13th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 13th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
regiment
during the American Civil War
.
The field officers were Colonels L. Featherston, James A. McNeely, John E. Murry, and James C. Tappan; Lieutenant Colonels A.R. Brown, R. A. Duncan, A. D. Grayson, and Peter V. Green; and Majors E. A. Howell and George B. Hunt.
In May 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. When the regiment was reorganized after the battle of Shiloh, and the following field officers elected: In the reorganization following the battle of Shiloh, the companies were re-lettered and new commanders were elected as follows:
Note: Company E (orig. Capt. 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.
. It lost thirty-three percent of the 306 engaged at Shiloh losing in total exactly 100 soldiers killed, wounded and missing. During that battle Lt. Col. Grayson was killed in action
while leading a charge. Grayson's second and third officers in command, Lt. Col. Charles Busby and Lt. Col. Stephen Stotts were both badly wounded thus lost to the regiment as well. The regiment then came under the command of Lt. Col. Alfred R. Brown and later Lt. Col. Robert A. Duncan.
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 regiment had received replacements from parts of the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Johnson's)
which had had many of its soldiers captured following the Battle of Fort Donelson
. The Regiment lost 6 killed and 23 wounded at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucy. After taking an active part in the Kentucky Campaign, the unit was assigned to General Liddell's and Govan's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The 13th Infantry was then placed under the command of Colonel
Lucius E. Polk
. It was consolidated with the 15th (Cleburne's-Polk's-Josey's) Regiment at Murfreesboro The 13th/15th reported 68 casualties in the fight at Murfreesboro. The 13th was field consolidated with the 5th Regiment in September, 1863. The regiment took part in the Battle of Chickamauga
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, totalled 321 men and 222 arms in December, 1863, and reported 112 casualties at the Battle of Atlanta.
, 5th, 6th, 7th
, 8th, 15th, 19th and 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
s 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
.
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...
.
Organization
The 13th Arkansas was formally organized on 29 Jul 1861 at Camp Ground in Greene Co, Arkansas with about 1000 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. Col. A. D. Grayson was the mustering officer. The original muster-in rolls were lost when the regiment's camp at Belmont, Missouri, was overrun by the enemy on November 7, 1861. The first available muster rolls are from the regimental reorganization in April 1862, which means there is a gap of nine months. As a result, the names of several hundred of the original members of the regiment are lost to history. In addition, when the regiment was reorganized for the war on April 29, 1862, the companies were redesignated, e.g., original Company K became new Company A, etc. The regiment was organized from the following companies:- Company A - the "Tappan Guards" Captain R. B. Lambert, orgionally 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.
- Company B - the "Richland Rangers", orgionally 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 suceeded Johnson in command.
- Company C - Commanded by Captain B. Harris from Phillips County, Arkansas, by the time of the Battle of Shiloh, 1st Lieutenant J. H. Hall had assumed command.
- Company D - Commanded by Captain Andrew Balfour from Lawrence County, Arkansas.
- Company E - Commanded by Captain Hiram F. Tennison from Craighead County, Arkansas.
- Company F - Commanded by Captain Thomas Wilds from Greene County, Arkansas.
- Company G - Commanded by Captain Hogan W. Murphy from St. Francis County, Arkansas.
- Company H - Commanded by Captain Braxton C. Crump from Crittenden County, Arkansas.
- Company I - Commanded by Captain James M. Pollard from Craighead County, Arkansas.
- Company K - the "Erin Guards," commanded by Captain George B. Hunt from St. Louis, Missouri.
The field officers were Colonels L. Featherston, James A. McNeely, John E. Murry, and James C. Tappan; Lieutenant Colonels A.R. Brown, R. A. Duncan, A. D. Grayson, and Peter V. Green; and Majors E. A. Howell and George B. Hunt.
In May 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. When the regiment was reorganized after the battle of Shiloh, and the following field officers elected: In the reorganization following the battle of Shiloh, the companies were re-lettered and new commanders were elected as follows:
- Company A—Captain George B. Hunt (orig. Co. K)
- Company B—Captain Hiram F. Tennison (orig. Co. E)
- Company C—Captain D. W. Hoshall (orig. Co. A)
- Company D—Captain Thomas R. Shelton (orig. Co. B)
- Company E—Captain Reginald H. Thompson (see note)
- Company F—Captain James H. Lloyd (orig. Co. D)
- Company G—Captain Luther Dunn (orig. Co. G)
- Company H—Captain Capt. Henry M. Ellis (orig. Co. H)
- Company I—Captain Capt. Ivey S. Hughes (orig. Co. I)
- Company K—Captain James M. Levesque (orig. Co. C)
Note: Company E (orig. Capt. 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.
Battles
Serving in the Western Department it fought at Belmont, then moved east of the Mississippi River. The regiment suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of ShilohBattle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
. It lost thirty-three percent of the 306 engaged at Shiloh losing in total exactly 100 soldiers killed, wounded and missing. During that battle Lt. Col. Grayson was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
while leading a charge. Grayson's second and third officers in command, Lt. Col. Charles Busby and Lt. Col. Stephen Stotts were both badly wounded thus lost to the regiment as well. The regiment then came under the command of Lt. Col. Alfred R. Brown and later Lt. Col. Robert A. Duncan.
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
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 during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
the regiment had received replacements from parts of the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Johnson's)
15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Johnson's)
The 15th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. There were two other Confederate infantry regiments which received the designation 15th Arkansas, The first was originally commanded by Colonel, later Major General, Patrick Cleburne, is known as...
which had had many of its soldiers captured following the Battle of Fort Donelson
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought from February 11 to February 16, 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The capture of the fort by Union forces opened the Cumberland River as an avenue for the invasion of the South. The success elevated Brig. Gen. Ulysses S...
. The Regiment lost 6 killed and 23 wounded at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucy. After taking an active part in the Kentucky Campaign, the unit was assigned to General Liddell's and Govan's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The 13th Infantry was then placed under the command of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Lucius E. Polk
Lucius E. Polk
-References:* Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders, Louisiana State University Press, 1959, ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.-External links:*...
. It was consolidated with the 15th (Cleburne's-Polk's-Josey's) Regiment at Murfreesboro The 13th/15th reported 68 casualties in the fight at Murfreesboro. The 13th was field consolidated with the 5th Regiment in September, 1863. The regiment took part in the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
and the Tullahoma Campaign
Tullahoma Campaign
The Tullahoma Campaign or Middle Tennessee Campaign was fought between June 24 and July 3, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Union Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. William S...
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, totalled 321 men and 222 arms in December, 1863, and reported 112 casualties at the Battle of Atlanta.
- Battle of BelmontBattle of BelmontThe 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...
, Kentucky, November 7, 1861. - Battle of ShilohBattle of ShilohThe Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, Tennessee, April 6 – 7, 1862. - Siege of CorinthSiege of CorinthThe Siege of Corinth was an American Civil War battle fought from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi.-Background:...
, April to June 1862. - Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, August 29 – 30, 1862.
- Battle of PerryvilleBattle of PerryvilleThe 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 during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
, Kentucky, October 8, 1862. - Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 31, 1862 to January 3, 1863.
- Tullahoma CampaignTullahoma CampaignThe Tullahoma Campaign or Middle Tennessee Campaign was fought between June 24 and July 3, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Union Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. William S...
, June 1863. - Battle of Liberty Gap, Tennessee, June 24–26, 1863.
- Battle of ChickamaugaBattle of ChickamaugaThe Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, Georgia, September 19 – 20, 1863. - Siege of ChattanoogaBattle of ChattanoogaThere were three Battles of Chattanooga fought in or near Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the American Civil War:* First Battle of Chattanooga, minor artillery bombardment by Union Brigadier General James S. Negley against Confederate Maj. Gen...
, September to November 1863. - Battle of Ringgold GapBattle of Ringgold GapThe Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, in northwest Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate victory by Maj. Gen...
, Georgia, November 27, 1863. - Atlanta CampaignAtlanta CampaignThe Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
, May to September 1864. - Battle of DaltonBattle of DaltonAt least three conflicts during the American Civil War are sometimes known as Battle of Dalton:*First Battle of Dalton, fought between February 22 and February 27, 1864, in Whitfield County, Georgia...
, Georgia, May 5 – 11, 1864. - Battle of ResacaBattle of ResacaThe Battle of Resaca was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was waged in both Gordon and Whitfield counties, Georgia, from May 13 - 15, 1864. It ended inconclusively with the Confederate Army retreating. The engagement was fought between the Military Division of the...
, Georgia, May 14 – 15, 1864. - Battle of New Hope ChurchBattle of New Hope ChurchThe Battle of New Hope Church was fought May 25–26, 1864, between the Union force of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War...
, Georgia, May 25 - June 4, 1864. - Battle of Kennesaw MountainBattle of Kennesaw MountainThe 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 Tennessee under Gen. Joseph E...
, Georgia, June 27, 1864. - Battle of Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, July 20, 1864.
- Siege of Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1864.
- Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia, August 31 to September 1, 1864.
- Battle of FranklinBattle of Franklin IIThe Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, at 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 Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee conducted...
, Tennessee, November 30, 1864. - Battle of NashvilleBattle of NashvilleThe Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
, Tennessee, December 15 – 16, 1864. - Carolinas CampaignCarolinas CampaignThe Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
, February to April 1865. - Battle of BentonvilleBattle of BentonvilleAt 3 p.m., Confederate infantry from the Army of Tennessee launched an attack and drove the Union left flank back in confusion, nearly capturing Carlin in the process and overrunning the XIV Corps field hospital. Confederates under Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill filled the vacuum left by the retreating...
, North Carolina, March 19 – 21, 1865.
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 2nd2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 2nd Arkansas Infantry was an army regiment of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.- Organization:The regiment was first formed in Helena, Arkansas through the efforts of Thomas Carmichael Hindman who had only recently resigned from the United States Congress due to the Arkansas...
, 5th, 6th, 7th
7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War composed of troops from northeast Arkansas.-Organization:...
, 8th, 15th, 19th and 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 24th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:The 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized at White Sulphur Springs, Arkansas on June 6, 1862. The field officers were Colonel E. E. Portlock, Jr.; Lieutenant Colonels W. R....
s and the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry
1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry
The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization: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,...
. 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, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
.
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...
External links
- 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
- 13th Arkansas Infantry
- 13th Arkansas Infantry Battle Marker
- 13th Arkansas and 15th Arkansas merge due to casualties