Talk:5th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment

Wrong 2nd Arkansas Cavalry
I would to clarify some issues in the article on the 8th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. Unfortunately, Arkansas changed the designations of it's regiments often, especially it's Cavalry Regiments which makes keeping track very difficult. For instance are at least 6 different units that were at some point designated or referred to as the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment.

In this particular case, there are at least 3 units that were at some point referred to as the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, one Commanded by William F. Slemons, one Commanded by Colonel Thomas J. Morgan and the 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles, which is also occasionally referred to as the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry in the Official Records.

This article indicates that the 5th/2nd/8th was connected to Colonel William Ferguson Slemons 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. This is incorrect. Slemon's regiment served most the entire war on the eastern side of the Mississippi, as part of Forrest Cavalry. While Slemon's unit was transferred to the Trans Mississippi in order to participate in Price's Missouri Campaign of 1864, the 8th/5th/2nd Arkansas that is the subject of this article and is commonly referred to as 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Morgan's) was also in existence in a separate brigade.

I have no reference for Slemons's 2nd Arkansas every being consolidated with the 5th/8th/2nd Arkansas. Much of Slemons command was caputed during the battle of Mine Creek, in Price's Missouri Expedition. The remnants of Slemons command are later referred to as the 18th Arkansas Cavalry Battalion.

I will also point out that the Mine Creek Confederate order of battle, lists both Morgan's Arkansas Cavalry, under the command of Col Thomas J. Morgan ( which is this 5th/8th/2nd Arkansas) and the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry, under the command of LTC T. W. Jackman, appear. COL Slemons was in command of the brigade, so LTC Jackman had field command of the regiment. Morgan's Regiment was in a brigade commanded by Brigadier General William Lewis Cabell.

Unless someone has a reference the indicates a connection between Slemon's command and the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Morgan's) then I plan to remove that information from this article.

Also, Since this unit spent most of its career being referred to as either Newton's 5th Arkansas Cavalry, or Morgan's 2nd Arkansas Cavalry, I believe it's history should be listed under one of those names with the 8th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment simply being used as a redirect to one of those articles. Aleutian06 (talk) 22:49, 5 October 2011 (UTC)