The 2nd Arkansas Infantry (June 1, 1861 – May 26, 1865) was an army

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 ...

of the Confederate Army during the

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

. The regiment was raised in May 1861 under Colonel Thomas C. Hindman. It served throughout the war in the western theater, in the Confederate Army of Tennessee, seeing action in the Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia campaigns. Following its depletion in numbers, the regiment was consolidated several times with other Arkansas regiments, finally merging in 1865 into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment. The regiment has no connection with the 2nd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops, which participated in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, and is also separate from the

2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment The 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry (1864–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The regiment is separate from and has no connection with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Confeder ...

, which was formed in 1864 from remnants of regiments surrendered at Vicksburg and Port Hudson.

Organization

The regiment was organized at

Helena, Arkansas Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler of Phillips County and the n ...

, in the spring of 1861 at the expense of

Thomas Carmichael Hindman Thomas Carmichael Hindman Jr. (January 28, 1828 – September 28, 1868) was an American lawyer, politician, and a senior officer of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, he later moved to Miss ...

, who had only recently resigned from the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

with

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

and the formation of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. By June 1, 1861, Hindman had raised ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas which would eventually become known as the 2nd Arkansas Infantry. The regiment was composed primarily of men from the following counties: *Company A – of Phillips County commanded by Captain T.C. Anderson:, *Company B – of Phillips County, commanded by Captain John Kane. *Company C (old) – of Phillips County. *Company C – of Phillips County commanded by Captain John J. Foreman. *Company C (new) – of Phillips County. *Company D – of Phillips County, commanded by James E. Richards. *Company E – of Phillips County. *Company E (old) – of Phillips County, commanded by Barton Y. Truner. *Company E (new) – of Transfers from 11th Arkansas Infantry. *Company F – of Phillips County, originally commanded by Daniel C. Govan, later commanded by Captain Richard S. Boyd. *Company G – of Bradley County, commanded by Captain William D. Mackey. *Company H – the "Southern Guards", of Jefferson County, commanded by Captain Joseph W. Bocage.Arkansas Military Department Records, Spanish American War, List of Commissioned Officers of the Militia 1827–1862, Arkansas History Commission, Microfilm Roll 38-8 This company was originally organized on December 18, 1860, as a volunteer company in the 24th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia. *Company I – of Bradley County, commanded by W.J. McKinney. *Company K – of Saline County, commanded by Captain M.D Brown. Colonel Hindman asked the state to provide muskets, clothing and ten days rations so his men could "fight for our country." Hindman also asked to be ordered to march to Virginia. His requests were not complied with, so he stopped steamers loaded with sugar for Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and sold their cargo. He then purchased all the arms available and took his command to Memphis. Other organizations joined him: Lieutenant Colonel John S. Marmaduke's battalion of eight companies, which would eventually become 3rd Confederate Infantry; 6th (Phifer’s) Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, under Major Charles W. Phifer, and Captain Swett's Mississippi battery of four guns. This combined force, known temporarily as "Hindman's Legion", was ultimately ordered to assemble with the other Arkansas troops assembling at Pocahontas, where they were mustered into Confederate service by companies between May 26 and June 26, 1861, and assigned to Hardee's Division.Howerton, Bryan R. "THE HISTORY OF THE 2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, The regiment was commanded by Colonels Thomas C. Hindman, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Bocage, Colonel Daniel C. Govan, Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Scaife, and E. Warfield; Lieutenant Colonels Jos. W. Bocage, E. G. Brasher, R. F. Harvey, and Charles Patterson; and Major A. T. Meek. Hindman, Thomas Carmichael, 1828-1868-full

Hindman, Thomas Carmichael, 1828-1868-full

Two of the regiment's officers, Thomas C. Hindman and Daniel C. Govan, were promoted to general. Hindman would later be

wounded in action Wounded in Action (WIA) describes combatants who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during wartime, but have not been killed. Typically, it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing ...

and receive a promotion to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

, ending the war as Arkansas' highest-ranking officer.

Battles

The unit moved from Pittman's Ferry in northeast Arkansas to Kentucky. In October 1861, General

Albert Sidney Johnston Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) served as a general in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army. He saw extensive combat during his 34-year military career, figh ...

assumed command of Army of Central Kentucky, and Brigadier General Hardee was promoted to Major General and given command of a division, which included the 2nd Arkansas. Colonel Hindman was reassigned to brigade command. When Hindman was promoted to Brigadier General on September 28, 1861, and the command of the regiment fell to Lieutenant Colonel Bocage. Lieutenant Colonel Bocage resigned on November 23, 1861. The unit was involved in an engaged at Rowlett's Station, Kentucky, on December 17, 1861. After the losses of Fort Henry and

Fort Donelson Fort Donelson was a fortress built early in 1862 by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River, which led to the heart of Tennessee, and thereby the Confederacy. The fort was named after Confederate general Da ...

in February 1862, Confederate General

withdrew his forces into western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and Alabama to reorganize. On March 29, 1862, the Army of Central Kentucky was merged into the

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 ...

in preparation for the Battle of Shiloh. Assigned to Hindman's (later Liddell's) brigade,

in March, 1862 where it participated in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6–7, 1862 and in the Corinth Campaign from April through June of that year. As a result of losses in the Battle of Shiloh, Companies C and E were disbanded and consolidated with other companies. A new Company C was recruited from Marianna, Arkansas and a new Company E was formed from members of the

11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment The 11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment or 11th Arkansas Volunteers was an infantry formation of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Following the units surrender during the Battle of Island Number Ten, Battle of Island No. 10, ...

who had escaped capture at the fall of

Island Number Ten Island Number Ten was an island in the Mississippi River near Tiptonville, Tennessee and the site of a major eponymous battle in the American Civil War. In the mid-19th century the United States Government began to adopt a uniform numbering plan ...

. In early May 1862 the Confederate forces underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862. All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for two additional 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. In the reorganization of Confederate forces before the start of the Kentucky Campaign, the 2nd Arkansas, now under the command of Colonel Daniel C. Govan was assigned to Brigadier General

St. John Richardson Liddell St. John Richardson Liddell (September 6, 1815 – February 14, 1870) was a prominent Louisiana planter who served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was an outspoken proponent of Southern abolitioni ...

's 1st 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 Major General William Joseph Hardee's Corps of the

. The regiment participated in

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 ...

, Kentucky, in October 1862. In November 1862, following the Kentucky Campaign, General Bragg united his Army of Mississippi and General

Kirby Smith General Edmund Kirby Smith (May 16, 1824March 28, 1893) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded the Trans-Mississippi Department (comprising Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, western Louisiana, Arizona Territory and the Indi ...

Army of Kentucky The Army of Kentucky was the name of two Union army formations. Both were small and short-lived, serving in Kentucky in 1862 and 1863. Army of August 1862 On August 25, 1862 Major General William "Bull" Nelson assumed command of the forces stat ...

to create the

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in ...

. In the reorganization, Liddell's brigade of Arkansas troops was assigned to Cleburne's Division and fought in the

Battle of Stones River 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 ...

, December 31, 1862 – January 3, 1863. The regiment lost 15 killed, 94 wounded, and 9 missing at Murfreesboro. The regiment took part in the Tullahoma Campaign in June, 1863; and the

Battle of Liberty Gap The Battle of Liberty Gap was fought during the Tullahoma Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was an early instance of mounted infantry using Spencer repeating rifles during the war similar to the concurrent battle of Hoover's Gap. ...

, June 24–26, 1863. According to the report Brigadier General St. John R. Liddell, the regiment lost its colors during the fighting at Liberty Gap. The Thirty-eighth Illinois captured the colors of the Second Arkansas Infantry, and were given credit for breaking the Confederate line and forcing their retreat. In September, 1863, the 2nd was consolidated with the 15th Arkansas, and the consolidated regiment participated 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. I ...

, September 19–20, 1863. In December 1863, the 24th Arkansas Infantry was added to the consolidated 2nd/15th Arkansas and the 2nd/15th/24th totaled 295 men and 202 arms in December 1863. On December 29, 1863, Colonel Daniel Govan of the 2nd Arkansas was promoted to the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. The consolidated unit participated in all the battles of the

Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign The Chattanooga campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Major general (United States), Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army, Union Army of the C ...

including the Siege of Chattanooga September to November 1863; Battle of Chattanooga, the

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 ...

. When General

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia secede ...

assumed command of the Army of Tennessee to oppose General Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, Govan's Brigade was reorganized and only the 2nd and 24th were united. The 2nd/24th Arkansas participated in the battles of Dalton, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, and the Siege of Atlanta. The consolidated 2nd/24th Arkansas reported 130 casualties during the campaign. The regiment and it colors were captured, along with much of Govan's Brigade at the

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, on Sept. 1, 1864. Due to a special cartel between Union General

Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name) ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a tank Sherman may also refer to: Places United St ...

and Confederate General John B. Hood, the unit was quickly paroled and exchanged for Union prisoners held at Andersonville Prison. The regiment re-entered service approximately a month later. The 2nd Arkansas and the rest of Govan's Brigade were released and exchanged just in time to participate in General John B. Hood'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 2nd Arkansas Infantry took part in the following engagements: **

Battle of Rowlett's Station The Battle of Rowlett's Station (also known as Battle of Woodsonville or Green River) was a land battle in the American Civil War, fought at the railroad whistle-stop of Rowlett's in Hart County, Kentucky, on December 17, 1861. The outcome was ...

, Kentucky, December 17, 1861. ** Battle of Shiloh, 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 and ...

, Kentucky, August–October, 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. ***

, 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, Tennessee, November 25, 1863. ***

, Georgia, November 27, 1863. ** Atlanta Campaign, May to September 1864. *** Battle of Rocky Face Ridge, 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 battle ...

, 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 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 Tenne ...

, 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.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 38, In Five Parts. Part 3, Reports., Book, 1891; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154634/ : accessed June 27, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. ***

, Georgia, August 31–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 Civ ...

, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, September 18–December 27, 1864. ***

Battle of Spring Hill The Battle of Spring Hill was fought November 29, 1864, at Spring Hill, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood, attacked a Union ...

, Tennessee, November 29, 1864. *** Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864. *** Battle of Nashville, Tennessee, December 15–16, 1864. **

, February–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.

Consolidation and Surrender

On April 9, 1865, the remnants of ten depleted Arkansas regiments in the Army of Tennessee, along with one mostly Arkansas regiment, were consolidated to form a single regiment at Smithfield, North Carolina. The 1st Arkansas was combined with the 2nd,

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 ...

, 6th,

7th 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...

8th 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

, 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 Regiment The 24th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit began its service in the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, but the bulk of the unit was captured at the Battle of Arkansa ...

s and the

3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment The 18th Arkansas Infantry (Marmaduke's) (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was also briefly identified as the 1st Arkansas Infantry Battalion. The unit was most often referred to as the ...

as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry on April 9, 1865. 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 ...

.2nd Arkansas Infantry Battalion

References

External links

2nd Arkansas Infantry during the American Civil WarEdward G. Gerdes Civil War Home PageThe 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 {{Authority control Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Arkansas 1865 disestablishments in Arkansas Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Military in Arkansas Military units and formations in Arkansas 1861 establishments in Arkansas Military units and formations established in 1861

Organization

Battles

Consolidation and Surrender

See also

References

External links