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, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
of the
Confederate Army
The Confederate States Army (CSA), 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), fi ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. 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 Confedera ...
, 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, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phil ...
, in the spring of 1861 at the expense of
Thomas Carmichael Hindman, who had only recently resigned from the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
with
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
's
secession
Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
and the formation of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
.
By June 1, 1861, Hindman had raised ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas which would eventually become known as the
2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment. 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. 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, 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
General officer, General Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) was an American military officer who served as a general officer in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States ...
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
Albert Sidney Johnston
General officer, General Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) was an American military officer who served as a general officer in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States ...
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, no ...
in preparation for the
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...
.
Assigned to Hindman's (later Liddell's) brigade,
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, no ...
in March, 1862 where it participated in the
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...
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.
History
In the mid-19th century the United States Government began to adopt a uniform num ...
.
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's 1st Brigade of Major General
Simon Bolivar Buckner
Simon Bolivar Buckner ( ; April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) was an American soldier, Confederate military officer, and politician. He fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War. He later fought in the Confederate State ...
's 3rd Division of Major General
William Joseph Hardee's Corps of 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, no ...
. 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 Ame ...
, Kentucky, in October 1862.
In November 1862, following the Kentucky Campaign, General Bragg united his Army of Mississippi and General
Kirby Smith's
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 in 1863.
Army of August 1862
On August 25, 1862, Major General William "Bull" Nelson assumed command of the forces stati ...
to create the
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was a Field army, field army of the Confederate States Army in the Western theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater of the American Civil War. Named for the Confederate States of America, Confederate state of Tenn ...
. 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 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 American Ci ...
, 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, 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 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...
, 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. The consolidated unit participated in all the battles of the
Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign including the
Siege of Chattanooga
The Chattanooga campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga i ...
September to November 1863;
Battle of Chattanooga, the
Battle of Ringgold Gap.
When General
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American military officer who served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia declared secession from ...
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 States of America, Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the Am ...
, Georgia, on Sept. 1, 1864.Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank
S ...
and Confederate General John B. Hood, the unit was quickly paroled and exchanged for Union prisoners held at Andersonville Prison
The Andersonville National Historic Site, located near Andersonville, Georgia, preserves the former Andersonville Prison (also known as Camp Sumter), a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp during the final fourteen months of the American Civil Wa ...
. The regiment re-entered service approximately a month later.Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...
, 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 H ...
, April to June 1862.
** Kentucky Campaign, Kentucky, August–October, 1862.
***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 Ame ...
, Kentucky, October 8, 1862.
** Battle of Murfreesboro, 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.
***Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...
, Georgia, September 19–20, 1863.
**Chattanooga 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 ...
, September to November 1863.
***Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge, also known as the Battle of Chattanooga, was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union Army, Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on ...
, Tennessee, November 25, 1863.
*** Battle of Ringgold Gap, Georgia, November 27, 1863.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 Gen ...
, 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, 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. The most significant frontal assault launched by Union Army, Union Major general (United States), Major General William T. Sherman ...
, Georgia, June 27, 1864.
***Battle of Peachtree Creek
The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lieutenant General, Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood since taking comma ...
, 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.]
***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 States of America, Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the Am ...
, Georgia, August 31–September 1, 1864.
** Franklin–Nashville Campaign, 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 States Army, Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by Lieutenant General ( ...
, Tennessee, November 29, 1864.
***Battle of Franklin
The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. Confederate L ...
, 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, 18 ...
, Tennessee, December 15–16, 1864.
** Carolinas Campaign, 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, Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last ...
, 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.8th
Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight.
Eighth may refer to:
* One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole
* Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet)
* Octave, an interval b ...
, 15th, 19th and 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiments and the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry on April 9, 1865.Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...
.[2nd Arkansas Infantry Battalion](_blank)
See also
*List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
This is a list of Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, or military units from the state of Arkansas which fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The list of Union units is shown separately.
Like most states, Arkansas possess ...
*Lists of American Civil War Regiments by State
This is a list of American Civil War units, consisting of those established as federally organized units as well as units raised by individual states and territories. Many states had soldiers and units fighting for both the United States ( Union Ar ...
* Confederate Units by State
*Arkansas in the American Civil War
During the American Civil War, Arkansas was a Confederate state, though it had initially voted to remain in the Union. Following the capture of Fort Sumter in April 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for troops from every Union state to put dow ...
* Arkansas Militia in the Civil War
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