McCray's Battalion Arkansas Infantry was organized at Jacksonport on January 25, 1862. Following the general army reorganization at Corinth, Mississippi, in the Spring of 1862, the battalion was reorganized as the 31st Regiment Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862.

The 31st Arkansas was temporarily consolidated, on and off, with the 4th Arkansas on a few occasions, and with the 25th Arkansas on at least one occasion. Exactly when the temporary consolidation became permanent is somewhat confusing. My best guess is that it took place shortly before the Battle of Chickamauga. The 4th Arkansas Regiment, 4th Arkansas Battalion and 31st Arkansas Regiment were permanently consolidated under command of Col. Henry G. Bunn. The 25th Arkansas was not included in this consolidation. The final consolidation of all the Arkansas regiments in Reynolds' Brigade occurred at Smithfield, North Carolina, on April 9, 1865, when the 4th Arkansas (Consolidated), 25th Arkansas, 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles and 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles, were all consolidated into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Rifles, all under command of Col. Henry G. Bunn.

Col. Thomas H. McCray was relieved of command by the consolidation referred to above about September 1, 1863. He returned to Arkansas, where he was appointed brigadier-general on November 7, 1863 (although not all the lists of Confederate generals include McCray), and became active and highly successful in raising troops for the Confederate army in northeast Arkansas. He had recruited at least one full brigade by the Spring of 1864.

McCray survived the war, dying at Chicago, Illinois, in 1891.