Here is relevant correspondence and information from the Official Records, Compiled Service Records and The Alexander Papers regarding:
1. Guns on hand when Hindman arrived in Arkansas
2. Efforts by Hindman and his staff officers to procure additional guns east of the Mississippi
3. Guns taken from Gen Pike in the Indian Territory
6/19/63 Reports of Major General Thomas C. Hindman, C. S. Army, of operations May 31-November 3, 1862-
...In the existing condition of things Gen Beauregard could not spare me a soldier, a gun, a pound of powder, nor a single dollar of money.
…I sent two of my staff officers to Grenada, Jackson, Columbus, and other depots, with requisitions for ordnance and ordnance stores, instructing them to take even condemned articles, and to bring them to me by the most practicable route.
5/27-7/18 Capt J B Lockman Ord Officer of Hindman’s staff files claim for expenses-for himself & 8 men bringing ordnance & ordnance stores from Grenada to Little Rock
6/9 Gen Hindman to Gen Cooper: I found here almost nothing. Nearly everything of value was taken away by Gen Van Dorn. The Arty amounts to six bronze pieces, and as many more of iron, condemned
-----I found here under Gen Roan about 1000 badly armed Tx mtd men, 8 Co’s of Ark Inf wholly unarmed a 6 gun btry with 40 men
Head Quarters Trans Miss District
Little Rock, Arks., July 6, 1862
I apply for two million dollars ($2,000,000.) to purchase Cotton, with which to buy arms & etc in Mexico: and have sent Rev. Ballard S. Dunn to get it, upon requisition approved by me.
It is necessary I should have arms, and ordnance stores to enable me to resist the heavy forces now in my district and threatening it. As yet, not a gun nor a pound of powder, a solitary cap nor anything else, has reached me from east of the Mississippi. As I have not failed to make frequent and urgent applications, I suppose the delay grows out of the scarcity there, or the difficulty of crossing the Mississippi, perhaps both.
Very Respectfully, T. C. Hindman
G. W. Randolph Sec. Of War
Head Quarters Trans Miss District
Little Rock, Arks., July 19, 1862
Major: I have now at my different camps of instruction in Arkansas and on the march to them, thirty (30) regiments of infantry, averaging very nearly, if not quite one thousand (1,000) men to the regiments. Of these not three thousand (3,000) are armed.
In Missouri six (6) regiments are forming for which I have no arms.
In the Indian country, there are four (4) or five (5) regiments, whose arms are worthless.
I have gathered up, by purchase and impressments, about all the arms within my district. It is perfectly certain that not one thousand more guns more guns can be obtained. Of those that I have, only about 800 are valuable, balance being shotguns and common rifles.
In response to my previous appeal for arms, Gen. Beauregard ordered turned over to my Ordnance officer, Maj. Lockman some 450 damaged shot guns and rifles - and sent me a worthless battery - these I have received.
Curtis is devastating eastern Arkansas - a gunboat and transport fleet is at the mouth of the Arkansas River. A federal force of between 1,000 and 5,000 is in the Cherokee nation. Another federal column of about the same strength is in North West Arkansas.
If arms and ammunition were furnished me, I could do something in the way of defence - without them, I am nearly powerless.
There are old muskets and batteries in abundance east of the Mississippi: I apply for them - The requisitions I send do not cover the fourth of my wants. I have stated the facts. Begging and complaining cannot add to their strength.
Very Respectfully T. C. Hindman
Maj. G. W. Brent }
Chief of staff Hd Qtrs }
West Dept, Tupelo Miss }
May I ask that a copy of this be forwarded to the secretary of war immediately?
HEADQUARTERS ARMY SOUTHWEST, Helena, Ark., July 16, 1862. I am credibly informed that General Price has been crossing troops at Gaines Landing below. I hope it will be in your power to send gunboats down to interrupt such a movement. I also desire to move my command, partly on transports; and gunboats seem necessary as convoys on the Mississippi and White rivers. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, CURTIS, Major-General, U. S. Army. NAVAL COMMANDING OFFICER, Memphis.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE SOUTHWEST,
Helena, Ark., July 20, 1862.
GENERAL: I have just returned from a reconnaissance down the river. A large amount of ammunition, small-arms, and some twenty-five pieces of artillery were crossed over into Arkansas last week near Gaines' Landing. The gunboats had passed to and fro while this was going on. I took and destroyed some 70 or 80 flat-boats, some of which had been in the business of crossing stores, and one small steamboat...
SAML. R. CURTIS,
Major-General
8/5 Hindman to Gen Cooper-…I have now in camp at this place and Pine Bluff about 18,000 effective men, well armed. I have in camps of instruction between 6,000 and 8,000 men, either wholly unarmed or else armed with guns that are of little value, such as shot-guns, rifles, carbines, &c. The arms brought out by Capt Hart, together with those brought by Gen Parsons, have relieved me of embarrassment and enabled me to make effective the greater part of my command. If Major Bankhead arrives safely, as I think he will, I can then arm the balance of my men. I am waiting anxiously to hear of that officer's arrival on this side of the river.
I have six batteries containing forty brass pieces and one Btry of iron guns. I have a Co of Arty encamped near this place, to which I will give the 8-gun Btry coming in charge of Major Bankhead. By some blundering mistake a box of friction primes intended for me was left at Grenada. I have sent a courier to meet Major Bankhead, and if he has not a full supply of them the courier is to go on to Grenada to request Major Chambliss to send forward those left by Capt Hart.
If, therefore, Major Bankhead reaches me in due time, as, from your dispatch and Major Chambliss's letter, received by same courier, I am led to believe he will, I will have in a short time from 24,000 to 26,000 Inf, about 6,000 Cav, and fifty-four pieces of Arty near this place, to which I will give the 8-gun Btry coming in charge of Major Bankhead. By some blundering mistake a box of friction primers intended for me was left at Grenada. I have sent a courier to meet Major Bankhead, and if he has not a full supply of them the courier is to go on to Grenada to request Major Chambliss to send forward those left by Capt Hart
This letter was intercepted by Union forces. See Curtis to Halleck, August 15, 1862, p. 571.
OR-Vol XIII. Beginning p 874
[Smith Bankhead-Polk’s chief of artillery
[N R Chambliss, Maj & Ord officer, Grenada, Ms, Gainesville, Ala, etc]
HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DISTRICT,
Little Rock, Ark., August 5, 1862.
General S. COOPER,
Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.:
GENERAL: I some time since made an earnest appeal to General Bragg to send me the old refuse arms and batteries now lying idle in arsenals on the other side of their river. This was before the stores sent by Captain Hart and General Parsons reached me, and before I was advised of Major Bankhead's success in getting arms and munitions for me. I have authorized the raising of independent companies among the people, and have placed those companies under the charge of the provost-marshal's department. I inclose you copies of my orders* on the subject. These companies have proved to be of benefit already, and could be made vastly useful if I had guns, even old shot-guns and rifles, to give them. As you are probably aware, nearly every gun in this State has been purchased or impressed by the Government, and many men not subject to conscription withhold from the independent companies of their counties only because they hear I can get no guns. This organization is not only useful now in matters of police, but may be more so in future as a powerful reserve, to be called into place when necessity requires it. If you arm it now you foster and secure it. For that reason I make the same appeal to you which I made to General Bragg. Let me have the old shot-guns, rifles, condemned muskets, and useless cannon which I have mentioned, to place in the hands of independent companies. I can make them useful. They are doing and will do no good were they are. I can use the batteries along the streams which the enemy's boats may attempt to navigate. If you can send them to me I urge upon you to do so as soon as possible.
Very respectfully,
T. C. HINDMAN,
Major-General, Commanding
And, here is a summary of the artillery that Hindman took from Gen Pike in the Indian Territory:
6/1 Fort McCulloch-Pike to Gen Roan, cdg Dpt of Ark…. I have two Co’s of Arty and one part of a Co, the latter just raised. I have two rifled bronzed guns, but the shells have no fuses, and twelve Parrott guns, with no fixed ammunition, and I have not a single pound of cannon powder, all of mine (3,000) having been sent down to Little Rock, and never heard of since. For the remaining guns (three bronze sixes and three howitzers), I have some 1,000 pounds of fixed ammunition
[total of 20 guns]
6/8 Gen Orders, Dpt of Ind Terr, Ft McCulloch
II. Capt Wm E. Woodruff, Jr., will march, as soon as possible, with one six-gun Btry and 120 men, with 150 rounds of ammunition to each gun
Head Quarters Trans Miss District
Little Rock, Arks., July 7, 1862
General:This will be borne to you by Capt. L. P. Dodge, who is sent by General Hindman to receive and bring here the ten parrot guns you now have with you.
The General directs me to say that the necessity of taking these guns from you is forced upon him by the scarcity of heavy artillery on this side of the Mississippi and the number of streams navigable for the gunboats of the enemy, which he has to defend.
He has two eight inch and one nine inch guns now mounted a DeVall’s Bluff, but in case he abandoned that position, as overwhelming numbers of the enemy may compel him to do, he will in all probability lose them as his means for moving them are but meager. In that case, your guns would be invaluable to him - while they may be wholly worthless to you, When White River is lost, his line of defense is the Arkansas, and without artillery pieces which he has, he would be in no condition to make a successful resistance to the advance of the enemy through Arkansas.
Very Respectfully, R. C. Newton
Brig. Genl. A. Pike
Comd’g Indian Country
Head Quarters Trans Miss District
Little Rock, Arks., July 8, 1862
Captain, General Hindman directs that upon your way to this place you turn over to Capt. Etter, commanding company of artillery at Washington, six of the guns placed in your charge by your instructions of yesterday, with all equipment complete. Captain Etter has been directed to procure necessary number of horses & etc., for his battery.
Very Respectfully, R. C. Newton A. A. Genl.
Capt. L. P. Dodge }
On special Duty & etc. }
Head Quarters Trans Miss. District
Little Rock, Arks, July 8, 1862
Captain: I you have not marched when this reaches you, General Hindman desires you to go into a camp of instruction near Washington, drill and equip your company, fill it up to one hundred and fifty men, and procure horses for a six gun battery, complete. You will be allowed two wagons for your company, one wall tent for every ten men, and one for all the officers.
Captain Dodge has been sent to Fort McCulloch, to bring here ten Parrot Guns which Genl. Pike has there. He started from here last night and it will be several weeks before he returns. I enclose you an order for him to turn over to you, on his way here, six of the guns with all the equipment complete. You will present the same to him, and receive the guns on his route here. At such point as you may desire.
Very Respectfully, R. C. Newton A. A. Genl.
Maj. Geo. D. Alexander
Comd’g artillery co.
Camden, Arks.