The 13th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighti ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Organized mainly from companies, including several prewar volunteer militia companies, raised in northeastern Arkansas, the regiment was among the first transferred to Confederate Service, and spent virtually the entire war serving in Confederate forces east of the Mississippi River. After the unit sustained heavy casualties during the Battle of Murfreesboro, the unit spent most of the rest of the war field consolidated with the 13th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, to form the 5th/13th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.

Organization

The 13th Arkansas was formally organized on July 29, 1861, at Camp Ground in Greene County, Arkansas, with about 1,000 men. The companies (less Co. K) mustered into Confederate service at Harrisburg, Arkansas, on July 23, 1861. Company K, the "Erin Guards," was from St. Louis, Missouri; the rest of the companies were from northeast Arkansas. Colonel A. D. Grayson was the mustering officer. The regiment was organized from the following companies: * Company A – the "Tappan Guards" commanded by Captain Robert B. Lambert, was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 12th Militia Regiment of Phillips County on May 23, 1861, under the command of Captain James C. Tappan. For an unknown reason, the company officers were issued new militia commissions as belonging to the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia on August 1, 1861. * Company B – the "Richland Rangers", originally organized as a volunteer militia company in the 19th Militia Regiment of St. Francis County, Arkansas, enlisted August 1, 1861, at Madison, Arkansas, under the command of Captain John C. Johnson, Captain J. R. Shelton succeeded Johnson in command. * Company C – the "Harrisburg Vindicators", commanded by Captain Benjamin Harris from Poinsett County, Arkansas, by the time of the Battle of Shiloh, 1st Lieutenant J. H. Hall had assumed command. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Poinsett County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued to the company officers on August 1, 1861. * Company D – Commanded by Captain Andrew Balfour from Lawrence County, Arkansas. The company officers were issued militia commissions as officers of a volunteer militia company under the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Poinsett County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued on August 12, 1861. * Company F – "Rough and Ready", commanded by Captain Thomas Wilds from Greene County, Arkansas. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company in the 14th Militia Regiment, under the command of Captain William F. J. Clements with commissions being issued on August 10, 1862. The clerk which recorded the commissions inserted a note "Greene County" in the list of Commissioned Officers with this company. * Company G – Commanded by Captain Hogan W. Murphy from St. Francis County, Arkansas. * Company H – the "Mound City Greys", commanded by Captain Braxton C. Crump from Crittenden County, Arkansas. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 30th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Poinsett County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued to the officers on July 5, 1861. * Company I – the "Confederate Greys", commanded by Captain James M. Pollard from Craighead County, Arkansas. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 55th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Craighead County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued to the officers on August 18, 1861. * Company K – the "Erin Guards," commanded by Captain George B. Hunt from Washington County, Missouri. This company contained a large number of Irish immigrants that had been working in Missouri before the war. These immigrants were led south by Patrick Ahearn. Ahearn had belong to a Missouri State Guard company which was captured at Camp Jackson, outside of St. Louis. Ahearn had disguised his men as a gang of laborers, and moved south, eventually coming in contact with a Captain Hunt, whose company apparently also contained Irishmen. The two groups united to become Company K. The original regimental officers elected at the formation of the regiment were:Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas. NARA M317. Accessed 15 March 2012, http://www.fold3.com/image/#20, 222028708 * James C. Tappan, colonel * A. D. Grayson, lieutenant colonel * James A. McNeely, major * William N. Mercer, adjutant * P. Van Patten, surgeon * E. T. Wimpy, hospital steward

Battles

The 13th Arkansas was ordered to a camp at Belmont, Missouri, just across the river from Columbus, Kentucky. On November 7, 1861, Brigadier General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

landed troops from

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysse ...

, via steamer on the Missouri side of the river. The "Camp of Observation", occupied by the 13th Arkansas, was briefly overrun by Union forces, who set fire to the camp. Grant's forces were eventually driven off and, in the process, the 13th gained its first combat experience. Unfortunately in the process, it lost its original muster rolls which were lost when the regiment's camp was burned. As a result, the oldest surviving documents are from the regimental reorganization that took place nine months later in April 1862. Consequently, the names of several hundred of the regiment's original members have been lost to history. After the losses of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston withdrew his forces into western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and Alabama to reorganize. The 13th Arkansas was assigned to Brigadier General Alexander P. Stewart's 2nd Brigade of Brigadier General Charles Clark's 1st Division of Major General

Leonidas Polk Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and founder of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America, which separated from the Episcopal Ch ...

's 1st Army Corps, of General Albert S. Johnston's

Army of Mississippi There were three formations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. This name is contrasted against Army of ''the'' Mississippi, which was a Union Army named for the Mississippi River, not ...

. The regiment suffered heavy casualties at the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

. It lost 100 soldiers killed, wounded and missing, which represented almost one third of the 306 engaged there. Colonel Tappan was sick and absent on the first day of the battle so command fell to Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Grayson, who was killed in action while leading a charge. Upon Grayson's death, command of the regiment fell to Major James A. McNeely. In April 1862 the Confederate Army underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1962. All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for two years or the duration of the war; a new election of officers was ordered; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home. Officers who did not choose to stand for re-election were also offered a discharge. The reorganization was accomplished among all the Arkansas regiments in and around Corinth, Mississippi, following the Battle of Shiloh. The 13th Arkansas reorganized for the war on April 29, 1862, and the following field officers were elected: James C

* James A. McNeely, Colonel (Resigned 27 May 1862) * A. R. Brown, Lieutenant Colonel * R. A. Duncan, Major * Jasper F. Butler, Surgeon * A. W. Cole, Assistant Surgeon * Abner M. Casey, Chaplain * B. B. Casey, Ordnance Sergeant As a result of the reorganization in April 1862, the companies were re-lettered and new commanders were elected as follows: * Company A – Captain George B. Hunt (originally Company K) * Company B – Captain Hiram F. Tennison (originally Company E) * Company C – Captain D. W. Hoshall (originally Company A) * Company D – Captain Thomas R. Shelton (originally Company B) * Company E – Captain Reginald H. Thompson (see note) * Company F – Captain James H. Lloyd (originally Company D) * Company G – Captain Luther Dunn (originally Company G) * Company H – Captain Henry M. Ellis (originally Company H) * Company I – Captain Ivey S. Hughes (originally Company I) * Company K – Captain James M. Levesque (originally Company C) Note: Company E (originally commanded by Captain R. C. Flournoy), from Desha County, had been attached to the 7th Kentucky Infantry as (old) Company K. It was transferred to the 13th Arkansas in the reorganization. Despite their heavy losses at Shiloh the regiment continued to function as a part of the Army of the Mississippi. By the time they took part in the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the ...

the regiment had been consolidated with the

15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Josey's) The 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment or Josey's Arkansas Infantry Regiment (also known as "Polk's regiment" or "Cleburne's regiment") was an infantry formation in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was organize ...

, which had formerly been commanded by Colonel Cleburne. The unit was assigned to Brigadier General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne's 2nd Brigade of Major General

Simon Bolivar Buckner Simon Bolivar Buckner ( ; April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) was an American soldier, Confederate combatant, and politician. He fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War. He later fought in the Confederate States Army ...

's 3rd Division of

William Joseph Hardee William Joseph Hardee (October 12, 1815November 6, 1873) was a career U.S. Army and Confederate States Army officer. For the U.S. Army, he served in the Second Seminole War and in the Mexican–American War, where he was captured and exchanged ...

's Corps of the

. The regiment lost 6 killed and 23 wounded at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky. After the Kentucky Campaign, the unit was assigned to General Liddell/Govan's Brigade, Cleburn's Division, Army of Tennessee. It would remain in this brigade for the rest of the war. In 1863, the 13th Arkansas was consolidated with the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and placed under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Lucius E. Polk Brigadier-General Lucius Eugene Polk (July 10, 1833 – December 1, 1892) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. He was a nephew of Leonidas Polk. Early ...

of the 15th. It was consolidated with the 15th Arkansas at Murfreesboro. The 13th/15th reported 68 casualties in the fight at Murfreesboro. The 13th was field consolidated with the 5th Arkansas in September, 1863 and remained consolidated with the 5th until the closing month of the war. The regiment took part in the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. ...

and the Tullahoma Campaign along with many other major engagements. The 5th/13th lost forty-five percent of the 450 at Chickamauga, had 21 men disabled at Ringgold Gap, totaled 321 men and 222 arms in December 1863, and reported 112 casualties at the Battle of Atlanta. The regiment and the rest of Govan's Brigade participated in General

John B. Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the de ...

's disastrous Franklin-Nashville Campaign. Due to the appalling losses suffered by Govan's Brigade during the Atlanta Campaign, the 1st/15th, 5th/13th and 2nd/24th Arkansas Regiments were consolidated into one regiment, which was commanded by Colonel Peter Green of the 5th/13th (specifically of the 5th). The other officers of the consolidated regiment were Major Alexander T. Meek, of the 2nd/24th Arkansas, Captain Mordecai P. Garrett and Sergeant Major Thomas Benton Moncrief of the 15th Arkansas. The consolidated regiment fought under the colors of the consolidated 5th/13th Arkansas Regiment, because this was one of the only colors not captured when Govan's Brigade was overrun at the Battle of Jonesboro. The flag of the combined 5th/13th Arkansas was issued in March 1864 and was captured by Benjamin Newman of the 88th Illinois Infantry at the battle of Franklin. The consolidated regiment numbered just 300 rifles and sustained 66% casualties during the Battle of Franklin. The remnants of Govan's Brigade that survived the Tennessee Campaign remained with the Army of Tennessee through its final engagements in the 1865

Carolinas Campaign The campaign of the Carolinas (January 1 – April 26, 1865), also known as the Carolinas campaign, was the final campaign conducted by the United States Army (Union Army) against the Confederate States Army in the Western Theater. On January ...

. The 13th Arkansas is credited with the following engagements: *

Battle of Belmont The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861 in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S. president, ...

, Kentucky, November 7, 1861. *

, Tennessee, April 6–7, 1862. *

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

, April to June 1862. *

Kentucky Campaign The Confederate Heartland Offensive (August 14 – October 10, 1862), also known as the Kentucky Campaign, was an American Civil War campaign conducted by the Confederate States Army in Tennessee and Kentucky where Generals Braxton Bragg an ...

, Kentucky, August–October, 1862 ** Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, August 29–30, 1862. **

, Kentucky, October 8, 1862. *

Battle of Murfreesboro The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Am ...

, Tennessee, December 31, 1862, to January 3, 1863. * Tullahoma Campaign, June 1863. ** Battle of Liberty Gap, Tennessee, June 24–26, 1863. * Chickamauga Campaign, Georgia, August–September, 1863. **

, Georgia, September 19–20, 1863. * Chattanooga Campaign, September to November 1863. **

Battle of Missionary Ridge The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces in the Military Division o ...

, Tennessee, November 25, 1863. **

Battle of Ringgold Gap The Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, outside the town of Ringgold, Georgia, by the Confederate and Union armies during the American Civil War. Part of the Chattanooga Campaign, it followed a heavy Confederate loss at the Bat ...

, Georgia, November 27, 1863. * Atlanta Campaign, May to September 1864. **

Battle of Rocky Face Ridge The Battle of Rocky Face Ridge was fought May 7–13, 1864, in Whitfield County, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union army was led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and the Confederate army by Ge ...

, Georgia, May 5–11, 1864. **

Battle of Resaca The Battle of Resaca, from May 13 to 15, 1864, formed part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War, when a Union force under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The batt ...

, Georgia, May 14–15, 1864. **

Battle of New Hope Church The Battle of New Hope Church (May 25–26, 1864) was a clash between the Union Army under Major General William T. Sherman and the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign of the American ...

, Georgia, May 25 – June 4, 1864. **

Battle of Pickett's Mill The Battle of Pickett's Mill (May 27, 1864) was fought in Paulding County, Georgia, between Union forces under Major General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign in the ...

, Georgina, May 27, 1864. **

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Ten ...

, Georgia, June 27, 1864. **

Battle of Peachtree Creek The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee ...

, Georgia, July 20, 1864. ** Siege of Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1864. **

Battle of Jonesboro The Battle of Jonesborough (August 31–September 1, 1864) was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. On the first ...

, Georgia, August 31 to September 1, 1864. *

Franklin–Nashville Campaign The Franklin–Nashville campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American C ...

, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, September 18 to December 27, 1864 ** Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864. **

Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1 ...

, Tennessee, December 15–16, 1864. *

, February to April 1865. **

Battle of Bentonville The Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865) was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last battle between the armies of Union Maj ...

, North Carolina, March 19–21, 1865.

African Americans in Confederate Service

A Lieutenant Shelton of the 13th Arkansas apparently took an African American slave with him to battle:One Hundred Fifty Years Ago: Negro's Support the Confederacy", Arkansas Toothpick, Accessed 3 December 2011, http://arkansastoothpick.com/2011/12/fifty-years-ago-negros-support-confederacy/

Flags

There are two flags associated with the 13th Arkansas known to be in existence; the flag of the Erin Guards, Company K, and the flag of the combined

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

and 13th Arkansas Infantry regiment. The flag of the Erin Guards is a 1st National Flag Pattern with the words "VICTORY or DEATH" inscribed on the white strip. The flag had a circle of ten stars on a blue field with an eleventh star in the center of the circle. The flag is currently in the collection of the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis, Missouri. The flag of the 5th and 13th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment, and its flag staff, are thought to be in private hands. The flag of the combined 5th/13th Arkansas was issued in March, 1864 and was captured by Benjamin Newman of the 88th Illinois Infantry at the battle of Franklin, Tennessee. The flag-staff for this flag is also in private hands and it is stenciled; "5th & 6th Arkansas – B. Newman". The curator of the Carter House in Franklin, Tom Carter, says it was mistakenly labeled, and should have been the "5th & 13th", which were consolidated at the time of the battle. The 6th Arkansas by that time was consolidated with the 7th Arkansas. Research shows the flag at that time was a "white moon on a blue field". The 5th/13th Arkansas flag, was one of five captured by the 88th Illinois at the Battle of Franklin, and none were forwarded to the War Department. It was last seen at Nashville when the 88th Illinois displayed the captured flags to General Thomas. The division commander stated, "They were afterward sent home by those who captured them. Since then they have been ordered to be returned, and will be forwarded to department headquarters as soon as they arrive." However, none were ever returned.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: Captured Regimental Flags" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 11 January 2009, Accessed 19 February 2012

Consolidation and surrender

The remnants of ten depleted Arkansas regiments, along with one mostly-Arkansas regiment, in the Army of Tennessee were consolidated into a single regiment at Smithfield, North Carolina, on April 9, 1865. The 1st Arkansas, was lumped together with the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

6th 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second ...

, 7th, 8th, 15th,

19th 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

and 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiments and the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry. On April 26, 1865, the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment was present with the Army of Tennessee when it surrendered in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

References

External links

Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110718122909/http://arkansascivilwar.com/ The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas
13th Arkansas Infantry

13th Arkansas Infantry Battle Marker

* {{Authority control Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Arkansas 1865 disestablishments in Arkansas Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Military units and formations in Arkansas Military in Arkansas 1861 establishments in Arkansas Military units and formations established in 1861