I believe this will explain the tie to the 36th Illinois Infantry.

At Pea Ridge/Elkhorn Tavern, Captain Henry A. Smith was in Command of Company B, of Captain Albert Jenks Cavalry Squadron attached to Col. Nicholas Greusel’s, 36th Illinois Infantry, who was then Commanding Second Brigade, First Division.

See OR, Vol. 8, pp. 229 - 232

Report No. 10. Report of Captain Albert Jenks, Illinois Cavalry.

CAMP SHERER, ARK., March 14, 1862.

SIR: I beg leave to make the following report of the part my squadron of cavalry took in the battles of the 6th, 7th, and 8th of March, 1862:

By your order we took the extreme rear of all the forces on leaving Camp Cooper, acting as rear guard. Arrived at Bentonville, by your order we halted and reported to General Sigel, who remained with two companies of Benton Hussars, the Twelfth Missouri Infantry, and one battery of flying artillery. Remaining here an hour and a half, the enemy was discovered approaching in large numbers. They immediately surrounded the town. General Sigel then ordered my squadron to take the rear of column. We moved out of the town and drew up in line with the Benton Hussars to oppose the advancing enemy,seeing which they halted and formed in line of battle.

Remaining here a short time we were ordered to advance, covering the retreat of our column. General Sigel having planted some cannon about 1 1/2 miles out of the town on the Sugar Creek road, sent back for one company of cavalry. I took Company A, of my squadron,and galloped forward. On approaching, General Sigel made this remark: "Captain Jenks, we are surrounded; the enemy is on all sides of us; but we must go through; we must cut our way through; we will go through." He then ordered me to support the battery. Some hot firing occurred here between skirmishers. We soon moved forward with the battery into an open space, when before us, at the distance of half a mile, stood the enemy, drawn up in the edge of the woods. Some shell were put in with telling effect on them, scattering them in every direction. A feint was now made with part of my company (A) as if to charge them, the men advancing some rods at a rapid gallop. This was to cover a removal of the guns, which were withdrawn and moved up the road with the whole column. Coming to an ammunition wagon standing beside the road belonging to the Thirty-sixth Regiment, I detailed 3 men to bring it forward; but 1 mule having been shot and 12 taken by the enemy, the remaining ones could not draw the load, so it was abandoned. About 3 miles farther on, going through a ravine between two bluffs, the whole column was fired upon by the enemy from the bluff on our left, the bullets raining down upon us at the foot of the hill. After a sharp fight of fifteen or twenty minutes our infantry dislodged the rebels. The cavalry could not be used on account of the thick underbrush. Passing this defile, the enemy still advancing in our rear, a battery was planted in our front, and fired some shell over us into the enemy's column coming down the road. A mile farther on we came to the Thirty-sixth Regiment, drawn up in line of battle. The enemy soon left us for the night. Four of my men were taken prisoners by the enemy.

On the morning of the 7th, by your order, my squadron, with some infantry, remained at camp as guard for the train. About noon General Sigel ordered one company to advance in the direction of the left of our battle ground to reconnoiter. My company (B) under command of Captain Smith, went, and returned to camp with 30 prisoners, including a colonel and several other officers, belonging I think, to the Third Louisiana Regiment. About 2 o'clock p.m. Company A received orders from General Sigel to report to the left wing at the battle ground. We did so, remaining there till 7 o'clock p.m. General Davis then ordered Company A to reconnoiter along the road leading from Leetown to Elkhorn Tavern, supposed to be occupied by the enemy. We did so, and finding the road clear, I reported to General Curtis that the communication was open between the right and left wing. Returned to the left wing with orders from General Curtis for General Davis to join him on the right. Remained on the field till 11 p.m., then returned to camp.

At sunrise on the morning of the 8th, by your order, reported with my company (A) at the battle-field. At 10 a.m. was ordered by General Curtis' aide to reconnoiter from Sugar Creek along the right of the Telegraph road, to see if the enemy were making any demonstration on our right flank. I deployed Company A as skirmishers to the right of the road, our line extending about 1 mile to the east. Advancing toward Elkhorn Tavern, we came up to the right wing of our forces, my men getting between the cross-fires of our forces and that of the enemy. I now ordered them to close up to the left. Having formed, we joined Company B, of my squadron, and followed our regiment, who were pursuing the flying enemy toward Keetsville. Camped, after a run of 9 miles, with Sigel's division, near Keetsville.

Yours, with respect,

ALBERT JENKS,
Captain Co. A (Cav.), Commanding Squadron Thirty-sixth Ill. Vols.

Colonel NICHOLAS GREUSEL.

..........

Report No. 11. Report of Captain Henry A. Smith, Illinois Cavalry.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit to you an account of the proceedings of my command during the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th instant, which please find below:

March 6 left Camp Cooper soon after daylight, reaching Bentonville at 9 a.m. with 47 men, Lieutenant Chapman, with 20 men, having gone on scout to Pineville the evening before. Three of my men, being on provost guard, were not relieved in time to join the company, and were in consequence taken prisoners by the enemy. After remaining at Bentonville about half an hour the enemy appeared in sight on both flanks and in the rear, their cavalry on the right moving rapidly forward, with the evident intention of cutting us off, which they succeeded in doing about 1 mile east of the town, where we were ordered to act as flankers on the left-hand side of the road. The artillery and infantry were here engaged with the enemy for fifteen minutes, and finally succeeded in driving them back, our company being under fire finally succeeded in driving them back, our company being under fire finally succeeded in driving them back, our company being under fire during the time, but unable to make a charge on account of the brush being so thick in which the enemy were concealed.

After passing forward for 2 miles farther (a continued fire being kept up by the enemy and our skirmishers on the left in our rear), we were again obliged to halt and remain in a very exposed situation in the road (the bluffs on each side being inaccessible to cavalry) for some twenty minutes, during which time the firing was incessant. As soon,however, as the artillery opened upon them in front the road was soon cleared, and we passed forward to camp without further trouble, Lieutenant Chapman and his party coming in about an hour after us by a different road.

At 8 a.m. on the 7th Lieutenant Chapman, with the second platoon, were sent into the valley on the Telegraph road to act as patrol, where they remained until 3 p.m., when they received an order to join Company A. I remained with the wagons until 3 p.m., when I received an order from General Sigel to proceed to the left wing of our division with 20 men and report what I could learn in that direction. After proceeding in this direction about 1 mile we fell in with and captured 33 privates and the following officers: Colonel Hebert, Major and Captain Vigilini, of the Louisiana regiment, of McIntosh's division, the first, Colonel Hebert, being an acting brigadier-general in said division; also Colonel Mitchell and a captain of the Fourteenth Arkansas were of the number taken, and had we been left there until night I believe we would have captured at least 200 of the enemy. The prisoners stated that they had become separated from their commands in a charge made in the morning and had been unable to rejoin them. At 5 o'clock received an order from General Sigel to return to camp and guard the prisoners and baggage train.

At 3 a.m. on the 8th was ordered to report to General Sigel, and was assigned a position on the left wing of our division, near where the Benton and Fremont Hussars were in line, where we remained until a short time before the firing ceased, when we were ordered to a position farther to the left, in a plowed field, where we remained in line until 11 a.m., when we received orders to move forward on the Telegraph road in pursuit of the enemy. We camped with our regiment that night.

March 9 moved forward to Keetsville with the advance, when I received an order from General Sigel to proceed to Cassville, but after advancing 3 miles on the road met Colonel Wright, with troops and train from that place, and returned with him, the object of my orders being accomplished. Reached our camp at Rose Hill at 7 p.m.

All which is respectfully submitted.

Yours, to command,

H. A. SMITH,
Captain, Commanding Co. B (Cav.), Thirty-sixth Regiment Ill. Vols.

Colonel NICHOLAS GREUSEL,
Commanding Second Brigade, First Division.