Gordon's Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry - Confederate

Brief History
Gordon's Cavalry Regiment [also called 4th Regiment] successor to C. A. Carroll's Cavalry Regiment, was organized in September, 1863. It served in General Cabell's Brigade, Trans-Mississippi Department, and took an active part in the conflicts at Poison Spring and Marks' Mills where twenty-one percent of the 117 engaged were disabled. Later it participated in Price's Missouri Expedition and reported 106 casualties. During the spring of 1865 it disbanded. The field officers were Colonel Anderson Gordon, and Majors J. A. Arrington and William H. Fayth.

Predecessor unit: Carroll's Cavalry Regiment [also called 1st and 2nd Regiment] was organized during the early summer of 1861. The unit served in the Army of Arkansas, then the Trans-Mississippi Department, and participated in the battles at Wilson’s Creek, Prairie Grove, Springfield, and Devil’s Backbone. In September, 1863, it was reorganized and became Gordon's Arkansas Cavalry Regiment.

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.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,847 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.