34th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 34th Arkansas Infantry (1862–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
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...

. The regiment was originally designated by the state military board as the 2nd Regiment, Northwest Division, District of Arkansas.

Organization

Immediately following the Battle of Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...

, General P. G. T. Beauregard
P. 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...

, acting for General Albert S. Johnston, ordered General Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction during the Mexican-American War and against several tribes of Native Americans...

 to bring his Army of the West
Army of the West
The Army of the West was a military force within the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War that the was part of the Trans-Mississippi Department and was composed primarily of members of the old Missouri State Guard...

 to Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.- History :...

, to join Johnston's force for an attack on 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...

 at Shiloh, Tennessee. Additionally General Van Dorn moved all supplies he could, including the machinery and stores at the Little Rock Arsenal, to northern Mississippi with him, and left few men behind. However, due to bad roads Van Dorn failed to reach Corinth until a week after 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...

.

Mean while, in the aftermath of the Battle of Pea Ridge, Northwest Arkansas was ravaged by the Union Army invaders until General Curtis moved his army southeast to Batesville, Arkansas in May 1862. Arkansas Governor Henry Massey 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...

 issued an address on May 5, 1862, calling for the formation of 30 new infantry companies and 20 new cavalry companies. Most of the state's militia regiments had conducted their final recorded militia muster during the last week of February and the first week of March 1862. Rector indicated that if there were insufficient volunteers to fill these new companies, a draft would be made upon the militia regiments and brigades. As a further enticement, Rector also indicated that these regiments were for home defense and that they would not be transferred to Confederate service without their consent. During the spring and summer following this order, many former militiamen joined one of the newly formed regiments. It may be that the militiamen decided it was better to enlist and remain together than to wait for forced conscription under new Confederate Conscription laws, which were being strictly enforced during the summer of 1862.

Two other new regiments were raised under Governor Rector's plan: Rector's 1st Arkansas
35th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
-External links:* * * *...

, and Adams' 3rd Arkansas
Adams' Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The Adams' Arkansas Infantry Regiment was a Confederate Army infantry regiment which existed during the American Civil War . The regiment was officially designated by the state military board as the 3rd Regiment, Northwest Division, District of Arkansas...

. When finally inducted into State service, Rector's unit would become the 35th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
35th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
-External links:* * * *...

 and Brook's 2nd Arkansas would become the 34th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. Adam's 3rd Arkansas broke under fire during the Battle of Prairie Grove and was broke up in the general re-organization which occurred in the army following the battle.

In response to Governor Rector's loud protests regarding the defenseless position that Arkansas had been left in following the transfer of General Van Dorn's army, the Confederate government assigned Major General Thomas Carmichael Hindman to organize a defense of the state. Hindman had been elected to represent the district of which Benton County was a part, in the US Congress, but the war prevented him from taking his seat in 1861. Hindman began organizing regiments in the western part of the state, in the summer of 1862. 34th Infantry Regiment was formed August 16, 1862. The unit was assigned to Fagan's, A.T. Hawthorne's, and Roane's Brigade in the Trans-Mississippi
Trans-Mississippi
The Trans-Mississippi was the geographic area west of the Mississippi River during the 19th century, containing the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas, and the Indian Territory . The term was especially used by the Confederate States of America as the designation for the theater of...

 Department. The unit was composed of companies from the following counties:
  • Company A — from Washington County, commanded by, Capt. J. Wythe Walker
  • Company B — from Washington County, commanded by, Capt. Fontaine R. Earle
  • Company C — from Washington County, commanded by, Capt. Samuel Smithson
  • Company D — from from Sebastian County, commanded by, Capt. William Owsley
  • Company E — from Crawford County, commanded by, Capt. James E. Wright
  • Company F — from Benton County, commanded by Capt. Cyrus Leonidas Pickens. Pickens had lead an emergency home guard unit at the Battle of Pea Ridge.
  • Company G — from Sebastian County, commanded by, Capt. James Hensley
  • Company H — from Washington County, commanded by Capt. Wallace (contained many former members of the 10th Arkansas Militia Regiment) and also contained several conscripts.
  • Company I — from Franklin County commanded by, Capt. A. V. Edmonson (Much of Companies A, B, and C, 7th Arkansas Militia Regiment enlisted in this company)
  • Company K — from Washington County, commanded by, Capt. J. R. Pettigrew

Many of the troops had prior military experience in the Arkansas State Troops, having fought at Wilson’s Creek. Company F may have been partially involved in the Battle of Pea Ridge as Emergency Company I of McRae’s 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment
21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 21st Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:21st Infantry Regiment was organized on May 15, 1862 by consolidating four companies of McCarver's 14th and six companies of Lemoyne's 17th Arkansas Regiments, to form the 21st ...

. The emergency company was lead by Captain Pickens. Those who were at Wilson’s Creek likely served in the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops
3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops
The 3rd Infantry, Arkansas State Troops was an Arkansas State infantry regiment that served during the American Civil War. The regiment was designated as the 2nd Infantry, Arkansas State Troops, by the State Military Board, but it was named the 3rd Arkansas by Brigadier General Nicholas Bartlett...

 under Colonel J.R. Gratiot. Company F was organized with the regiment at Mt Comfort in Washington County, about 4 miles west of Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...

. With the threat of conscription men volunteered quickly and camps of instruction were established. Several of the companies of the 34th were organized at Camp Cunningham near Mount Comfort 3 miles west of Fayetteville. Company H commanded by Capt. Wallace was composed of conscripts. At this time company officers were requisitioning weapons from the civilian population and many recruits brought their own weapons from home. At least one other regiment was organized in the area, the 22nd Arkansas. They were also poorly armed and equipped. Hindman ordered the mounted troops to operate in southwest Missouri to give the infantry time to organize and train. The regiment was officially mustered at Prairie Grove by General Hindman on September 1, 1862. It would also be referred to as the 2nd Arkansas Infantry as it was the second full regiment recruited within Hindman’s army. The Regimental officer's were":
  • Colonel William H. Brooks
  • Lt. Col Thomas Gunter
  • Major James Woolsey
  • Surgeon W Welch
  • Asst. Surgeon J. M. Lacy
  • Adjt. M. C. “Tell” Duke
  • Sgt. Major Robert Nettles
  • Chaplain Peter Moses
  • Quartermaster James Pratt
  • Forage Master A. Lovelace

Train, Equip, Retreat!

Sometime in early September 1862 the 34th and 22nd Arkansas moved to Elm Springs. Elm Springs, 12 miles northwest of Fayetteville, was a training camp designed for 5,000. Here the regiment continued to drill and as one soldier put it “ Some of the boys will remember the fun we had there from supper till tattoo. At Elm Springs the 34th was ordered to turn over their weapons to the ordnance department. This was hard on some of the men as they had very fine shotguns and rifles brought from home. Some men hid their weapons in the surrounding countryside. In this unarmed state the regiments drilled. Supplies and clothing dribbled through and the men began to rely less and less on home made knapsacks and haversacks. In mid September the unit was ordered to Elkhorn. Upon arriving their weapons were turned over to a Missouri unit. Soon they retraced their path back to Elm Springs. At this time the Federals advanced toward the southwestern part of Missouri. General Holmes summoned General Hindman to Little Rock. When news of the Federal advance reached the 34th the enthusiasm that earlier existed evaporated. Federal cavalry was reported to be marching with all speed to capture the three unarmed regiments. Under orders from General Rains the regiments marched south heading to Judge Walker’s farm in southern Washington County. The march was hampered by torrential rains and took two days to cover 15 miles. Captain Fontaine Richard Earle of Company B said “it seemed as if the heavens had been overcrowded with water and that the flood-gates had been opened for relief.” Another wrote of the march “It commenced raining as we were leaving Fayetteville and until after daylight the next morning. It poured in almost ceaseless torrents. What was worse than all, we were not ordered to unload the wagons that night. Consequently we were without anything to shelter us or anything to eat until daylight.” The home and outbuildings were quickly filled but the balance of the regiment remained exposed to the elements burning much of the Judge’s rail fence. The judge’s son, Capt J. Wythe Walker remained with his company though within a short walk of his home. The next day, upon seeing his fence destroyed the judge remarked to the troops that he wasn’t discouraged as he had plenty of Negroes to split new rails.

During the retreat there were many desertions, with the worst loss in the conscript company. Over twenty-five men deserted this company on the retreat. The regiment moved to Spadra Bluff on the Arkansas river near Van Buren, occupying winter quarters that had been built by a Texas cavalry unit the previous winter. With the Regiment at 400 men and assuming equally-sized companies, that means approximately 40-man companies. They remained here for almost a month and continued their training. Here weapons were supplied, Enfield rifles. Based on the returns for Co. F, less than half were issued Government clothes. At least one soldier received a knapsack of british manufacture. The unit also probably had what were probably softpacks. Hindman visited the regiment here and noticed that they had over the proper number of mules and wagons and he reduced the transportation by half.

Battle of Prairie Grove

On November 15, 1862, General Hindman moved the Arkansas infantry to Massard Prairie, 3 miles south east of Fort Smith to drill and organize the divisions. The 34th Arkansas was assigned to the following commands:
  • Army of Trans-Mississippi  Lt. General Theophilus Holmes
  • First Corps Major General Thomas Carmichael Hindman
  • First Division Cavalry Brig General John Selden Roane
    John Selden Roane
    John Selden Roane was a Confederate Brigadier General during the American Civil War. He also served as the fourth Governor of the State of Arkansas.-Biography:...

  • 2nd Division Brig. General Frances A. Shoup
  • 6th Arkansas Col. A.T. Hawthorne
  • 22nd Arkansas Col. J. King
  • 34th Arkansas Col. W. H. Brooks


At the very last of November the cavalry was sent north toward Washington County. Here clothing reached the men. Early in December the infantry followed heading north. The 34th crossed the Arkansas river on December 2. On December 4 the column reached Oliver’s Store on Lee creek in the Boston Mountains. There the infantry formed a hollow square for religious services conducted by Chaplain Sam Buchanan. The Chaplain of the 34th Peter Moses was also on hand and battle flags were presented to the regiments of the division.

On December 6, 1862 the 34th Arkansas had arrived at Morrow’s and controlled all the approaches to Cane Hill from the south and east. Hindman then learned of the approach of General Herron, who had two divisions just north of Fayetteville. Hindman planned to get behind the Federal division of General Blunt and prevent General Herron’s division from combining with Gen. Blunt. The 34th was awakened at 2:00 AM and had a cold breakfast and was on the march by 4:00 AM. The 34th was in the lead as this was familiar ground. They advanced to a position 50 yards from the Borden Orchard. Hindman’s army formed on ridge overlooking Crawford Prairie. The position was very good and there the army waited for Herron to advance. Brook’s regiment was posted behind an artillery battery. Company K was posted as skirmishers in from of Blocher’s Battery. It would be hours before the battle. Around 2pm the artillery duel started. The pickets of the regiment returned to the line. Blocher’s Battery became a lightening rod for Federal artillery and later infantry. During the artillery barrage Lt. M.C. “Tell” Duke, the adjutant attempted to raise the spirits of the men by telling a story about the battle of Waterloo. The 20th Wisconsin advanced to take the battery and when their right flank was 50 yards away from the Brook’s position the 34th rose with a shout and fired into them. The regiment was ordered forward along with Major Chew’s Sharpshooter battalion and Hawthorne’s regiment. The regiment slammed into the flank of the 20th Wisconsin, drove them back and retook the battery. As the Confederate counterattack came off the ridge and onto the prairie they came under heavy fire and retreated to their position in the ravine. As the Confederates were reorganizing another Federal attack was launched. This time the 37th Illinois advanced to the summit. Again the rebel brigade rose out of the scrub and fired a point blank volley and charged. The two forces locked in hand to hand fighting. Again the Confederates followed the retreating Federals and ran into heavy fire. As the 34th resumed their position on the summit, the tempo of the battle slowed and shifted to another part of the battlefield. The regiment moved about 150 yards to a position where they rested until after sunset. They stayed in position until nearly midnight when the order to retreat came. During the march over the Boston Mountains many of the men deserted to their homes.
One participant (Sam Pittman, Co. K) wrote:

Remainder of the War

On July 4, 1863, the 34th Arkansas participated in a failed assault on Union-controlled Helena
Battle of Helena
The Battle of Helena was a land battle of the American Civil War fought on July 4, 1863, at Helena, Arkansas. Overshadowed by the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the Battle of Helena secured eastern Arkansas for the Union.- Union forces :...

, Phillips County, Arkansas. Company B was particularly were commended “for the steadiness with which they advanced, drove the enemy before them, and maintained their positions under a heavy artillery fire.” The Regiment spent the winter of 63-64 in Camden, Ouachita County.

The 34th Arkansas' next major engagement was on April 30, 1864, at the Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry on the Saline River, between Camden and Little Rock. During the fighting, command of the 34th Arkansas to Major Fontaine Richard Earle when Colonel Brooks and other senior officers were wounded. Earle remained in command of the Thirty-fourth until the end of the war.

Surrender

The unit was near Marshall, Texas, along with the 22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War . This was the second regiment to be officially designated as the 22nd Arkansas...

 when word came of the surrender. Rather than March to Shreveport, LA, as originally directed, the two regiments chose to march to Fort Smith, Arkansas and surrendered to General Bussey at that location on June 9, 1865.

Reunions

The survivors of the 34th Arkansas Infantry conducted regular reunions at the Prairie Grove Battle Field and near by Cain Hill. Many members of the unit had been recruited from the surrounding counties and the survivors gathered regularly between 1895 and 1916.

Additional Reading

McColloch, Clem. “History of the 34th Confederate Regiment.” Flashback 12 (December 1962): 5–13.

Waterman, Robert E., and Thomas Rothrock, eds. “The Earle-Buchanan Letters of 1861–1876.” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 33 (Summer 1974): 99–174.

External links


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 War
    Arkansas in the American Civil War
    The 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 War
    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...

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