Witt’s Arkansas Cavalry, commanded by Colonel A. R. Witt, was composed primarily of men who had served with the Tenth Arkansas Infantry, been captured at Port Hudson, Louisiana, and after being exchanged, returned to Arkansas.
On numerous occasions, the unit served behind Federal lines. A Federal report indicated that it often employed female sympathizers to spy on Federal installations and troop movements, reporting the information obtained back to the command. One of these spies was reported to be operating in Little Rock in mid-November, 1864.
The unit served unattached throughout its career, with the exception of Price’s Missouri Expedition in late 1864. During this time it appears to have been attached to Fagan’s forces.
Below are the engagements in which the unit took part.
- Skirmishes, Clear Creek and Tomahawk, Ark. – Jan. 22, 1864
- Skirmish, Rolling Prairie, Ark. – Jan. 23, 1864
- Skirmish, Sylamore Creek, Ark. – Jan. 23, 1864
- Skirmishes near Burrowsville, Ark. – Jan. 23, 1864
- Skirmish, Crooked Creek, Ark. – Feb. 5, 1864
- Skirmish, Bayou Des Arc, Ark. – July 13-16, 1864
- Skirmish, Gum Swamp, Ark. – July 17, 1864
- Skirmish, Austin, Ark. – July 17, 1864
- Operations against Expedition from Little Rock to the Little Red River, Ark. – Aug. 6-16, 1864
- Price’s Missouri Expedition – Aug. 29-Dec. 2, 1864
- Skirmish near Quitman, Ark. (detachment) – Sept. 2, 1864
- Skirmish, Ironton, Mo. – Sept. 26, 1864
- Skirmishes, Arcadia and Ironton, Mo. – Sept. 27, 1864
- Battle, Marmiton (Charlot), Mo. – Oct. 25, 1864
- Engagement, Mine Creek, Little Osage River, Marias des Cygnes, Kan. – Oct. 25, 1864
- Skirmish near Lewisburg, Ark. – Feb. 12, 1865
Unlike most of the units which accompanied Price after the Missouri expedition, Witt’s Cavalry did not retreat all the way to northeastern Texas. The command remained, instead, in Arkansas, probably in order to continue its spying operations. The Third Arkansas (United States) Cavalry met and destroyed Witt’s command at the Lewisburg engagement.
The Tenth Arkansas Infantry Regiment was not the only unit which recruited men of Cleburne County. At least seven companies were raised in White County during 1861 and 1862 and others in Independence County.