Col R. R. Garland having been a Capt in the United States Army and was considered a excellant soldier (not deserving of the fame he gather at Arkansas Post). It is my understanding that he would establish a Camp of Instruction at Benton because Hindman did not think that Little Rock could be held at that time when Arkansas was basically undefended.

It was intended (I believe) that the Camp Texas at Benton was thought to have been the place in the overall outlook of the situation as seen in July 1862 that Austin, Arkansas and Camp Nelson became in late 1862. It was supposed to be the place were all units coming to Arkansas out of Texas was to report, hence the name Camp Texas. In the summer of 1862 all things changed fast.

Tactically any troops gathered at Benton could respond with equal ease to Little Rock or Pine Bluff which were thought to be the primary targets of Gen Curtis objectives. the capture of either one of those locations would have meant the lost of the State of Arkansas to the Confederacy in 1862. By late summer of 1862 the front line had moved from the Arkansas River to the White River when Curtis abandoned his plans to capture either one of these places and moved to Helena.