The 2nd Arkansas Infantry (June 1, 1861 – May 26, 1865) was an army
regiment of the
Confederate Army during the
American Civil War. The regiment was raised in May 1861 under Colonel Thomas C. Hindman. It served throughout the war in the
western theater, in the Confederate Army of Tennessee, seeing action in the Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia campaigns. Following its depletion in numbers, the regiment was consolidated several times with other Arkansas regiments, finally merging in 1865 into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment. The regiment has no connection with the
2nd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops, which participated in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, and is also separate from the
2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment, which was formed in 1864 from remnants of regiments surrendered at Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
Company E (old) – of Phillips County, commanded by Barton Y. Truner.[14]
Company E (new) – of Transfers from 11th Arkansas Infantry.[6][15]
Company F – of Phillips County, originally commanded by
Daniel C. Govan,[16] later commanded by Captain Richard S. Boyd.[17]
Company G – of Bradley County, commanded by Captain William D. Mackey.[18]
Company H – the "Southern Guards", of Jefferson County, commanded by Captain Joseph W. Bocage.[19][20] This company was originally organized on December 18, 1860, as a volunteer company in the 24th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia.[20]
Company I – of Bradley County, commanded by W.J. McKinney.[21]
Company K – of Saline County, commanded by Captain M.D Brown.[22]
Colonel Hindman asked the state to provide muskets, clothing and ten days rations so his men could "fight for our country."[23] Hindman also asked to be ordered to march to Virginia. His requests were not complied with, so he stopped steamers loaded with sugar for Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and sold their cargo.[4] He then purchased all the arms available and took his command to Memphis. Other organizations joined him: Lieutenant Colonel
John S. Marmaduke's battalion of eight companies, which would eventually become
3rd Confederate Infantry;
6th (Phifer's) Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, under Major
Charles W. Phifer, and Captain Swett's Mississippi battery of four guns. This combined force, known temporarily as "Hindman's Legion", was ultimately ordered to assemble with the other Arkansas troops assembling at Pocahontas, where they were mustered into Confederate service by companies between May 26 and June 26, 1861, and assigned to Hardee's Division.[6]
The regiment was commanded by Colonels Thomas C. Hindman, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Bocage, Colonel Daniel C. Govan, Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Scaife, and E. Warfield; Lieutenant Colonels Jos. W. Bocage, E. G. Brasher, R. F. Harvey, and Charles Patterson; and Major A. T. Meek.
Two of the regiment's officers, Thomas C. Hindman and Daniel C. Govan,[24] were promoted to general. Hindman would later be
wounded in action[25] and receive a promotion to
major general, ending the war as Arkansas' highest-ranking officer.[26]
Battles
The unit moved from Pittman's Ferry in northeast Arkansas to Kentucky. In October 1861, General
Albert Sidney Johnston assumed command of
Army of Central Kentucky, and Brigadier General Hardee was promoted to major general and given command of a division, which included the 2nd Arkansas.[27] Colonel Hindman was reassigned to brigade command.[28] When Hindman was promoted to brigadier general on September 28, 1861, and the command of the regiment fell to Lieutenant Colonel Bocage.[29] Lieutenant Colonel Bocage resigned on November 23, 1861. The unit was involved in an engaged at
Rowlett's Station, Kentucky, on December 17, 1861.[30]
Assigned to Hindman's (later Liddell's) brigade,
Army of Mississippi in March, 1862 where it participated in the
Battle of Shiloh on April 6–7, 1862 and in the Corinth Campaign from April through June of that year. As a result of losses in the Battle of Shiloh, 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 Number Ten.[6]
In early May 1862 the Confederate forces underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862.[32] All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for two additional years or the duration of the war; a new election of officers was ordered; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home.[33] Officers who did not choose to stand for re-election were also offered a discharge. The reorganization was accomplished among all the Arkansas regiments in and around Corinth, Mississippi, following the Battle of Shiloh.[34]
In November 1862, following the Kentucky Campaign, General Bragg united his Army of Mississippi and General
Kirby Smith's
Army of Kentucky to create the
Army of Tennessee. In the reorganization, Liddell's brigade of Arkansas troops was assigned to Cleburne's Division and fought in the
Battle of Stones River, December 31, 1862 – January 3, 1863. The regiment lost 15 killed, 94 wounded, and 9 missing at Murfreesboro.[35]
The regiment took part in the
Tullahoma Campaign in June, 1863; and the
Battle of Liberty Gap, June 24–26, 1863. According to the report Brigadier General St. John R. Liddell, the regiment lost its colors during the fighting at Liberty Gap.[36]
. . . I had previously ordered up the Sixth and Seventh Arkansas Regiments (which were held in reserve) to the support of the Second, where Colonel Govan informed me that his ammunition was nearly exhausted. I instructed him to try to hold his place until I could get the reserve into position and the ammunition of this regiment could be brought up. There was some difficulty, however, in getting the ammunition, on account of the boggy nature of the ground, caused by so much rain.
Meanwhile the Sixth and Seventh had become hotly engaged. Two color-bearers of the Second [Arkansas] were killed, and the third, standing on the declivity of the hill, was fatally struck, and falling forward headlong, cast his colors toward the base, in close proximity to the line of the enemy. The colors were not missed until the regiment had retired over the crest of the hill, and having now no ammunition, it was useless to renew the attack for their recovery. This is a source of great mortification to the regiment as well as the brigade. . . .[36]
The Thirty-eighth Illinois captured the colors of the Second Arkansas Infantry, and were given credit for breaking the Confederate line and forcing their retreat.[37]
In September 1863, the 2nd was consolidated with the
15th Arkansas, and the consolidated regiment participated in the
Battle of Chickamauga, September 19–20, 1863. [38]
When General
Joseph E. Johnston assumed command of the Army of Tennessee to oppose General Sherman's
Atlanta Campaign, Govan's Brigade was reorganized and only the 2nd and 24th were united. The 2nd/24th Arkansas participated in the battles of Dalton, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, and the
Siege of Atlanta. The consolidated 2nd/24th Arkansas reported 130 casualties during the campaign.[35][41][42]
The regiment and it colors were captured, along with much of Govan's Brigade at the
Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia, on Sept. 1, 1864.[4] Due to a special cartel between Union General
Sherman and Confederate General
John B. Hood, the unit was quickly paroled and exchanged for Union prisoners held at
Andersonville Prison. The regiment re-entered service approximately a month later.[43]
The 2nd Arkansas and the rest of Govan's Brigade were released and exchanged just in time to participate in General
John B. Hood's disastrous
Franklin-Nashville Campaign. Due to the appalling losses suffered by Govan's Brigade during the Atlanta Campaign, the 1st/15th, 5th/13th and 2nd/24th Arkansas Regiments were consolidated into one regiment, which was commanded by Colonel Peter Green of the 5th/13th (specifically of the 5th). The other officers of the consolidated regiment were Major Alexander T. Meek, of the 2nd/24th Arkansas, Captain Mordecai P. Garrett and Sergeant Major Thomas Benton Moncrief of the 15th Arkansas. The consolidated regiment fought under the colors of the consolidated 5th/13th Arkansas Regiment, because this was one of the only colors not captured when Govan's Brigade was overrun at the Battle of Jonesboro. The flag of the combined 5th/13th Arkansas was issued in March 1864 and was captured by Benjamin Newman of the 88th Illinois Infantry at the battle of Franklin.[44] The consolidated regiment numbered just 300 rifles and sustained 66% casualties during the Battle of Franklin.[45]
The remnants of Govan's Brigade that survived the Tennessee Campaign remained with the Army of Tennessee through its final engagements in the 1865
Carolinas Campaign.[46] The 2nd Arkansas Infantry took part in the following engagements:[41]
On April 9, 1865, the remnants of ten depleted Arkansas regiments in the Army of Tennessee, along with one mostly Arkansas regiment, were consolidated to form a single regiment at Smithfield, North Carolina.[41][50] The 1st Arkansas was combined with the 2nd,
5th,
6th,
7th,
8th,
15th,
19th and
24th Arkansas Infantry Regiments and the
3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry on April 9, 1865.[51] On April 26, 1865, the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment was present with the Army of Tennessee when it surrendered in
Greensboro, North Carolina.[52][53][54]
^Sikakis, Stewart, Compendium of the Confederate Armies, Florida and Arkansas, Facts on File, Inc., 1992,
ISBN978-0-8160-2288-5, page 78
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 20, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1887, Page 173; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154629/m1/183/?q=Arkansas%20Infantry : accessed February 17, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 20, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1887, Page 974; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154629 : accessed February 07, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
^
abcdHowerton, Bryan R. "THE HISTORY OF THE 2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011,
"Civil War 2dinf hist.html". Archived from
the original on 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
^
abArkansas Military Department Records, Spanish American War, List of Commissioned Officers of the Militia 1827–1862, Arkansas History Commission, Microfilm Roll 38-8
^Little Rock Arkansas State Gazette, September 29, 1868.
^Col. John M. Harrell, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed., page
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 7., Book, 1882; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154610/m1/858/?q=Army of Mississippi : accessed June 27, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
^United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 4., book, 1893; Washington D.C.. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154607/m1/497/?q=second%20arkansas%20infantry: accessed October 27, 2016), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 10, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence, etc., Book, 1884; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154614/m1/500/?q=Army of Mississippi : accessed June 17, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
^
abcEdward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, THE HISTORY OF THE 2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, Accessed 3 January 2010.
"Civil War 2dinf hist.html". Archived from
the original on 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 38, In Five Parts. Part 3, Reports., Book, 1891; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154634/ : accessed June 26, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
^Sikakis, Stewart, Compendium of the Confederate Armies, Florida and Arkansas, Facts on File, Inc., 1992,
ISBN978-0-8160-2288-5, page 71
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 20, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1887; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154629 : accessed February 06, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 30, In Four Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1890; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152978/ : accessed June 27, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.
^United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 38, In Five Parts. Part 3, Reports., Book, 1891; digital images, (
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154634/ : accessed June 27, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.