The 10th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was mustered into Confederate Service in July 1861 at Springfield in Conway County.

The 10th Arkansas fought on the Confederate right flank at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862, participating in the many vicious attacks against the "Hornet's Nest" which ultimately led to the surrender of Prentiss's division.

[20] All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for two additional years or the duration of the war; a new election of officers was ordered; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home.

This they did by felling large numbers of trees to block the roadways leading to Baton Rouge, digging trenches and mounting siege guns around the city.

Certain officers of the 10th Arkansas apparently influenced some enlisted men to desert and refuse to alternate duties with their fellow companies.

[3] Though the veterans of the 10th Arkansas Infantry were the backbone of the new unit, Colonel Witt also conducted extensive recruiting outside the immediate area of Springfield and Conway County.

Colonel Witt, who had continued to operate in the vicinity of Quitman, wrote to Major General Reynolds, commander of Union forces in the Department of Arkansas, on May 18, 1865, stating his intention to surrender and help restore order in the area.

[25] General Seeing the hopelessness of any further struggle, and not wishing to be placed in the attitude of a guerrilla, bushwhacker, or marauder, which I would necessarily be should I prosecute a further hopeless strife, and being fully satisfied that the regular organized armies of the Confederate States east of the Mississippi River are surrendered, I have determined, on the 5th proximo, at Jacksonport, to surrender my command, but it is impossible for me to prevail on some of my men to deliver their arms until they have some assurance from the U.S. authorities that those independent companies and squads claiming protection under the Federal Government are immediately disarmed.

I am confident that you are not aware of the many murderous crimes and outrageous depredations committed on the people through the country, or their course would have been ended before this.

I called the attention of Colonel Ryan, commanding at Lewisburg, to this matter last winter, but he seemed to take no action in the matter whatever, and I am very well satisfied that peace and order can easily be restored should these fellows be disarmed, as my men have no particular animosity against the Federal Government, and are now willing to submit to the laws of the country and the requirements of the U.S. forces if they can be let alone by these independent men.

I have been requested by the citizens of this county to say to you that they are exceedingly anxious for peace, and if you will send them instructions how to proceed, they will establish law and order without the trouble and expense of an armed force to do that for them; but should troops be necessary, they petition you not to send men of this State, who have personal grudges, but a command of some other State, who are not prejudiced and who will do justice to all parties.

Things will be quite easy, I think, in this portion of the country, if these independent fellows were disbanded and disarmed, as I could then control the Southern soldiers without further difficulty, and the citizens seem very anxious to go forth and restore law and order were they not prevented by these armed forces.

[26] Most of the men on the Jacksonport parole lists actually served in the 10th Arkansas regiment, but some were attached to various companies simply for the purpose of surrendering.

A few may never have seen any service and marched to Jacksonport to receive a parole, which provided former Confederates with some degree of protection from arrest or capture.