2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Arkansas Infantry (Est. June, 1861) was an army regiment
of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
.
through the efforts of Thomas Carmichael Hindman who had only recently resigned from the United States Congress
due to the Arkansas
secession
and the formation of the Confederate States of America
. Initially organized with ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas, the unit was briefly expanded to a 22-company organization called the “Hindman Legion” – consisting of the 2nd Regiment Arkansas Infantry, 1st (Marmaduke’s) Arkansas Infantry Battalion, 6th (Phifer’s) Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, and the Warren Light Artillery (Swett’s Mississippi Battery). The Legion was subsequently broken up, and the component units resumed their original organization. The regiment itself was initially commanded by lieutenant colonel
J.W. Bacoge. However Lt. Col. Bacoge resigned shortly after his appointment and through most of its existence the regiment was commanded by Lt. Col. Elbridge Brasher.
The Regiment was composed primarily of Soldiers from the following counties:
As a result of losses in the Battle of Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862), Companies C and E were disbanded and
consolidated with other companies. A new Company C was recruited from Marianna, Arkansas and a new Company E was formed from members of the 11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
who had escaped capture at the fall of Island No. 10. The 2nd Arkansas Infantry was part of Cleburne’s Division in the Confederate Army of Tennessee for much of the war. Two of the regiment’s officers, Thomas C. Hindman and Daniel C. Govan, were promoted to general. Hindman would later be wounded in action
and receive a promotion to major general
, ending the war as Arkansas' highest ranking officer.
but within a months time it was moved to Camp Hardee in Arkansas. The regiment spent most of the war in the Army of Tennessee
. The unit was ordered east of the Mississippi River and fought in the Battles of Shiloh, Corinth, and Perryville. It then was assigned to Liddell's and Govan's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. In September, 1863, the 2nd was united with the 15th (Cleburne's-Polk's-Josey's) Regiment, and in December, the 24th joined the consolidated unit. It participated in the many campaigns of the army from Murfreesboro to Atlanta, moved from Hood into Tennessee, and ended the war in North Carolina. This regiment was organized with 742 officers and men, and lost 15 killed, 94 wounded, and 9 missing at Murfreesboro. The 2nd/15th/24th totalled 295 men and 202 arms in December 1863. At the Battle of Atlanta only the 2nd and 24th were united and this command sustained 130 casualties.
The 2nd Arkansas Infantry took part in the following engagements:
During the Battle of Chickamauga
they were coupled with the 15th Arkansas Infantry
due to both units having suffered heavy casualties.
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 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment was present with the Army of Tennessee when it surrendered in Greensboro, North Carolina
.
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...
.
Organization
The regiment was first formed in Helena, ArkansasHelena, Arkansas
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with...
through the efforts of Thomas Carmichael Hindman who had only recently resigned from the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
due to the Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
and the formation of 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...
. Initially organized with ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas, the unit was briefly expanded to a 22-company organization called the “Hindman Legion” – consisting of the 2nd Regiment Arkansas Infantry, 1st (Marmaduke’s) Arkansas Infantry Battalion, 6th (Phifer’s) Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, and the Warren Light Artillery (Swett’s Mississippi Battery). The Legion was subsequently broken up, and the component units resumed their original organization. The regiment itself was initially commanded by lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
J.W. Bacoge. However Lt. Col. Bacoge resigned shortly after his appointment and through most of its existence the regiment was commanded by Lt. Col. Elbridge Brasher.
The Regiment was composed primarily of Soldiers from the following counties:
- Company A, of Phillips County commanded by Captain T.C. Anderson:,
- Company B, of Phillips County, commanded by Captain John Kane.
- Company C (old), of Phillips County.
- Company C, of Phillips County commanded by Captain John J. Foreman.
- Company C (new), of Phillips County.
- Company D, of Phillips County, commanded by James E. Richards.
- Company E, of Phillips County.
- Company E (old), of Phillips County, commanded by Barton Y. Truner.
- Company E (new), of Transfers from 11th Arkansas Infantry.
- Company F, of Phillips County, orgionally commanded by Daniel C. Govan, later commanded by Captain Richard S. Boyd.
- Company G, of Bradley County, commanded by Captain William D. Mackey.
- Company H, the "Southern Guards", of Jefferson County, commanded by Captain Joseph W. Bocage.
- Company I, of Bradley County, commanded by W.J. McKinney.
- Company K, of Saline County, commanded by Captain M.D Brown.
As a result of losses in the Battle of Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862), Companies C and E were disbanded and
consolidated with other companies. A new Company C was recruited from Marianna, Arkansas and a new Company E was formed from members of the 11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
11th 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...
who had escaped capture at the fall of Island No. 10. The 2nd Arkansas Infantry was part of Cleburne’s Division in the Confederate Army of Tennessee for much of the war. Two of the regiment’s officers, Thomas C. Hindman and Daniel C. Govan, were promoted to general. Hindman would later be wounded in action
Wounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
and receive a promotion to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, ending the war as Arkansas' highest ranking officer.
Battles
The regiment was first posted near Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
but within a months time it was moved to Camp Hardee in Arkansas. The regiment spent most of the war in 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...
. The unit was ordered east of the Mississippi River and fought in the Battles of Shiloh, Corinth, and Perryville. It then was assigned to Liddell's and Govan's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. In September, 1863, the 2nd was united with the 15th (Cleburne's-Polk's-Josey's) Regiment, and in December, the 24th joined the consolidated unit. It participated in the many campaigns of the army from Murfreesboro to Atlanta, moved from Hood into Tennessee, and ended the war in North Carolina. This regiment was organized with 742 officers and men, and lost 15 killed, 94 wounded, and 9 missing at Murfreesboro. The 2nd/15th/24th totalled 295 men and 202 arms in December 1863. At the Battle of Atlanta only the 2nd and 24th were united and this command sustained 130 casualties.
The 2nd Arkansas Infantry took part in the following engagements:
- 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 Peachtree CreekBattle of Peachtree CreekThe Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John B. Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. The attack was against Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's...
, 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
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...
they were coupled with the 15th Arkansas Infantry
15th Arkansas Infantry
The 15th Arkansas Infantry 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...
due to both units having suffered heavy casualties.
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, 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 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
- 2nd Arkansas Infantry
- 2nd Arkansas Infantry during the American Civil War
- 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