2nd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry (Union)

Brief History
The 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry was organized at Helena, Arkansas, and Pilot Knob, Missouri, July 1862. It was ordered to Memphis, Tennessee, January, 1865 and had duty there and in District of West Tennessee until August. The regiment mustered out August 20, 1865.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section,2nd Regiment Cavalry, (accessed 6 April 2012).
 * The Wikipedia Article, 2nd Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry, (accessed 28 November 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first. Men from Phillips County, Arkansas and Iron County, Missouri enlisted in this regiment.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,196 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Arkansas in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Arkansas in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Tennessee, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Allen, Desmond Walls. Second Arkansas Union Cavalry. (Conway, Arkansas : Arkansas Research, c1987),.