26th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 26th Arkansas Infantry (1862–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
regiment
during the American Civil War
.
, fighting at the Battle of Pleasant Hill
, Louisiana, on April 9, 1864. The 26th Arkansas was then ordered back to Arkansas to counter Union General Steele’s Camden Expedition
, culminating in the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
on April 30, 1864.
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
26th Infantry Regiment [also called 3rd Trans-Mississippi Regiment] was organized as Morgan’s Battalion on June 14, 1862, it was increased to a full regiment and reorganized as the 26th Arkansas Infantry on July 23, 1862, at DeValls Bluff, Arkansas. This unit served in McRae's, Cabell's, L. C. Gause's, and Roane's Brigade, Shoup’s Division, First Corps, Army of the Trans-Mississippi. The field officers were Colonels Iverson L. Brooks, A. G. Greenwood, Asa S. Morgan, F. P. Yell; Lieutenant Colonels James P. Stanley and John C. Wright; and Major Samuel Gibson. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:- Company A—Drew County
- Company B—Drew County
- Company C—Jefferson County
- Company D—Bradley County
- Company E—Drew County
- Company F—Dallas County
- Company G—Lafayette County
- Company H—Johnson County (contained many men from the old 10th Arkansas Militia Regiment)
- Company I—Arkansas County
- Company K—Jefferson County
Battles
The regiment was assigned to McRae’s Brigade, and fought at the Battle of Prairie Grove and the Battle of Devil’s Backbone. Later, the regiment took part in the Red River CampaignRed 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....
, fighting at the Battle of Pleasant Hill
Battle of Pleasant Hill
The Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought on April 9, 1864, during the Red River Campaign of the American Civil War, near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, between Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Confederate forces, led by Maj. Gen...
, Louisiana, on April 9, 1864. The 26th Arkansas was then ordered back to Arkansas to counter Union General Steele’s Camden Expedition
Camden Expedition
The Camden Expedition was a military campaign in southern and central Arkansas during the American Civil War. It involved Union forces stationed at Little Rock and Fort Smith under the command of Major General Frederick Steele...
, culminating in the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry was fought April 30, 1864, in Grant County, Arkansas during the American Civil War. It was the climactic battle of the Camden Expedition, which was a part of the Union Army’s failed Red River Campaign. Each side sustained a large number of casualties, especially...
on April 30, 1864.
Surrender
The 26th Arkansas was included in the general surrender of the Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department on May 26, 1865.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...