From a letter of Col. Morgan's to his wife, dated May 20th 1863:
"We marched for Ft. Smith this morning aggregate about 500 men. Saw Genl Holmes a short time ago told me that he had selected me for this service and would not even let Genl Price indicate the Reg to go. Says it is the most responsible position I ever held - is the nucleus around which that part of the state is to rally. Suppose he means Pin Indians."

SERIES: I VOLUME: XXII CAMPAIGN: Little Rock SERIAL: 032
Beginning p 604
Numbers 3. Report of Brigadier General W. L. Cabell, C. S. Army, including operations July 17-September 14 (skirmishes between the San Bois and Scullyville and at Jenny Lind, &c.).
HEADQUARTERS CABELL'S BRIGADE,
December 7, 1863.
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report in reference to the evacuation of Fort Smith by the troops of my command. The command I had, which was called a brigade, consisted of [J. C.] Monroe's [Lee L.] Thomson's, and [J. F.] Hill's regiments of cavalry, [J. L.] Witherspoon's, [W. A.] Crawford's, and Woosley's battalions of cavalry, [A. S.] Morgan's infantry regiment, four iron 6-pounder battery, also several little independent companies of Partisan Rangers. (Hill's regiment, and Woosley's and Crawford's battalions were raised from deserters and jayhawkers who had been lying out in the mountains, and forced into service.) The aggregate of the whole amounted to over 3,000, yet, notwithstanding, I could never get into the field at any one time over 1,600 men, and never more than 1,200 of them for duty. During the month of July, after having made a big scout into Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri, I was ordered to join General Cooper's command in the Indian country, which I did a few days after General Cooper's fight with Blunt.
…
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. L. CABELL,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Brigade

Posted By: Tom Ezell
Date: Monday, 30 June 2003, at 9:07 a.m.
In Response To: Co. H, 26 Arkansas Infantry (Jim Cox)
…
November/December 1862, the regiment was involved in the Prairie Grove campaign. After Prairie Grove, it was detailed as the provost guard for Fort Smith. Individual companies were sometimes detailed up and down the river valley, but the main force of the regiment remained at Fort Smith during the spring and summer of '63. COL Morgan resigned at this time to become the transportation officer for the Trans-MS Dept. staff. Col Fountain Pitts Yell succeeded him in command.
Sept 1863, Battle of Devil's Backbone, essentially a rear guard action during the evacuation of Fort Smith.
Fall/winter 1863: Encamped at Camp Bragg, described as being 40 or 45 miles east of Camp Sumter, which was located in Hempstead County. On December 30, 1863, the regiment relocated to Camp Sumter, located along the old Southwest Trail about six or seven miles east of Washington.

Posted By: Frank Arey
Date: Monday, 30 June 2003, at 6:48 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Co. H, 26 Arkansas Infantry (Tom Ezell)
Tom, given your interest in detail, I offer the following:
(1) The 26th actually returned to Little Rock in the winter of 1862/63 (according to Lt. Col. Wright's memoirs, they traveled by a different route than the rest of Hindman's retreating forces), and marched to Fort Smith in early May 1863. While in Little Rock, Col. Morgan was detailed to the recruiting service, and Lt. Col. Wright took over; the regiment participated in a drill competition that was the subject of an interesting article in a local paper.
(2) Are you certain about the date of Morgan's resignation? He was at Devil's Backbone - I cite you to Cabell's report and Morgan's own letters as evidence - and actually resigned in the Fall of 1863.

26th Arkansas--Record of Events
Posted By: Bryan Howerton Date: Tuesday, 11 February 2003, at 9:56 p.m.

COMPANY A.
…
30 Apr 1863—Little Rock. Since the organization of the Co. no books have been furnished and on account of the scarcity of stationery it has often been impossible to keep full record of all orders, details &c. Even now we have no Company Books and it is not possible to obtain them.
30 Jun 1863—Camp near Ft. Smith. Left Camp near Little Rock May 9th and arrived at Camp Anderson same day. Distance about 5 miles. Left Camp Anderson May 20th, 1863 and arrived at Camp near Fort Smith June 1st, 1863. Distance One Hundred & Seventy Five miles.
29 Feb 1864—Camp Sumter. Churchill’s Brg’d Jan. 30th/64 changed station from Camp Bragg to Camp Sumter, Ark., distance of 40 miles.

Memoirs of Colonel John C. Wright
[Abbreviated extracts]

About this time-I think April 1863]-Morgan’s regiment was detached from McRae's brigade to report to Gen Steele for duty at Ft Smith.
Cabell with 1000 on paper but only 500 in service and Cooper’s and Watie's Indian brigades and Morgan’s regiment of 800 strong in fine spirits, well drilled, and under strict discipline were Steele’s forces.
About the last of August we were forced to abandon Fort Smith and fought next at Devil’s Backbone on Sept 1, 1863.
Here was the most needless and disgraceful stampede by C.S.A. soldiers that I saw in the war-and the true reason for my leaving the infantry service.
Cabell placed Monroe’s regt with 2 companies in ambush and dismounted the other 3 regiments with Morgan’s regt and Hughey’s btry all in line

Arkansas Confederate Regimental Histories
By Tom Ezell
…
Following the Battle of Prairie Grove, the 26th Arkansas was assigned to garrison Fort Smith along with a company from Monroe's 1st Arkansas Cavalry and Lane's company of Texas partisan rangers. In addition to garrisoning this frontier post, their responsibilities including providing security and support for the post hospital, containing approximately 1,500 wounded and sick from the Prairie Grove campaign, who were described as being in "wretched condition". During this time the regiment was allowed to hold re-election of officers under the Confederate Conscription Act of 1862, and Colonel Morgan withdrew his name from consideration for reelection. Lt. Col. Fountain Pitts Yell was then elected as colonel, with Iverson L. Brooks as the lieutenant colonel and Captain Sam Gibson as major. (Colonel Morgan requested and was reassigned to the Department staff as inspector of field transportation, in which post he served until the end of the war.) The 26th remained at Fort Smith through about September, 1863, when the Confederate forces under General Cabell were forced to evacuate the area following their defeat at Devil's Backbone.
Following the evacuation of Fort Smith, the 26th was reassigned to its old brigade, now under the command of Lucian Gause and composed of the 26th, 32nd, and 36th Arkansas regiments. Gause's Brigade spent the winter of 1863 camped southwest of Little Rock. Morale was sinking, not only because of the loss of Little Rock, but because many of the 26th’s soldiers’ families were destitute and starving…