Hertford County, NC – Solon Borland to Col. W.W. MacKall, 1861 ~~~~~~~~~~ HEADQUARTERS, Pocahontas, Ark., November 20, 1861. Colonel W. W. MACKALL, A. A. G., Western Dept., C. S. Army, Bowling Green, Ky.: COLONEL: Yours of the 4th, by mail, missent to Powhatan and forwarded from that office, was received last night. You communicate the direction of General Johnston that I shall send my "surplus ammunition and supplies to Memphis." I can briefly answer this by saying that I have no surplus here of either class of these stores. --- --- --- I beg leave to add a few words about my position, &c., here. I think General Johnston will concede that it is a very precaution one in itself, and I know it is a very embarrassing one to me. As he is aware (at any rate I so informed him at Columbus), the force left here (i. e., Pitman's Ferry, &c.) by General Hardee was very small, so small that, as I have all the while insisted, it was available for no useful purpose whatever, either of attack or defense, against such as the enemy certainly had the power and would not fail to bring against me if I should have to deal with him at all. This is obvious from the following statement of its character and numerical strength: It consisted, first, of seven mounted companies - nominally 460 men - indifferently armed, and much enfeebled by the hardest and most constant scouting service to which any troops were ever subjected, through an exceedingly sickly season, and on little more than half rations for man or horse; and, second, of two companies of infantry, about 130 men, just mustered into the service, and indifferently armed. To these have since been added eight companies of similar infantry, numbering about 500 men; and within the last few days I have added still a little further by retaining two and a half companies, together about 150 men, that were passing here. All these together, 1,240 men, being twelve-month's volunteers, with officers and men alike raw and inexperienced, poorly armed and equipped, and without an educated or experienced military man in the whole command. No cannon were left me, or what are no better than none; that is, six iron 6-pounders and two brass 4-pounders, all old, partly dismantled and dilapidated, and without equipment for transportation or active use, and all rejected as worthless and cast aside by General Hardee. Of the nominal force I have enumerated, making by no means an unfair allowance for sick, details, &c., 700 would fully cover the number I could count upon for the field. --- --- --- Thus situated, on the 5th instant I found my position threatened by the enemy with some 400 cavalry and not less (I had some reason to believe much more) than 3,000 infantry and a battery of artillery, reported on good authority (since proved to be true) to be within 60 miles of me and marching rapidly in this direction. This has since proved to have been one of the several columns moved simultaneously from Cairo upon Columbus, from Cape Girardeau upon Bloomfield, and from Ironton upon this place. Very respectfully, SOLON BORLAND, Colonel Cavalry, Commanding. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Col BORLAND asked for and received an indefinite leave for sickness beginning December 15, 1861, returning to Little Rock. His service records show he traveled more than 1,700 miles while at Pocahontas, Arkansas since arriving July 29, 1861. Solon was placed in charge of Confederate States Army's, Upper Arkansas in its Western Department, November 5, 1861 until 10 January 1862, when organized as Trans-Mississippi Department (as of 15 December on leave for ill health) which had been vacated by General William J HARDEE (1815-1873), taking with him all good equipment etc., leaving behind little of any use. HARDEE had served as commandant since August 29, 1861, Solon inherited the position of which he pleads to be relieved in letter of November 10, 1861. Much historical documented information was gathered from; , Jim MARTIN's Arkansas Civil War Board --- ; Bryan HOWERTON (H), Danny ODAM (O) plus, Solon BORLAND, M D and Oliver Crosby GRAY's service records (R), from Arkansas History Commission. SOURCE: (search,"Borland"), last viewed Feb 21, 2007 ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by William S. Boggess - william-boggess@webtv.net. ______________________________________________________________________