By late March 1862, Colonel McCarver was in command of an organization dubbed the "White River forces" which in addition to the remnants of his own regiment, included, the 3rd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, Lemoyne's 17th Arkansas Infantry, a temporary battalion under the command of Captain Turnbull, and artillery battery and at least two companies of Missouri troops totalling 1599 troops. In the wake of the defeat at the Battle of Pea Ridge, the Army of the West was undergoing a comprehensive reorganization, and units were assigned and reassigned on virtually a daily basis. The White River forces at Pocahontas including the Arkansas infantry commands of McCarver, Lemoyne and Turnbull were involved in a confusing array of assignments and reassignments, primarily within the brigades of Brigadier General Albert Rust and Brigadier General Thomas Churchill. It appears that McCarver's regiment was intended to be assigned to Churchill's brigade. As with most of the other active units in Arkansas, the remainder of McCarver's regiment was ordered to Corinth, Mississippi, in April 1862. The unit marched from Pittman's Ferry on April 1, 1862, and reached Jacksonport on April 5. Special Order Number 47, Army of the West, directed Colonel McCarver's regiment of Arkansas Infantry to transfer at once to the steamer "General Price" and sail for Memphis, Tennessee. Upon reaching Memphis, McCraven and Colonel Lemoyne were to report to Brigaider General Rust. The unit boarded the steamer and moved down White River, out at its mouth, then up the great Mississippi and landed at Memphis, Tennessee, on April 9. At Memphis the regiment was met by some of the wounded from Shiloh, including men from the Kelly's 9th Arkansas Infantry Battalion, who provided news of the battle of Shiloh. The regiment marched through Memphis to the Memphis & Charleston depot to board trains for Corinth. Before the train departed, the regiment was ordered to march back, board a steamer, and move further up the Mississippi River and was landed at Fort Pillow, above Memphis, on the Tennessee side. It was here that the men of McCarver's command saw their first enemy fire. It was described by Private Elihu C. Bechkam many years after the war. The unit remained at Fort Pillow for ten days. The unit continued to experience bombardment during its stay at Fort Pillow, but only one man was killed. Many of the soldiers were sick, and several died due to the very muddy conditions and poor water supply at the fort.