4th Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Infantry The 4th Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Infantry ( Union ) ( 1863 – 1865 ) was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Although Arkansas joined the Confederate States of America in 1861 , not all of its citizens supported secession . Arkansas formed some 48 infantry regiments to serve in the Confederate Army , but also formed another 11 regiments that served in the Union Army . Organization . On the 4th day of October , 1663 , authority was given by the commanding general department of the Missouri to Edward J . Brooks , of Fayetteville , Arkansas , to raise a regiment of infantry in this State to be called the 4th Arkansas infantry volunteers , he being appointed provisional colonel of the regiment , with his principal rendezvous at Fayetteville , and branch rendezvous at Fort Smith and such other places in western Arkansas as he might select . The difficulties encountered in recruiting for this regiment , and its services in the Old , are detailed in a communication to this office from Ira D . Bronson , formerly captain company A , dated Hickory , Illinois , September 18 , 1865 . from which the following extracts are made : " On the 10th of December , 1863 , Captain H . S . Greeno , 6th Kansas cavalry , was detailed on recruiting service for the 4th Arkansas infantry , and placed in charge of the recruiting office at Fort Smith . Other recruiting offices were established in western Arkansas , but owing to the fact that the 2d Arkansas infantry was in process of formation , and had nearly O exclusive control of recruiting for infantry , and also that the 2d , 3d and 4th Arkansas cavalry , and the 2d Kansas cavalry , were recruiting in the State , and a large portion of those who d were disposed to enlist preferred the cavalry arm of the service , recruiting for the 4th Arkansas infantry was very slow and tedious . " About the middle of March , 1864 ; I had fifty men recruited and stationed at Fort Smith ; Lieutenant Hunter had the same number at Fayetteville - other recruiting officers had a number each , making in all about one hundred and eighty men . Brave and efficient recruiting officers were continually within the rebel lines , and many men were in this way picked up . Service . " On the 10th of April , 1864 , Captain Greeno , with a number of recruiting officers , accompanied General Steel ' s expedition to Camden , hoping thereby to secure a sufficient number of recruits , with those already raised , to organize a major ' s command . Captain Greeno succeeded in obtaining a large number of recruits , and forwarded them with a train to Little Rock , ' but unfortunately they were captured with it before reaching Pine Bluff . " The headquarters of the regiment remained at Clarksville , Arkansas , until the 18th day of May , 1864 , the troops meantime acting a conspicuous part in defending the post against the combined efforts of the guerillas of western Arkansas , aided by a portion of Shelby ' s command that had returned to the north side of the Arkansas river . My detachment had frequent engagements with them , scarcely a day passing without our taking some prisoners . : " On or about the 20th day of May , 1864 , Captain Goss , 6th Kansas cavalry , commanding the post of Clarksville , having ascertained that a large force of rebels had crossed the Arkansas river , and were threatening the post with overwhelming numbers , ordered an abandonment of the place , and fell back on Fort Smith . Upon our arrival there the detachment of the 4th v Arkansas infantry was placed on duty as an extreme outpost south . " While stationed near Port Smith Captain Greeno received orders to proceed with a portion of his command into southern Arkansas , and move out the families of federal soldiers , who ] had been plundered and maltreated by the rebel troops , consisting of bushwhackers , Indians , and renegades , prowling about in that portion of the State . Several trips of this description were made , and frequent encounters with the enemy occurred . " On the 15th day of July we were ordered to Little Rock , and for a time after our arrival did outpost duty . On the 25th of July my company was mustered in . At this time ' there } wvere on the regimental rolls two hundred and twenty - three names , a portion of whom were recruited by Lieutenants Hunter and Temnant , and partially so for cavalry - were unwilling to serve as infantry - and were transferred to the 4th Arkansas cavalry . Captain Greeno was also transferred , and on the 16th day of October , 1864 , was mustered as a major in that regiment . Mustered out of service . I was thus left in command of the detachment which , on the 2d day of October , 1864 , was assigned to the 2d Arkansas infantry for duty . On the 28th day of the same month all the enlisted men of our regiment were transferred to the 2d Arkansas infantry for assignment to companies . This assignment was afterwards confirmed in orders from the War Department and the officers of the regiment , though mostly retained in service , were left without a command . Lieutenant R . S . Crampton , regimental quartermaster , resigned prior to the transfer , and Assistant Surgeon B . Blanchard was mustered out , to be mustered in again as surgeon , having received an appointment as such , though he was never in fact re - mustered . " March 28 , 1865 , the order of assignment was so amended as to include myself as captain , and William W . Tibbs as second lieutenant , who , with seventy - three men , were formally assigned to company I , 2d Arkansas infantry , the transfer to date from October 25 , 1864 . " Out of the number recruited for the 4th Arkansas infantry forty - five ( 45 ) deserted , thirty ( 30 ) died , thirty ( 30 ) were captured , forty - five ( 45 ) were transferred to the 4th Arkansas cavalry , and seventy - three ( 73 ) as stated above .