield, Walter letter. Greenfield mentions "Jim Portis and myself mess together. " Accessed 11 January 2017, http://www.ancestry.com/). Company E – Captain J.S. Somerville, (later Cpt. William Cooper). Company F – Captain O.B. Tebbs. This company had served as Company E, Second Arkansas Cavalry Battalion Company G – Captain E.L. Murtree (later Cpt. C. Stell). Company H – Captain Phil Echols (later Cpt. James Oliver). Company I – Captain M.L. Hawkins.

Service

The 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, under Colonel William Ferguson Slemons, would establish an impressive record under General Nathan Bedford Forrest.National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, Confederate Arkansas Troops, 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry, Accessed 27 January 2011 The unit served in the Army of the West and the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, and took an active part in the Battles of Iuka, Corinth, and Hatchie Bridge.

Organization of the Confederate Army of West Tennessee, Major General Earl Vand Dorn Commanding at the Battle of Corinth, listed Slemon's Regiment as assigned to Brigadier General Frank Crawford Armstrong's Cavalry Brigade of Brigadier General Dabney H. Maury's Division of Major General Sterling Price's Corps (Army of the West).The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies; Series 1 - Volume 17 (Part I), Page 374, https://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar;cc=moawar;q1=slemons;rgn=full%20text;idno=waro0024;didno=waro0024;view=image;seq=390;page=root;size=100 On the retreat from Corinth to Tupelo, Mississippi, the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry served as part of the rear guard of the army, under General John C. Breckinridge. On April 9, 1862, it was transferred from Memphis to a camp near Cornith, Mississippi under difficult conditions. In an April 11, 1862 letter to his wife, Captain Walter Greenfield writes:

On July 3, 1862, it was ordered with Clayton's 2nd Alabama Cavalry against the Federals at Booneville, MS, who were completely routed. Together with the 2nd Missouri Cavalry, it was ordered under Gen. Frank C. Armstrong to Tennessee, where it met at Middleburg, TN, the Federals under Colonel Leggett and defeated them, killing and wounding large numbers of the Federal force. In late July 1862, the 2nd Arkansas, under Col. Slemons, along with the 2nd Missouri and the 4th Mississippi engaged the escort of Federal cavalry and artillery guarding a train of supplies at Britton's Lane, TN, and after a stubborn fight of three hours captured the train, along with 300 prisoners and two pieces of artillery. The 2nd Arkansas lost 70 men killed or wounded in this engagement. In the campaigns of Price and Pemberton in early 1863 defending the approaches to Vicksburg, the 2nd Arkansas was in continuous active service, opposing Federal thrusts at Iuka, Colliersville, Salem, the Yazoo Pass, at Charleston, Austin, and near Commerce, Mississippi and along the Coldwater River. Under the command of Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest in late 1863, it participated in the masterly movements of that greatest of cavalry commanders, encircling armies, taking cities, capturing trains, and burning bridges.

Transferred to the Trans-Mississippi

By late 1863, the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry had been greatly reduced by casualties and absenteeism. On August 4, 1863, Colonel Slemon's wrote to his wife regarding the condition on his command saying,

nearly half of my men are sick now and the prospect very [?] that the other half will run off soon they some where caught the infection from the people here Col Withers has tendered his resignation says he cant soldier on this side the River [think] he is whiped [sic] he puts it upon the grounds of his family. I have not heard from my application to transfer my command across the river.

On August 11, Slemons again wrote about his men gradually slipping back west of the Mississippi River,