3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Infantry, Arkansas State Troops (1861) 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 Pearce
, Commander, 1st Division, Provisional Army of Arkansas. The regiment is generally referred to as the "3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops", or "Gratiot's Regiment" in contemporary accounts. This unit is distinguished from the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Easter Theater of War in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia
. The unit is also distinguished from a later state organization known as Adams' 3rd Arkansas State Troops
, which was organized in 1862 and participated in the Battle of Prairie Grove
before being disbanded.
. The unit was composed of the following volunteer companies:
name=Gerdeshampstead/>
John R. Gratiot, the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops fought at the Battle of Wilson's Creek
, Missouri on August 10, 1861. The unit suffered 109 casualties, including twenty-five killed, out of a force of 500 men. The regiment was marched back to Arkansas and given the opportunity to vote on the issue of being transferred into Confederate service following the battle. The regiment, along with the rest of the 1st Division voted to disband rather than be transferred to Confederate service. Many veterans of the regiments joined other Confederate units later in the war.
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...
that served 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 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 Pearce
Nicholas Bartlett Pearce
Nicholas Bartlett Pearce was a brigadier general in the Arkansas state militia during the American Civil War...
, Commander, 1st Division, Provisional Army of Arkansas. The regiment is generally referred to as the "3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops", or "Gratiot's Regiment" in contemporary accounts. This unit is distinguished from the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Easter Theater of War in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. The unit is also distinguished from a later state organization known as Adams' 3rd Arkansas State Troops
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...
, which was organized in 1862 and participated in the Battle of Prairie Grove
Battle of Prairie Grove
The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on 7 December 1862, that resulted in a tactical stalemate but essentially secured northwest Arkansas for the Union.-Strategic situation: Union:...
before being disbanded.
Organization
At the beginning of the war, the Arkansas Succession Convention created the Provisional Army of Arkansas. The Provisional Army was to consist of two divisions: the 1st Division in the western part of the state was to be commanded by Brigadier General Pearce, and the 2nd Division in the eastern half of the state, commanded by Major General James Yell. The intent of the Secession Convention was to transfer these state troop regiments into Confederate service as quickly as possible, to avoid the cost of paying for a large state army. The troops of the eastern division were transferred to the command of Brigadier General Hardee in July 1861, but the troops of the western division under Brigadier General Pearce were not transferred to Confederate service before they became engaged in the Battle of Wilson's CreekBattle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, between Union forces and the Missouri State Guard, early in the American Civil War. It was the first major battle of the war west of the Mississippi River and is sometimes...
. The unit was composed of the following volunteer companies:
- Company A: Fort Smith Rifles, commanded by Captain James H. Sparks.
- Company B: Hempstead Rifles, commanded by Captain John R. Gratiot.
name=Gerdeshampstead/>
- Company C: Pike Guards, commanded by Captain Samuel R. Bell.
- Company D: Cane Hill Rifles, commanded by Captain Pleasant W. Buchanan.
- Company F: Crawford Artillery, commanded by Captain James T. Stewart.
- Company G: Frontier Guards, commanded by Captain Hugh T. Brown.
- Company H: Johnson Guards, commanded by Captain Alfred D. King.
- Company K: Crawford Guards, commanded by Captain Joel H. Foster.
Battles
Under the command of ColonelColonel
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...
John R. Gratiot, the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops fought at the Battle of Wilson's Creek
Battle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, between Union forces and the Missouri State Guard, early in the American Civil War. It was the first major battle of the war west of the Mississippi River and is sometimes...
, Missouri on August 10, 1861. The unit suffered 109 casualties, including twenty-five killed, out of a force of 500 men. The regiment was marched back to Arkansas and given the opportunity to vote on the issue of being transferred into Confederate service following the battle. The regiment, along with the rest of the 1st Division voted to disband rather than be transferred to Confederate service. Many veterans of the regiments joined other Confederate units later in the war.
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...