SOLON BORLAND (1811 VA-1864 TX) *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bill Boggess Date: 28 Feb 2007 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm *********************************************************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SOLON BORLAND was youngest of the three known sons of Harriott GODWIN and Thomas Wood BORLAND, M D, born 8 August 1811 at Suffolk (once Nansemond county), Virginia, married three times, with five known children, a very active frontiersman dying of pneumonia at age fifty- two in Harris county,Texas, on New Year's day 1864, reportedly buried in city cemetery of Houston, Texas, but not so documented. Arkansas Bar Foundation and Pulaski County Bar Association, his fellow barristers, did gather together Law Day 1992, 149 years following Solon's arrival in Litte Rock to: "...dedicate a monument for Solon Borland, early prominent lawyer in Arkansas History ..." (w/incorrect birth date) in Mount Holly cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas. One of our nation's truly fascinating frontiersman of early to mid-nineteenth century as our nation grew from 17 to 36 states, with considerable increase of land during his 52+ years. <>-------<>-------<> (Life between June 1861 - June 1862) SOLON BORLAND, M D, former United States Army major of Mexican war, former U S Senator, former U S Minister now an Arkansas' colonel, became Colonel Solon BORLAND, Confederate States Army (rank held until discharged May 26, 1862(R)) at Camp Warren(?), Camp Borland (?), Pocahontas, Randolph county, Arkansas, on the Current river near Pittman's Ferry, as commander of battalion he raised and organized at Little Rock, Pulaski county, Arkansas, on June 10, 1861. Originally known as 1st Battalion Arkansas Cavalry, it becoming 1st Arkansas Mounted Volunteers upon his and its acceptance into Confederate service on July 29, 1861, for 12 months service. This group was renamed as the 3rd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry on January 15,1862. According to Major COLLIER's 1965 book, they fought in more skirmishes that did any other Arkansas unit. (R) 3 Sep 1861, "Col S BORLAND Regiment of Cavalry will proceed without delay to Little Rock for the purpose of providing clothing for this command.", By order, Gen William J HARDEE [1815-1873]. Solon was placed in charge of Western Department's, Upper Arkansas, November 5, 1861 which was vacated by General William J HARDEE, taking with him all good equipment, materials, and experienced troops, leaving behind useless equipment or materials and inexperienced raw recruits, to wit: HARDEE had served as commandant since August 29, 1861, Solon inherited the position of which he pleaded to be relieved in letter of November 10, 1861. As of 15 December 1861 Solon is on sick leave in Little Rock for an extended period, possibly not returning to the 3rd Regiment Arkansas Cavalry before being discharged May 26, 1862 after having not been re-elected(?). Much historical documented information was gathered on Jim MARTIN's Arkansas Civil War Board, from; Bryan HOWERTON (H), Danny ODAM (O) and Solon's service records (R) from Arkansas History Commission (2/09/07). (H)"Borland's battalion, 1st Arkansas Mounted Volunteers, later increased to a regiment and redesignated as the 3rd Arkansas Cavalry, spent the winter [except 3 Sep '61 trip to Little Rock] of 1861-62 at Pitman's Ferry, Randolph County, Arkansas. They operated as scouts, manned picket posts, and maintained the courier line between Pocahontas and Memphis. Due to BORLAND's concerns about a possible U.S. attack on Pitman's Ferry, his battalion was often forward-deployed into the bootheel of Missouri to keep an eye on possible enemy movements from that direction." Solon, as afore stated, replaced Gen William J HARDEE as commander of Upper Arkansas, Western Department, Confederate States Army, until January 10, 1862 when reorganized into The Trans-Mississippi Department, then Major General Earl VAN DORN (1820MS-1863TN) was appointed in command 15 January 1862 by President Jefferson F DAVIS (1808KY-1889LA), (whom Solon served with in both, the Mexican war and U S Senate), leaving Virginia, arriving in Arkansas 29 January 1862. Solon's letters of record; November 1861, state he had NO longer had a desire of becoming a general even though he was carrying out duties of such, and that he was suffering of ill health. His service records (R) shows he was reimbursed for extensively traveling (1,710 miles) to Little Rock, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. (R) 29 Nov '61, Solon posted his 'General Order' regarding foodstuffs to NOT be shipped out of state in order to stem price gouging to local citizens. (R)11 Dec '61, Solon's letter requests a leave of absence from General Albert Sidney JOHNSTON (1803KY-1862TN, later General ROANE, for health reasons, supported by letter from surgeon Dr WASHINGTON. (R) Nov 30, 61 to Jany 31, 1862, "Field and Staff Roll". says; Col Solon BORLAND, Absent on leave at Little Rock, Sick. When Judah BENJAMIN ordered BORLAND to turn over his command to next ranking officer and report to him, I assume (?) that officer to have been Lt Col Benjamin DANLEY. (R) 20 Dec '61, Proclamation by Governor Henry Massie RECTOR (1816KY-1899AR) claiming to over-ride Solon's General Order. After Maj-Gen Earl VAN DORN was placed in charge of Trans-Mississippi Department, he then lost and ran away from the disastrous battle at Elkhorn Tavern (Pea Ridge), Arkansas on March 6-8, 1862 --- back to Pocahontas, Arkansas. (O)25 Mar ['62] - Col S BORLAND, 3rd Ark Cav, to report in person to Gen VAN DORN at HQ. [how could he, when he's in Little Rock on sick leave(??)] (H)The Co.[A] was actively engaged on outpost duty & as scouts in the North Eastern portion of Ark. & South Eastern portion of Missouri until the 6th of April 1862, at which time it was ordered to Cornith, Miss. (O)6 Apr['62] - 3rd Ark Cav left for Des Arc, Ark. (O)8 Apr['62] - Special Order #42 - VAN DORN orders all cavalry to be dismounted until further orders. (O)15 Apr['62] - VAN DORN's Special Orders issued at Des Arc: Col BORLAND [Lt Col Benjamin Danley?] and his regiment to proceed to Memphis and report to Gen [Sterling, "Old Pap"] PRICE (1809VA-1867MO). (H)On the 19th day of April the Co.[A] was dismounted by the order [Special Order #42] of Maj. Gen. VAN DORN. The horses were sent to Dallas Co, Ark. to be taken care of there. The horses ["private" as opposed to "public"] were sent in charge on one non-com officer [Possibly 1st Sgt O C GRAY who retrieved them 23 Nov, 1862] & five privates "Ordered east of the Mississippi, he [VAN DORN, with what became 3rd Ark Cav & others] arrived to late to take part in the bloody battle where thousands of troops died, at Shiloh, April 6 - 8, 1862 . (O)24 Apr['62] - Memphis, VAN DORN's Special Order #64; Forms brigade under Lt Col Benjamin DANLEY, to proceed to Cornith tomorrow: includes regiments; BORLAND, STONE & SIMS, battalion BROOKS, battery, to be assigned. (O) 25 Apr ['62] - It was found Lt Col GRIFFITH was senior officer, who then replaced DANLEY NOTE:(R) Jany 31 to April 30 1862, "Field and Staff Roll", says; Col Solon BORLAND, Absent Since 15 Dec 1861 on account of ill health. (H)01May 1862 - 30 Jun 1862 Morrisville [camp ??]. (H)4 May['62] - Cornith - Army of the West: ROANE brigade; regiments, BORLAND's aggregate, STONE, SIMS, BROOKS battalion, WILLIAMSON's Battalion Ark Inf battery (O)25 May['62] -Special Orders #98 -list of officers not re- elected and discharged including Col BORLAND & Lt Col DANLEY of 3rd Ark Cav -WILLIAMSONS' Ark bn broken up with 3 companies assigned to 3rd Ark cavalry (R) Apirl 30 to June 30 1862, "Field and Staff Muster Roll" says; Col Solon BORLAND; "Not reelected at reorganization. Dishcharged May 26/62" On 14 June 1862 (10 days before death of 16 y/o son, Pvt George Godwin BORLAND, on his way home (being relieved from CSA servce under General PIKE in Texas, because of poor health) --- The Little Rock Arkansas Gazette printed front page, column 1, to wit; "It is known for sometime that, for several months, the doctor [Solon BORLAND, age 52] has been dangerously ill; his sickness has disabled him so far as to prevent his resuming his duties as a solider in the army for some time to come at least: and best field which he now finds before him for usefulness, is in the practice of his original profession of medicine and surgery. It is useless for us to allude, is the standing of Dr. B. in his profession. That is already known to our readers." <>---------<>----------<> ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: The entire BORLAND family (parents, brothers, children (Bios)) were, on a whole, found to be sickly people in my research.