William Howerton: 2nd Mounted Arkansas Rifles Company K

Muster Roll for William Howerton Private.

William Howerton was a seventeen year old farm hand on his Uncle William's homestead when the Civil War began in 1861. Records show that he enlisted on the 22nd of December 1861 at Cantonment Bee, Arkansas. According to civil war researchers this place was not a town, but a military camp. It was located near Fort Smith on the Arkansas River about 80 miles southwest of the Howerton homestead. 

Colonel James McQueen Mackintosh 

commanding officer killed at the 

Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas.

William joined the 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles as a seventeen year old soldier to fight for the Confederates. His Company K consisted of about 100 men from Madison County. 10 companies made up the 2nd Mounted Arkansas Rifles with Colonel James McQueen Mackintosh as the commanding officer. The records show that Martin Howerton, age 22, enlisted in Company K on the same day. Perhaps Martin was a William's cousin.   

Mounted Rifles are essentially soldiers trained to fight as infantry and move on horseback vs. Cavalry units which are trained to ride and fight from horseback. William must have come to the army with strong shooting and riding skills. His skills saw a lot of action. Here is a list of engagements which the 2nd Mounted Rifles fought.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Arkansas_Mounted_Rifles
The unit is entitled to the following Campaign Participation Credits:

• Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri, August 10, 1861
• Battle of Chustenahlah, Oklahoma, December 26, 1861[21]
• Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, March 6–8, 1862
• Siege of Corinth, Mississippi, April to June 1862
• Kentucky Campaign, Kentucky, August–October 1862
◦ Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, August 29–30, 1862
◦ Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, October 8, 1862
• Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 31, 1862 to January 3, 1863
• Vicksburg Campaign
◦ Battle of Jackson, Mississippi, May 14, 1863
◦ Siege of Jackson, Mississippi, July 5–25, 1863
• Chickamauga Campaign,
◦ Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 19–20, 1863
 
After the Battle of Chickamauga the 2nd Arkansas Rifles fought on for two more years in Mississipi, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. The American Civil War claimed in excess of 620,000 men in battle or disease-related deaths, nearly more deaths than all other American wars combined. Nineteen year old William Howerton was one of the casualties. The records of Company K show that William had ridden with his unit for two when he was wounded in Georgia at the battle of Chickamauga. He died of those wounds five days later.

HOWERTON, WILLIAM Pvt - Age 17. Enl 22 Dec 1861 at Cantonment Bee, AR. Wounded 19-20 Sep 1863 at Chickamauga, GA and died 25 Sep 1863.

Photos of the Chickamauga Battlefield :Mathew Brady. 

Because William Howerton was engaged in the war in 1861, it doesn't seem likely he was engaged in the paternity of Armenta Paralee Howerton who was born about 1862. Certainly he was not the father of Paralee's younger Sister Martha Laird born in 1865 or her brother James Riley Laird born in 1871. Perhaps that action was left to his younger brother James Nathan. 

Note:  Martin Howerton, his namesake comrade, on January 5th at Murfreesboro, TN and sent to prison at Camp Morton, Indiana. It is unclear if he ever returned home. 

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Arkansas_Mounted_Rifles