2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment

Organization

The regiment was organized at Helena, Arkansas in the spring of 1861 at the expense of Thomas Carmichael Hindman, who had only recently resigned from the United States Congress because of the Arkansas secession and the formation of the Confederate States of America. By June 1, 1861, Hindman had raised ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas which would eventually become known as the 2nd Arkansas Infantry. The regiment was composed primarily of men from the following counties:

Colonel Hindman asked the state to provide muskets, clothing and ten days rations so his men could "fight for our country." 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. 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 C.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.

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, 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.

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. Colonel Hindman was reassigned to brigade command. When Hindman was promoted to Brigadier General on September 28, 1861, and the command of the regiment fell to Lieutenant Colonel Bocage. Lieutenant Colonel Bocage resigned on November 23, 1861. The unit was involved in an engaged at Rowlett's Station, Kentucky on December 17, 1861.

After the losses of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston withdrew his forces into western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and Alabama to reorganize. On March 29, 1862, the Army of Central Kentucky was merged into the Army of Mississippi in preparation for the Battle of Shiloh.

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.

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. 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. 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.

In the reorganization of Confederate forces before the start of the Kentucky Campaign, the 2nd Arkansas, now under the command of Colonel Daniel C. Govan was assigned to Brigadier General St. John Richardson Liddell's 1st Brigade of Major General Simon Bolivar Buckner's 3rd Division of Major General William Joseph Hardee's Corps of the Army of Mississippi. The regiment participated in Battle of Perryville, Kentucky in October 1862.

In November 1862, following the Kentucky Campaign, General Bragg united his Army of Mississippi and General Kirby Smith'sArmy 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.

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.

The Thirty-eighth Illinois captured the colors of the Second Arkansas Infantry, and were given credit for breaking the Confederate line and forcing their to retreat.

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.

In December 1863 the 24th Arkansas Infantry was added to the consolidated 2nd/15th Arkansas and the 2nd/15th/24th totaled 295 men and 202 arms in December 1863. On December 29, 1863, Colonel Daniel Govan of the 2nd Arkansas was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. The consolidated unit participated in all the battles of the Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign including the Siege of Chattanooga September to November 1863; Battle of Chattanooga, the Battle of Ringgold Gap.

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.

The regiment and it colors were captured, along with much of Govan's Brigade at the Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia on Sept. 1, 1864. 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.

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. The consolidated regiment numbered just 300 rifles and sustained 66% casualties during the Battle of Franklin.

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. The 2nd Arkansas Infantry took part in the following engagements:

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, 8th, 15th, 19th and 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiments 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.