Officially designated by the State Military Board as the 10th Regiment Arkansas Cavalry, it was almost never referred to as such during the Civil War.  It was generally referred to in contemporary documents as Crawford’s 1st Arkansas Cavalry.  The Compiled Service Records of the men are archived under 1st (Crawford’s) Arkansas Cavalry, Rolls 1 and 2.

Crawford’s Regiment was organized at Camden, Arkansas, on December 30, 1863, with ten companies from southern Arkansas.  Later, two additional companies were attached to the regiment, but no muster rolls for these companies have been located.   This Unit was researched by Bryan Howerton and you may contact him at this email address. Bryan Howerton

Field and Staff
Company A—Ouachita county.
Company B—Saline county.
Company C—Lafayette county.
Company D—Ouachita county.
Company E—Columbia county.
Company F—Union county.
Company G—Saline county.
Company H—Clark county.
Company  I—Union county.
Company K—Clark county.
Company L—[No muster rolls survive; company was organized in Lafayette county]
Company M—[No muster rolls survive; company was organized in Prairie county]

Crawford’s Cavalry was assigned to Fagan’s Cavalry Division of the Trans-Mississippi Army, brigaded with Wright’s cavalry regiment and Poe’s and McMurtrey’s cavalry battalions.  It was active in the battles associated with the Camden Expedition in the Spring of 1864, and was heavily engaged in the many battles of Price’s Missouri Campaign in the Fall of 1864.  Crawford’s Cavalry was included in the general surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Army on May 26, 1865.

The following notation appeared on the Field and Staff muster roll for the period ended February 29, 1864, stationed at Cut Off, Drew county, Arkansas:

“This Regiment was organized at Camden, Arks, on the 30th day of Dec. 1863, in the vicinity of which place Reg. Hd. Qrs. remained until the 13th of Jan., when the Regiment marched to the Arkansas River, a distance of 120 miles from Camden, under orders from Gen’l Fagan & brought from Ark. River droves of beeves and fat hogs to Monticello, at which place the Regiment arrived about the 25th of Jan. 1864.  The beeves & hogs were drove to Camden for the Army by details from this Reg.  The Regiment removed the latter part of Jan. to Warren, Arks, 18 miles west of Monticello, remained there 6 days, whence back to Monticello, thence on the 16th Feb. moved in direction of Gains Landing on Miss. River.  The Reg. on account of the wretched condition of the Cut Off & bad roads proceeded only 15 miles in that direction.  Col. Crawford however with 100 of the Reg. proceeded to the Miss. River near Luna Landing & there partially succeeded in driving out part of the Federal Marines on the 22d Feb., drove them back precipitately & killed one man & horse dead on the field & wounded 8 or 10 other Federals badly, without any injury on his part whatever & rejoined the Reg. near Monticello on the 24th Feb. where the Reg. arrived 3 days before.  The Reg. remained there until the 27th Feb. when it removed here some 15 miles nearly east of Monticello where the Reg. & its Hd. Qrs. are now roughly bivouacked but faring pretty well not withstanding.

NOTE:  Just as this is being posted on this webpage, I received an email, which stated, in part:  “Col. William A. Crawford’s tomb did not wait for the David O. Dodd Camp’s efforts to come to fruit to repair before it fell in.  On Easter Sunday, it was discovered the heavy concrete top had fallen, exposing the remains of Col. Crawford.  The rain made a quagmire of the contents and the funeral home took the remains and largest part of the cast iron casket.  The Camp and relatives have ordered the top and will rebuild it just as it was before.  However, the state archaeologist was contacted who brought some experts in and it apparently is a very important find.  The casket is one of only about 5 that has been discovered in the entire South.  An archaeological survey was done on the dirt and remaining debris which will be analyzed along with all clothing and remains to get a unique look at the burial and condition of Col. Crawford and burial practices at the time of his death in 1874.  Eventually all of this will be put in some sort of paper/article by either the professionals working on the project or other historians.”