1st Arkansas Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 1st Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
regiment
during the American Civil War
. There were three regiments known as "1st Arkansas" during the war. The second unit with the designation of "1st Arkansas" was the 1st Infantry, Arkansas State Troops, which was mustered in to Confederate service at Pitman's Ferry, Arkansas, on July 23, 1861, under the command of Colonel Patrick Cleburne
; this unit was eventually redesignated as the 15th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry
. The third unit bearing the title "1st Arkansas" was the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, which served with the Union Army
.
bombarded Fort Sumter, forcing its capitulation. President Abraham Lincoln
called upon the "militia of the several states" to provide 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion.
Governor Henry Rector
famously refused Lincoln's request for troops. Upon learning of Rector's refusal, Confederate Secretary of War, L.P. Walker, immediately wrote to Governor Rector on behalf of the Confederate Government at Montgomery and requested that the state provide a regiment for the Confederacy.
Governor Rector initially responded that he had no power to comply with the Confederate request but indicated that he expected the state to secede when the secession convention reconvened on May 6. He stated that after secession the state could and would aid the Confederacy. Governor Rector sent another dispatch requesting to know if the Confederacy would accept a regiment raised by T. B. Flournoy, as Colonel, John B. Thompson as Lieutenant Colonel, and W.N. Brougnah and James. B. Johnson. Further, Governor Rector agreed to arm and equip the regiment when it rendezvoused at Little Rock Arsenal. Thompson B. Flournoy was a planter from Laconia, on the Mississippi River, and had been a supporter of the presidential ticket of Douglas and Johnson.
Colonel Flournoy organized the first companies which arrived in Little Rock and sought admission into this regiment. Many of these initial companies had originally been organized as volunteer companies under the Arkansas Militia
law which authorized each county to form, in addition to the standard militia regiment, up to four volunteer companies, one each of Rifles, Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry. Units such as the DeWitt Guards from Arkansas County and the Jackson Guards from Jackson County had organized months earlier in the state militia as sectional frictions increased. At the actual organization of the regiment at Little Rock on May 6, 1861, Colonel Flournoy was defeated for the colonelcy, and Captain James F. Fagan, of Saline County, was elected colonel; Capt. James C. Monroe, of Clark County, was elected lieutenant-colonel, and John Baker Thompson, major. Prof. Frank Bronaugh, of the military department of St. John's college, Little Rock, was chosen adjutant. Colonel Flournoy accepted the outcome with good grace, he was afterward promoted to brigadier-general in the Confederate service. The unit was composed of companies from the following Arkansas counties:
The regiment was sent to Lynchburg, Virginia
, for training the same month it was accepted into the Confederate ranks.
, and Capt. Donelson McGregor, who was reared near the Hermitage, and was grand-nephew of the beloved wife of President Andrew Jackson
. The regiment was stationed at Aquia Creek
, near Fredericksburg, Virginia
, in the brigade of Gen. T. H. Holmes, and was led by him into the battle of First Manassas. The regiment was mustered in to Confederate service on May 19, 1861, at Lynchburg, Virginia
. It was then stationed at Evansport, where the men of the regiment, under Capt. Will H. Martin, made a daring but unsuccessful attempt to capture the Federal gunboat Pocahontas
, on the Potomac.
In February 1862 they were transferred and attached to the Army of Mississippi
under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard, and fought at the Battle of Shiloh
. It was at Shiloh that they became best known, mainly due to the heavy casualties they sustained. Entering the battle with a force of just over 800, they took 364 casualties, 45 percent of their force. Following that battle, they were reorganized and received replacements, then were assigned to General Pat Cleburne’s division as a part of the Army of Tennessee
, with whom they would remain for the rest of the war. They would go on to take part in the Battle of Murfreesboro, Battle of Chickamauga
, Battle of Chattanooga
, and the Siege of Atlanta. As of result of high casualties during the Chattanooga campaign, the 1st Arkansas was consolidated with the 15th Arkansas during the summer of 1864. This consolidation united the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry with the 1st Arkansas Infantry, State Troops (Josey's 15th Arkansas). During the siege of Atlanta, the regiment, along with the rest of Govan's Brigade, was captured. The regiment was freed as part of a prisoner exchange on September 9, 1864, in time to participate in the Battle of Franklin
, and the Battle of Nashville
as well as several other smaller battles. The Confederacy had only one medal for valor, the Confederate Medal of Honor (a.k.a Southern Cross of Honor
). Twenty seven soldiers of the 1st Arkansas Infantry were awarded the medal, although the Confederacy lacked the funds to manufacture the actual medals.
The 1st Arkansas, was lumped together with the 2nd
, 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 9, 1865. On April 26, 1865, the 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...
. There were three regiments known as "1st Arkansas" during the war. The second unit with the designation of "1st Arkansas" was the 1st Infantry, Arkansas State Troops, which was mustered in to Confederate service at Pitman's Ferry, Arkansas, on July 23, 1861, under the command of Colonel Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irish American soldier, best known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major general....
; this unit was eventually redesignated as the 15th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry
15th (Josey's) Arkansas Volunteer Infantry
The 15th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was originally formed from existing militia units and designated as the 1st Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. After being transferred from state service to Confederate service the...
. The third unit bearing the title "1st Arkansas" was the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, which served with the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
.
Organization
The 1st Arkansas regiment began its organization in April 1861, before Arkansas had even seceded from the Union. The first Arkansas Secession Convention had convened in March and voted against secession. On April 12, Confederate forces under General P. G. T. BeauregardP. G. T. Beauregard
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana-born American military officer, politician, inventor, writer, civil servant, and the first prominent general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Today he is commonly referred to as P. G. T. Beauregard, but he rarely used...
bombarded Fort Sumter, forcing its capitulation. President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
called upon the "militia of the several states" to provide 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion.
Governor Henry Rector
Henry Massey Rector
Henry Massey Rector was the sixth Governor of the state of Arkansas.Henry Massey Rector was born near Louisville, Kentucky. Rector was educated by his mother and attended one year of school at Louisville. He moved to Arkansas in 1835. Rector served as U.S...
famously refused Lincoln's request for troops. Upon learning of Rector's refusal, Confederate Secretary of War, L.P. Walker, immediately wrote to Governor Rector on behalf of the Confederate Government at Montgomery and requested that the state provide a regiment for the Confederacy.
Governor Rector initially responded that he had no power to comply with the Confederate request but indicated that he expected the state to secede when the secession convention reconvened on May 6. He stated that after secession the state could and would aid the Confederacy. Governor Rector sent another dispatch requesting to know if the Confederacy would accept a regiment raised by T. B. Flournoy, as Colonel, John B. Thompson as Lieutenant Colonel, and W.N. Brougnah and James. B. Johnson. Further, Governor Rector agreed to arm and equip the regiment when it rendezvoused at Little Rock Arsenal. Thompson B. Flournoy was a planter from Laconia, on the Mississippi River, and had been a supporter of the presidential ticket of Douglas and Johnson.
Arkansas Militia in the Civil War
The 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...
law which authorized each county to form, in addition to the standard militia regiment, up to four volunteer companies, one each of Rifles, Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry. Units such as the DeWitt Guards from Arkansas County and the Jackson Guards from Jackson County had organized months earlier in the state militia as sectional frictions increased. At the actual organization of the regiment at Little Rock on May 6, 1861, Colonel Flournoy was defeated for the colonelcy, and Captain James F. Fagan, of Saline County, was elected colonel; Capt. James C. Monroe, of Clark County, was elected lieutenant-colonel, and John Baker Thompson, major. Prof. Frank Bronaugh, of the military department of St. John's college, Little Rock, was chosen adjutant. Colonel Flournoy accepted the outcome with good grace, he was afterward promoted to brigadier-general in the Confederate service. The unit was composed of companies from the following Arkansas counties:
- Company A, “The El Dorado Sentinels” of Union County, commanded by Capt. Asa Morgan.
- Company B, “The Clark County Volunteers” of ClarkClark County, ArkansasClark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,995. The county seat is Arkadelphia.The Arkadelphia Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.-Geography:...
County, commanded by Capt. Charles Stark. - Company C, “The Camden Knights” of Ouachita County, commanded by Capt. Crenshaw.
- Company D, “The Clan McGregor” of JeffersonJefferson County, ArkansasJefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its population was 77,435 at the 2010 United States Census. It is included in the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area. Jefferson County's county seat and largest city is Pine Bluff...
County, commanded by Capt. Donelson McGregor. - Company E, “The Saline Guards” of Saline County, commanded by Capt. William A. Crawford.
- Company F, “The Ettomon Guards” of Pulaski County, commanded by Capt. William F. Martin.
- Company G, “The Jackson Guards” of Jackson County, commanded by Capt. A. C. Pickett.
- Company H, “The Crockett Rifles” of ArkansasArkansas County, ArkansasArkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. The county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart...
County, commanded by Capt. Capt. Robert H. Crockett. - Company I, “The Monticello Guards” of Drew County, commanded by Capt. James Jackson.
- Company K, “The DeWitt Guards” of ArkansasArkansas County, ArkansasArkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. The county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart...
County, commanded by Capt. D. B. Quertermous.
The regiment was sent to Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, for training the same month it was accepted into the Confederate ranks.
Battles
On the road from Arkansas to Virginia, the regiment attracted much attention, being known to have among its captains a grandson of Davy CrockettDavy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
, and Capt. Donelson McGregor, who was reared near the Hermitage, and was grand-nephew of the beloved wife of President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. The regiment was stationed at Aquia Creek
Aquia Creek
Aquia Creek is a tributary of the tidal segment of the Potomac River and is located in northern Virginia. The creek's headwaters lie in southeastern Fauquier County, and it empties into the Potomac at Brent Point in Stafford County, south of Washington, D.C....
, near Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
, in the brigade of Gen. T. H. Holmes, and was led by him into the battle of First Manassas. The regiment was mustered in to Confederate service on May 19, 1861, at Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. It was then stationed at Evansport, where the men of the regiment, under Capt. Will H. Martin, made a daring but unsuccessful attempt to capture the Federal gunboat Pocahontas
USS Pocahontas (1852)
The first USS Pocahontas, a screw steamer built at Medford, Massachusetts in 1852 as City of Boston, and purchased by the Navy at Boston, Massachusetts on 20 March 1855, was the first United States Navy ship to be named for Pocahontas, the Algonquian wife of Virginia colonist John Rolfe. She was...
, on the Potomac.
In February 1862 they were transferred and attached to the Army of Mississippi
Army of Mississippi
There were three organizations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. -Army of Mississippi :This army, at times known by the names Army of the West or Army of the...
under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard, and fought at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle 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 was at Shiloh that they became best known, mainly due to the heavy casualties they sustained. Entering the battle with a force of just over 800, they took 364 casualties, 45 percent of their force. Following that battle, they were reorganized and received replacements, then were assigned to General Pat Cleburne’s division as a part of the Army of Tennessee
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 most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
, with whom they would remain for the rest of the war. They would go on to take part in the Battle of Murfreesboro, 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...
, Battle of Chattanooga
Battle of Chattanooga
There 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...
, and the Siege of Atlanta. As of result of high casualties during the Chattanooga campaign, the 1st Arkansas was consolidated with the 15th Arkansas during the summer of 1864. This consolidation united the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry with the 1st Arkansas Infantry, State Troops (Josey's 15th Arkansas). During the siege of Atlanta, the regiment, along with the rest of Govan's Brigade, was captured. The regiment was freed as part of a prisoner exchange on September 9, 1864, in time to participate in the Battle of Franklin
Battle of Franklin II
The 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...
, and the Battle of Nashville
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 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...
as well as several other smaller battles. The Confederacy had only one medal for valor, the Confederate Medal of Honor (a.k.a Southern Cross of Honor
Southern Cross of Honor
The Southern Cross of Honor is the name of two separate and distinct military honors presented to Confederate military personnel and veterans. The original wartime medal, aka Confederate Medal of Honor, was a military decoration meant to honor officers, noncommissioned officers, and privates for...
). Twenty seven soldiers of the 1st Arkansas Infantry were awarded the medal, although the Confederacy lacked the funds to manufacture the actual medals.
Battle Flags
| Arkansas 1st Infantry Battle flag Cotton and wool flag with faded blue field. The central device is a white disc with black crossed cannons in the center (each 3 1/2" wool). Designation lettering is 2" Capitol Romans with red shadow: 1st ARK. REG'T. Honors lettering on the field above the disc is 2 1/2" tall Capitol Romans: RICHMOND, KY, TUNNELL HILL, LIBERTY GAP, RINGGOLD GAP. Honors lettering below the disc are gold, ornate, 4" letters: CHICKAMAUGA, border is white with black capitol Romans: MANASSAS, EVANSPORT, SHILOH, TUSCUMBIA CREEK, PERRYVILLE, FARMINGTON, BRIDGECREEK, MURFREESBORO. All lettering is painted. Captured by the 14th Michigan Inf. in Jonesboro, Georgia on Sept. 1, 1865. Returned to the State of Arkansas in 1905by the U.S. War Department. Currently in the collection of the Old State House Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas. | 2nd Pattern Hardee |
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 2nd
2nd 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 9, 1865. On April 26, 1865, the 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...