The 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, colloquially known as Dobbins' Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

formation of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

commanded by Colonel Archibald S. Dobbins.

Organization

The Cavalry was made up of:Howerton, Bryan R.: "Two Ashley brothers in Dobbins 1st Ark. Cav.", Posted 24 January 2007, Accessed 2 December 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=14431 *Company A – Capt. Samuel Corley, of Phillips County. Formerly known as Corley's Company, Chrisman's Battalion: *Company B – Capt. Rufus D. Anderson of Phillips County. Formerly known as Anderson's Company. *Company C – Capt. James H. McGehee of St. Francis County. Formerly known as McGhees Company, *Company D – Capt. George W. Rutherford of Independence County. Formerly known as Rutherford's Company. *Company E – Capt. Morgan M. Bateman of Jackson County. Also known as Bateman's Company. *Company F – Capt. Robert C. Nall of St. Francis County. *Company G – Capt. James F. Barton of Crittenden County. Also known as Barton's Company. *Company H – Capt. William R. Coody of Woodruff County. *Company I – Capt. John T. West of Independence County. *Company K – Capt. William Weatherly of Phillips County. Company F was consolidated with Company A on January 3, 1864. Companies D & H were consolidated with Company E on January 3, 1864. The original regimental staff officers were: *Colonel Archibald S. Dobbins *Lieutenant Colonel F. M. Chrisman *Major Samuel Corley

Battles

The court martial resulted from Colonel Dobbins' refusal to accept orders from General John S. Marmaduke because Marmaduke had killed Brigadier General L. M. Walker in a duel just before the Battle of Little Rock. Dobbins' Arkansas Cavalry was engaged in the following battles: *

Battle of Helena The Battle of Helena was fought on July 4, 1863, near Helena, Arkansas, during the American Civil War. Union (American Civil War), Union troops captured the city in July 1862, and had been using it as a base of operations. Over 7,500 Confeder ...

, Arkansas July 4, 1863 *

Battle of Bayou Fourche The Battle of Bayou Fourche, also known as the Battle of Little Rock, was a battle of the American Civil War fought between Union (American Civil War), Union and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces on September 10, 1863, in Pula ...

September 10, 1863 * Battle of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, October 25, 1863 * Price's Missouri Expedition, 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 The Battle of Glasgow was fought on October 15, 1864, in and near Glasgow, Missouri as part of Price's Missouri Expedition during the American Civil War. The battle resulted in the capture of needed weapons and improved Confederate States of A ...

, October 15, 1864 ::* Battle of Sedalia, Missouri, October 15, 1864 ::* Second Battle of Lexington, Missouri, October 19, 1864 ::*

Battle of Little Blue River The Battle of Little Blue River was fought on October 21, 1864, as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War. Major General (CSA), Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army led an army into Missouri in September 1864 ...

, Missouri, October 21, 1864 ::*

Second Battle of Independence The Second Battle of Independence was fought on October 22, 1864, near Independence, Missouri, as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War. In late 1864, Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army led a cavalry fo ...

, Missouri, October 21–22, 1864 ::*

Battle of Byram's Ford The Battle of Byram's Ford (also known as the Battle of Big Blue River and the Battle of the Blue) was fought on October 22 and 23, 1864, in Missouri during Price's Raid, a campaign of the American Civil War. With the Confederate States o ...

, Missouri, October 22–23, 1864 ::*

Battle of Westport The Battle of Westport, was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major General (United States), Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumber ...

, Missouri, October 23, 1864 ::* Battle of Marais des Cygnes,

Linn County, Kansas Linn County is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas, located along the eastern edge of Kansas, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Its county seat is Mound City, and its most populous city is Pleasanton. As of the 2020 cens ...

, October 25, 1864 ::*

Battle of Mine Creek The Battle of Mine Creek, also known as the Battle of Little Osage, was fought on October 25, 1864, in Linn County, Kansas, as part of Price's Missouri Campaign during the American Civil War. Major-General Sterling Price had begun an expediti ...

, Missouri, October 25, 1864 ::*

Battle of Marmiton River The Battle of Marmiton River, also known as Shiloh Creek or Charlot's Farm, occurred on October 25, 1864, in Vernon County, Missouri during the American Civil War. Major General (United States), Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate St ...

, Missouri, October 25, 1864 ::* Second Battle of Newtonia, Missouri, October 28, 1864

Flag

Dobbins'

regimental colors In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 year ...

were captured by Indiana cavalry near

Tulip, Arkansas Tulip is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Dallas County, Arkansas, Dallas County, Arkansas, United States. The community is on Arkansas Highway 9 west of Carthage, Arkansas, Carthage. Tulip was settled shortly after Arkansas b ...

, in October 1863. Colonel

Powell Clayton Powell Foulk Clayton (August 7, 1833August 25, 1914) was an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served as the 9th List of Governors of Arkansas, governor of Arkansas from 1868 to 1871, as a Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

with three hundred and fifty men the 1st Indiana Cavalry and four pieces of light artillery, making a circuitous route, marching ninety miles in thirty-three hours, succeeded in surprising and completely routing Colonel Dobbins' cavalry brigade at Tulip, Arkansas, capturing one stand of colors, all his camp and garrison equipage, quartermaster and commissary stores, medical supplies, transportation, etc. The flag is currently located in the collections of the Old State House Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. This flag measures 53" x 72". It is blue and has a red cross. It has 13 stars. Trans-Mississippi Pattern Battle Flag of Dobbins 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. The flag is sometimes referred to as a Polk Pattern flag after the flag used by General

Leonidas Polk Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a Confederate general, a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and founder of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America, which separat ...

's Corps east of the Mississippi River.Biggs, Greg, "Re: Arkansas regiment captured at Helena", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 5 August 2007, Accessed 17 December 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=16197

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Maxfield, T. "George W. Rutherford's Company C, 1st Arkansas Cavalry." (Prepared by N. Britton.) Independence County Chronicle, 25, No. 3/4 (April–July 1984): 33-35. * Dedmondt, Glenn. "The Flags Of Civil War Arkansas" (Pelican Publishing Co., 2009). page 106.

External links

Thomas Jacob Barb, Manuscripts of the American Civil War, University of Notre Dame

Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110718122909/http://arkansascivilwar.com/ The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas {{DEFAULTSORT:Dobbins Arkansas Cavalry Regiment 1862 establishments in Arkansas 1865 disestablishments in Arkansas Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Trans-Mississippi Department Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Arkansas