15th Arkansas Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 15th Arkansas Infantry (Est. May, 1861) was a regiment
of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
.
The regiment was first formed by Colonel
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne in Camden, Arkansas
. The regiment consisted primarily of recruits from Ouachita County, Hempstead County, Columbia County
, Union County and Lafayette County, Arkansas. Initially the regiment was known as Cleburne's 1st Rifles, but soon the Confederate States of America
War Department
renamed them the 15th Arkansas Infantry.
The regiment was commanded by Col. James M. Gee and Lt. Col. John C. Wright. During the Battle of Fort Henry
the regiment took heavy losses but was able to retreat to Fort Donelson
where the fighting lasted through February 16th, 1862. Of the 15th Infantry soldiers captured at Fort Donelson, most were transferred to a prison camp near Springfield, Illinois
. The regiment did not have its entire number engaged at Fort Henry or Fort Donelson, with 4 companies having been previously assigned elsewhere.
many of the remaining remnants of the 15th Infantry were merged with the 13th Arkansas Infantry which had also taken heavy casualties. Other remnants of the regiment would go on to take part in several smaller engagements with their ranks being boosted by soldiers taken from other decimated regiments. The regiment did take part in what was known as the Battle of Plain's Store, an engagement during the Siege of Port Hudson
where they were commanded by Col. Benjamin Johnson. The regiment would also fight during the Battle of Chickamauga
where they were coupled with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry.
Eventually consolidated into other units, the 15th Arkansas Infantry records become somewhat difficult to follow after that battle. Many are believed to have eventually fallen under the command of Col. John R. Hardy in a unit known as Dawson-Hardy Consolidated Infantry with whom they took part in the Red River Campaign
of 1864. By the end of 1863 the 15th Arkansas Infantry had for all practical purposes ceased to exist as its own 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...
of the Confederate Army 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 regiment was first formed by 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...
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne in Camden, Arkansas
Camden, Arkansas
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Long an area of American Indians villages, the French also made a permanent settlement here because of its advantageous location above the Ouachita River. According to 2007 Census...
. The regiment consisted primarily of recruits from Ouachita County, Hempstead County, Columbia County
Columbia County, Arkansas
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 24,552. The county seat is Magnolia. Columbia County was formed on December 17, 1852, and was named for Christopher Columbus...
, Union County and Lafayette County, Arkansas. Initially the regiment was known as Cleburne's 1st Rifles, but soon the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
War Department
War Department
War Department may refer to:* War Department * United States Department of War - See also :* War Office , a former department of the British Government...
renamed them the 15th Arkansas Infantry.
The regiment was commanded by Col. James M. Gee and Lt. Col. John C. Wright. During the Battle of Fort Henry
Battle of Fort Henry
The Battle of Fort Henry was fought on February 6, 1862, in western Tennessee, during the American Civil War. It was the first important victory for the Union and Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Western Theater....
the regiment took heavy losses but was able to retreat to 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...
where the fighting lasted through February 16th, 1862. Of the 15th Infantry soldiers captured at Fort Donelson, most were transferred to a prison camp near Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. The regiment did not have its entire number engaged at Fort Henry or Fort Donelson, with 4 companies having been previously assigned elsewhere.
Consolidation with other regiments
Prior to the Battle of PerryvilleBattle 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...
many of the remaining remnants of the 15th Infantry were merged with the 13th Arkansas Infantry which had also taken heavy casualties. Other remnants of the regiment would go on to take part in several smaller engagements with their ranks being boosted by soldiers taken from other decimated regiments. The regiment did take part in what was known as the Battle of Plain's Store, an engagement during the Siege of Port Hudson
Siege of Port Hudson
The 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....
where they were commanded by Col. Benjamin Johnson. The regiment would also fight during 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...
where they were coupled with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry.
Eventually consolidated into other units, the 15th Arkansas Infantry records become somewhat difficult to follow after that battle. Many are believed to have eventually fallen under the command of Col. John R. Hardy in a unit known as Dawson-Hardy Consolidated Infantry with whom they took part in the Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
of 1864. By the end of 1863 the 15th Arkansas Infantry had for all practical purposes ceased to exist as its own regiment.