11th and 17th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 11t/17th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
regiment
during the American Civil War
. The unit is also known as the 11t/17th Mounted Infantry.
and the 17th (Griffith's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
were consolidated to bring the strength of each unit to an acceptable number. Col. John L. Logan assumed command, since he was the senior Colonel superseding Col. John Griffith of the 17th Arkansas Infantry. Companies H and I of the Eleventh Arkansas were combined with Company C while the remaining companies remained the same. The companies of the Seventeenth Arkansas were combined into 3 companies, H, I, and K of the new consolidated regiment. Almost immediately the Confederate War Department ordered the unit mounted with plans for it to serve as a mounted infantry rather than rather than Cavalry. The "footsore" troops gladly accepted their mounts and spent long hours drilling in this new branch of service.
The 11th & 17th Arkansas spent the rest of the war as the Confederate Army's 'fire brigade' in southern Mississippi. As Union columns made repeated incursions into the area over the next couple of years, the South's counter-moves invariably involved the 11th/ 17th Arkansas. General Benjamin Grierson's raid
is a classic example of the duties of the 11/17th Arkansas.
In November 1863 Colonel John Logan was transferred from command of the 11th/17th Arkansas back west of the Mississippi River and Col. John Griffith was given command of the brigade which consisted of:.
With Colonel Logan called back west of the river and Colonel Griffith in command of the brigade, command of the 11th/17th Arkansas briefly fell to Lieutenant Colonel McDuff Vance of the 11th. Vance remained in command until November 23, 1863, when Colonel Wirt Adams was promoted to Brigadier General and was given command of the brigade. Col. Griffith was returned to the command of the 11t/17th Arkansas. Colonel Griffith seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to determining when and where to strike a larger enemy force to cause the most damage. The 11th & 17th Arkansas was renowned for its scouting and tracking abilities. The regiment served to the end of the war in this capacity.
The regiment was involved in the following engagements:
Some of the unit members were captured at Port Hudson on July 9, 1863.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The unit is also known as the 11t/17th Mounted Infantry.
Organization
In March 1863, the 11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 11th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:The 11th Arkansas was organized in Saline County, Arkansas in July 1861. The Mustering Officer for the regiment was George M. Holt, a Brigadier General of the Arkansas State Militia...
and the 17th (Griffith's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
17th (Griffith's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 17th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:The unit, originally known as the 17th Infantry Regiment, was organized at Fort Smith, Arkansas, on 17 November 1861. The men elected Frank A. Rector, who would later commanded the...
were consolidated to bring the strength of each unit to an acceptable number. Col. John L. Logan assumed command, since he was the senior Colonel superseding Col. John Griffith of the 17th Arkansas Infantry. Companies H and I of the Eleventh Arkansas were combined with Company C while the remaining companies remained the same. The companies of the Seventeenth Arkansas were combined into 3 companies, H, I, and K of the new consolidated regiment. Almost immediately the Confederate War Department ordered the unit mounted with plans for it to serve as a mounted infantry rather than rather than Cavalry. The "footsore" troops gladly accepted their mounts and spent long hours drilling in this new branch of service.
Battles
The men of the 11th/ 17th Infantry would spend the remainder of the war in Louisiana and Mississippi. The men still carried long muskets but were not issued sabers and when in battle still operated on foot but only traveled from place to place on horseback. This decreased travel time by a large margin. Although the two regiments were from different parts of the State (the 11th Arkansas was mostly from Saline County and a few other southern counties), with different battle histories, the merger clicked.The first duties of the 11th/17th Infantry was to travel to Southeast Louisiana to slow Union advance while preparations were made upstream to meet the enemy.The 11th & 17th Arkansas spent the rest of the war as the Confederate Army's 'fire brigade' in southern Mississippi. As Union columns made repeated incursions into the area over the next couple of years, the South's counter-moves invariably involved the 11th/ 17th Arkansas. General Benjamin Grierson's raid
Grierson's Raid
Grierson's Raid was a Union cavalry raid during the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. It ran from April 17 to May 2, 1863, as a diversion from Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's main attack plan on Vicksburg, Mississippi....
is a classic example of the duties of the 11/17th Arkansas.
In November 1863 Colonel John Logan was transferred from command of the 11th/17th Arkansas back west of the Mississippi River and Col. John Griffith was given command of the brigade which consisted of:.
- 11th/17th Arkansas Mounted Infantry
- 14th Confederate Cavalry
- 9th Louisiana Battalion
- 9th Tennessee Battalion
- Stockdale's Mississippi Battalion
- Wilbourn's Mississippi Battalion
- Robert's Mississippi Battery
With Colonel Logan called back west of the river and Colonel Griffith in command of the brigade, command of the 11th/17th Arkansas briefly fell to Lieutenant Colonel McDuff Vance of the 11th. Vance remained in command until November 23, 1863, when Colonel Wirt Adams was promoted to Brigadier General and was given command of the brigade. Col. Griffith was returned to the command of the 11t/17th Arkansas. Colonel Griffith seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to determining when and where to strike a larger enemy force to cause the most damage. The 11th & 17th Arkansas was renowned for its scouting and tracking abilities. The regiment served to the end of the war in this capacity.
The regiment was involved in the following engagements:
- Siege of Port HudsonSiege of Port HudsonThe Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 22 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of Port Hudson, Louisiana, during the American Civil War....
, Louisiana, May 24-July 9, 1863 - Battle of Natchez, Mississippi, (November 7, 1863
- Meridian Campaign, Mississippi, February–March 1864
- Battle of Concord Church Mississippi, December 1, 1864.
Some of the unit members were captured at Port Hudson on July 9, 1863.
Surrender
By May 13, 1865, most of the 11th/17th Arkansas had turned themselves in to Federal garrisons in Jackson, Miss. and were paroled.External links
- 11th/17th Consolidate Arkansas Infantry Website
- Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page
- The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
- The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
- The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas
See also
- List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
- Lists of American Civil War Regiments by State
- Confederate Units by State
- Arkansas in the American Civil WarArkansas in the American Civil WarThe state of Arkansas was a part of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, and provided a source of troops, supplies, and military and political leaders for the fledgling country. Arkansas had become the 25th state of the United States, on June 15, 1836, entering as a...
- Arkansas Militia in the Civil WarArkansas Militia in the Civil WarThe units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War included militia organizations to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection: the militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by the State of Arkansas. Like most of the United States, Arkansas had an organized militia...