Archibald S. Dobbins
| Archibald S. Dobbins | |
|---|---|
Col. Archibald Dobbins
|
|
| Born | 1836 Mount Pleasant, Tennessee |
| Died | circa 1869 Brazil |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch | Confederate States Army Cavalry |
| Years of service | 1862–1865 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Commands held | 1st Arkansas Cavalry, CSA |
| Battles/wars | |
Archibald S. Dobbins (1836 – circa 1869) was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War.
Arch Dobbins was the son of David and Catherine Dobbins and was born on his father’s farm known as Sandy Hook near Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. Shortly after his marriage to Mary Patience Dawson, also of Mount Pleasant, he moved to Arkansas, acquiring land called Horse Shoe Island Plantation, near Helena.
In 1862 Phillips County, Arkansas was occupied by Federal troops. Dobbins sent his family to Tennessee and joined a Confederate regiment commanded by Thomas C. Hindman. When Hindman was appointed to take over the military command of Arkansas, he brought Dobbins with him to Little Rock as a colonel on his general staff. Following his service on Hindman’s staff, Dobbins was given command of a brigade of cavalry that became known as “Dobbins Cavalry” or more formally the 1st Arkansas Cavalry. Dobbins returned with his cavalry to Phillips County which became his base of operations.
Dobbins Cavalry is difficult to research because not only was it a loosely organized regiment, but most of the typical paperwork generated by a regiment in the field is missing from the record. Only a handful of muster rolls, and almost no quartermaster or commissary reports, are known to exist. Dobbins brigade was assigned to a division commanded by Gen. Lucius M. Walker and fought in major engagements, raids, and skirmishes throughout eastern and northeastern Arkansas.
After Walker was killed in a duel with fellow general John S. Marmaduke, Dobbins assumed command of Walker’s division. When Marmaduke became Dobbins superior, Dobbins refused to serve under him in protest of the killing of Walker. Marmaduke ordered Dobbins arrest and court martial. On November 23, 1863 it was announced that Dobbins had been dismissed from the army. Despite the verdict, Dobbins never officially surrendered his command and continued to operate his brigade out of the Helena area. 1864 dispatches from Confederate Gen. Joe Shelby to his commanders in northeast Arkansas included Col. Dobbins.
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