According to the first available muster roll (which was compiled October 30,1862, but covered the period from May 1 to July l,1862), the company was enlisted August 1, 1861, at Madison (St. Francis County), Arkansas; however. the commissions to its first officers were not issued until August 26, 1861. These officers were: John C. Johnson, captain; John R. Shelton, lst , lieutenant; George C. Harrison, 2nd lieutenant; and, William L. Dobkins, 3rd lieutenant. The company's name indicates it was originaly a cavalry company, but it became Company B of the l3th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, under Col. J.C. Tappan.
About October 15, 1861, Capt. Johnson and Lt. Dobkins resigned, Lts. Shelton and Harrison were promoted, and two new lieutenants were elected. The new officers were: John R. Shelton, captain; George C:. Harrison, lst lieutenant; John F. Locke, 2nd lieutenant; and, Thomas R. Shelton, 3rd lieutenant.
After the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee,
Apri1 6-7, 1862. the l3th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was reoranized. Company
B became Company D of the reorganized regiment. Capt. John
R. Shelton resigned, and Lts. Harrison and Locke were not re-elected. The
slate of officers of Company D elected on May 6, 1862, was:
Thomas R.
Shelton, captain; Alexander W. Yost, lst lieutenant;
Israel P. Nolen, 2nd lieutenant; and R. Kindlyn, 3rd lieutenant.
Capt. Thomas R. Shelton resigned June 30, 1862, but no successor was elected. Lt. Kindlyn was killed November 7, 1862, and Lt. Yost died December 19, 1862. For the balance of the war, Lt. Nolen was the company cormmander. The company was decimated and eventually, all the companies of the I3th Arkansas Infantry were combined to form Company G of the Ist Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment. Those who survived to the end were paroled April 28,1865, at Greensboro, North Carolina.
Editor's note: The John R. Shelton mentioned in this article was the grandfather of Miss Zirline 'Trice, and the great grandfather of Mrs. Jack Caperton, Sr., both of Cotton Plant. Captain Shelton was wounded at the battle of Shiloh and resigned from the Confederate Army. He returned home to Cotton Plant and died shortly afterward from pneumonia and the effects of his wounds. Thomas R. Shelton, also a captain in the Confederate Army, was a brother of John R. Shelton. He was wounded in battle, but lived until 1873. A third brother, James N., was also a Confederate soldier. He was wounded, captured, and died in prison. The Shelton family came to Arkansas from Tennessee in 1844.
1998 The above information may be used for
non-commercial historical and genealogical purposes only and with
the consent of the page owner may be copied
for the same purposes so long as this notice remains a part of the
copied material. EDWARD
G. GERDES
If you have any questions or comments or if
you would like to have more informtion about the Civil War and
Pension Records of the men who served in these
Companies, contact me Jeri
Helms Fultz