Gallery: Anti-Guerrilla Actions
Joshua Dodd
Joshua Dodd enlisted in Company C, 1st Arkansas Cavalry (US) on October 28, 1862, in Greene County, Missouri; he mustered in on August 31, 1863, at Springfield, and was promoted to corporal on September 1, 1863.
The 1st Arkansas Cavalry (U.S.) is the best known regiment of “Mountain Feds,” to serve in the Ozarks. Recruited among Union refugees in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri, the regiment originated with Marcus La Rue Harrison. Harrison was a quartermaster in the 36th Illinois Infantry and stationed at Cassville, Missouri in the spring of 1862. Union sympathizers in Arkansas were in constant danger at home as Confederate authorities were enforcing conscription at this time. Many made the difficult decision to leave their families behind and head for safety inside Union lines. When they arrived at Cassville, Harrison began organizing them into companies. He soon had authority to raise an entire regiment and the 1st Arkansas was mustered into Union service at Springfield in July 1862.
The 1st Arkansas Cavalry fought in the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas on December 7, 1862. Prairie Grove was the regiment’s first major battle and they were routed. The First Arkansas lost 86 men, 4 killed, 4 wounded, and 78 captured. Their poor performance left commanders wondering if Southerners would actually fight for the Union. The 1st Arkansas was stationed at Fayetteville after the battle, along with other regiments recruited among the refugees. On April 18, 1863, they defeated Confederate forces under General William Cabell, who launched a surprise attack on the garrison.
The 1st Arkansas was stationed at Fayetteville for most of the war where they served primarily as an anti-guerrilla force. In this capacity, they fought countless small, bitter skirmishes with bushwhackers throughout the region. The regiment excelled at this because the men knew the countryside and eagerly fought guerrillas whom they blamed for terrorizing Union families. Discipline problems, however, plagued the 1st Arkansas as soldiers often left, with or without permission, to check on their relatives at home. Late in the war, Harrison established fortified farm colonies. This Post Colony system allowed families to start farming again while still being able to defend themselves, thus allowing Harrison’s men to focus on fighting guerrillas. The 1st Arkansas became one of the best counter-guerrilla forces in the Ozarks and contributed greatly to Union military operations in Missouri and Arkansas.
Image Courtesy Michael Price
