19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, (Dockery's)
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The 19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment or Dockery's Arkansas Infantry Regiment was an infantry formation of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. There were two other regiments which were designated as the 19th Arkansas. Dawson's 19th Arkansas Infantry was organized at Nashville, Arkansas, on November 21, 1861. Hardy's Arkansas Infantry, which is also occasionally referred to as the 19th Arkansas was organized in 1863 from those parts of Dawson's 19th Infantry Regiment, the 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and Crawford's Arkansas Infantry Battalion, which escaped capture at the Battle of Arkansas Post.


Organization

The 19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized on April 2, 1862, at DeValls Bluff, with Col. Hamilton P. Smead in command. The regimental quartermaster was Capt. Thomas P. Dockery, future brigadier-general. The regiment comprised ten companies from Columbia, Hot Spring, Lafayette, Ouachita and Union counties. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties: *Company A – commanded by Captain James G. Johnson, and organized in Lewisville, Lafayette County, Arkansas on February 25, 1862; *Company B – commanded by Captain Dave Dixon and organized in Columbia County, Arkansas on February 26, 1862; *Company C – commanded by Captain Wiley H. Buffington and organized in Columbia County, Arkansas on February 27, 1862; *Company D/E – the "Mountain Minute Men" – commanded by Captain R. S. Clayton and organized as a volunteer company in the 47th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, Hot Springs County, Arkansas on December 25, 1861. The unit was sworn in to Confederate service on March 1, 1862; *Company F – commanded by Captain W. C. Langford, and organized at El Dorado, Arkansas on March 1, 1862; *Company G – commanded by Captain John A. Meek, and organized in Union County, Arkansas on March 1, 1862; *Company H – commanded by Captain John Cook, and organized at Caney, Arkansas on March 3, 1862; *Company I – commanded by Captain B. R. Mathews, and organized in Union County, Arkansas on March 3, 1862; and *Company K – commanded by Captain H. K. Perry, and organized in Columbia County, Arkansas on March 8, 1862. The original Regimental officers were: *SMEAD, H.P. - Colonel *DISMUKES, WILLIAM H. - Lieutenant Colonel *WILLIAMS, H.G.P. - Major *DOCKERY, THOMAS P. Captain - Commissary . *FELTON, ROBERT A. - Surgeon *PEARCE, GEORGE W. - Assistant Surgeon *DURHAM, F.M. - Surgeon Major *MOHR, DAVID - Quartermaster Sargent *EDENBO, WILLIAM H. - Musician *TATUM, ORGAN Ordnance Sargent


Service

Soon after being organized, the regiment was ordered to Mississippi, along with the rest of General Earl Van Dorn's Army of the West. The unit boarded a steamer and moved down White River, out at its mouth, then up the Mississippi River and landed at Memphis, Tennessee. The Confederate commander at Memphis reported on April 7 that Colonel Smead's command with a total of 762 soldiers (of which 560 were fit for duty) was present but armed with double barrel shotguns and inferior rifles.Odom, Danny "Re: 17th Arkansas Regiment, No. 2", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 9 June 2012, Accessed 11 June 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=26502 The unit was assigned to the Brigadier General Albert Rust's brigade. The regiment was immediately ordered to move via paddle steamer to Fort Pillow, approximately north of Memphis, along with the remainder of Rust's Brigade. At Fort Pillow, during a bombardment by Union gunboats, the regiment saw their first enemy fire.Elihu C. Beckham, "A GOOD STORY, Where I was And What I saw During the Late War By Elihu C. Bechkam, Sergeant Co. "K", 21st Ark.", The Izard County Historian, October 1977, Volume 8, Number 4. Accessed 6 June 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/goodstor.html The unit remained at Fort Pillow for about two weeks. The unit experienced few casualties in the bombardment of Fort Pillow, but many of the soldiers became sick, and several died due to the very muddy conditions and poor water supply at the fort. The unit left Fort Pillow on April 26 moved back to Memphis and then on to Camp Churchill Clark, near Corinth, Mississippi. In early May 1862 the Confederate Army 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. After settling in at Camp Churchill Clark, near Corinth, Mississippi, the 19th Arkansas was reorganized for the war and new officers were elected. All of the original field officers were thrown out in the election of May 12, 1862, and in their place the men elected Colonel Thomas P. Dockery, Lieutenant Colonel William H. Dismukes, and Major Horatio G. P. Williams. On June 2, 1862, the two Hot Spring County companies were consolidated. Company D (from Rockport) was merged into Company E (from Hot Springs).


Iuka-Corinth Campaign

During the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, the 19th Arkansas was assigned to Brigadier General
William L. Cabell William Lewis Cabell (January 1, 1827 – February 21, 1911) was an American engineer, lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 14th, 16th and 20th mayor of Dallas (1874–1876, 1877–1879 and 1883–1885). Prior to that, he ...
's brigade of Brigadier General Dabney H. Maury's Division of Major General Sterling Price's 1st Corps the Confederate ( Army of the West). The unit participated in the Battle of Corinth and the
Battle of Hatchie's Bridge A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, and reported 129 casualties.


Vicksburg Campaign

The regiment was assigned to Brigadier General
Martin E. Green Martin Edwin Green (June 3, 1815 – June 27, 1863) was a Confederate brigadier general in the American Civil War, and a key organizer of the Missouri State Guard in northern Missouri. Early life Green was born in Fauquier County, Virginia. ...
's brigade of Major General
John S. Bowen John Stevens Bowen (October 30, 1830 – July 13, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who later became a general in the Confederate Army and a commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. He fought at the battles ...
's Division, of Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton's Army of Mississippi for the Vicksburg Campaign. When General Green was killed on June 27, 1863, Colonel Dockery was placed in command of Second Brigade, Bowen's Division, and so actual field command of the 19th Arkansas Regiment devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Dismukes, who led the regiment through the terrible battles that preceded the Siege of Vicksburg. The 19th Arkansas fought at Battle of Port Gibson, Battle of Champion's Hill, and the Battle of Big Black River Bridge, where Lieutenant-Colonel Dismukes was mortally wounded and most of the regiment was captured. Major Horatio Gates Perry Williamson was promoted to lieutenant-colonel after Dismukes' death, and the uncaptured remnant of the 19th Arkansas fell back to Vicksburg, where it endured the forty-day siege.


Paroled, exchanged and re-organized

This regiment surrendered with the Army of Mississippi at Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 4, 1863. General
U. S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
initially demanded the unconditional surrender of the Vicksburg garrison, but faced with the necessity of feeding 30,000 starving Confederates and having the idea that these soldiers might do more harm to the Confederate cause by being released to return home rather than being exchanged as whole units, he relented and allowed for the immediate parole of the surrendered units. According to the Confederate War Department, Union leader encouraged the surrendered confederates to simply return home, rather than reporting to parole camps to await their eventual exchange. The able bodied Confederate soldiers who were released on parole walked out of Vicksburg (they were not allowed to proceed in any military formations) on July 11, 1863. Paroling of these able bodied men was completed in their respective regimental camps inside Vicksburg prior to July 11. Those who were wounded or sick in the various hospitals in Vicksburg were paroled, and were released as soon as they could leave on their own. July 15/16 is the most common date of these Vicksburg hospital paroles. Some of the most seriously wounded and sick were sent by steamship down the Mississippi River and over to
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
, where they were delivered on parole to Confederate authorities.Simmons, Hugh "Re: 46th AL Co. C -- questions re: Demopolis/Vicks", Alabama in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 17 April 2004, Accessed 4 June 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/alcwmb/arch_config.pl?noframes;read=13786 Confederate commanders designated Enterprise, Mississippi as the rendezvous point (parole camp) for the Vicksburg parolees to report to after they got clear of the last Federal control point at Big Black Bridge. By August 3, 1864 it was apparent that most of the Arkansas units had bypassed the established parole camps, and with the assistance of their Union captors, simply crossed the river and returned home. On August 3, 1863 it was reported that only a very small number of the paroled Arkansas troops had reported to parole camps east of the Mississippi River. On August 8, 1863, General Pemberton, wrote to Adjutant General and Inspector General of the Confederate Army, Brigadier General Samuel Cooper to report that the troops from Trans-Mississippi Department (including Arkansas) had abandoned the Army of Mississippi before permission was obtained to furlough them. The troops were ordered to rendezvous at Camden, Arkansas. General Pemberton also requested to send Arkansas troops paroled at after the surrender of Port Hudson to that Camden as well. Because so many of the Vicksburg parolees, especially from Arkansas, simply went home, Major General Pemberton requested Confederate President Davis to grant the men a thirty furlough beginning on July 21. Soldier who did not report to the parole camp with in the time limits of the furlough were not punished as deserters as long as the soldier eventually showed up at a parole camp to be declared exchanged and returned to duty. On August 9, 1863, Confederate Secretary of War James A. Seddon wrote to General Kirby Smith, Commanding the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, informing him that Colonel T.P. Dockery of the 19th Arkansas had been ordered to cross the Mississippi River and reassemble the men of his former brigade at Camden Arkansas. Dockery was to arm, recruit, and return to active service the men of his brigade as quickly as they were exchanged. Seddon opined that prisoners who, with the connivance and instigation of the enemy, left Vicksburg before being properly accounted for by their officers, were not properly listed a prisoners, and therefore were free to re-enter service immediately. Seddon also indicated that it might be advisable to distribute these men to other commands rather than keeping them together, but he left that matter up to General Smith. Seddon's letter included Colonel Dockery's commission as a Brigadier General.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence., Book, 1888; (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154590/ : accessed February 11, 2016), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas. On August 10, 1863, Colonel Dockery received the following orders from the Confederate Secretary of War: General Kirby Smith acknowledged the receipt of Seddon's letter on September 11, 1863. General Smith reported that he did not expect that Dockery would have as much success as might be hoped for in reassembling his brigade. General Smith indicated that he lack sufficient weapons to arm Dockery's reconstituted brigade and the military situation in Arkansas would likely prevent Dockery and his men from being returned to duty east of the Mississippi river as Seddon had hoped. The exchange declaration reports issued by Colonel Robert Ould in Richmond for various units in the Vicksburg and Port Hudson surrenders began in September 1863 based upon men who actually reported into one of the two parole camps. On October 16, 1863, the Confederate Exchange Agent, R.O. Ould declared the staff of Colonel Dockery, captured at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863 to be duly exchanged.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 2, Volume 6., Book, 1899; (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139687/m1/397/?q=Exchange Notice Numbers 7. : accessed February 11, 2016), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas. When Colonel Dockery was appointed brigadier-general, Lieutenant-Colonel Williamson was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 19th Arkansas.Odom, Danny, "Question for Danny", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 15 March 2012, Accessed 26 March 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=25887 On December 5, 1863, General Kirby Smith wrote to Lieutenant General Holmes, commanding the District of Arkansas that he was expecting the arrival of 1200 weapons which were to be sent to Dockery's brigade. Smith indicated that Dockery's Brigade was to be returned to service as Infantry (as opposed to mounted). On December 5, 1863, General Kirby Smith ordered Brigadier General Dockery, to "quietly, but promptly, draw in and prepare for the field all the men of your command." General Smith indicated that Dockery would be supplied with arms and they Dockery's Brigade would serve as infantry, even if some of Dockery's men had been mounted. By December 23, 1863, General Smith was still attempting to secure weapons for General Dockery's men. General smith ordered General Dockery with "900 unarmed men" to move to Monroe, LA on or before 1 January 1864 to receive weapons from Brigadier General Alfred Mouton. In January 1864, the Chief Paymaster of the Trans-Mississippi wrote to the Departments Inspector General to report that he lacked sufficient funds on hand to pay the paroled and exchanged prisoners from Vicksburg and Port Hudson assembling at Washington Arkansas under General Dockery. On February 27, 1864 Confederate General Richard Taylor reported to Major General W.R. Boggs, Chief of Staff to General Kirby Smith, that during the month of January 1864, "1,400 stand of arms were crossed (over the Mississippi River) and distributed among General Dockery's unarmed brigade." By March 1864, Dockery's Brigade, consisting of remnants the now paroled and exchanged Arkansas regiments from Vicksburg and Port Hudson, was stationed near Monticello, in Drew County, Arkansas. General Fagan was with Dockery's Brigade assisting in the organization, but near the end of the month withdrew, leaving Brigadier General Dockery in command of his Brigade and Crawford's Brigade. Many of the regiments were mere skeletons, with companies numbering less than 10 men each, so many consolidations were made with in Dockery's Command. The heavy loss of men sustained by the 19th Arkansas and Johnson's 15th Arkansas, which was surrendered at Port Hudson made it necessary to consolidate these two regiments. But because their enviable records each regiment was permitted to retain its number; and the new regiment was known as the Consolidated 15th and 19th Arkansas Regiment. The regimental officers of the 15th Arkansas had been carried away to Union prison camps in the surrender and not exchanged so Captain Joe, who had managed to escape from Union custody, as senior remaining captain, took command of the remnant of the 15th Arkansas, and Colonel Williams of the 19th was placed in command of the Consolidated Regiment. A portion of the brigade was mounted, and General Dockery took command of this part; and Colonel Williams commanded the infantry portion of the brigade. This left the infantry portion of the 15th and 19th under the command of Captain Joe until the 23rd of May, 1864, when he resigned upon a surgeon's certificate, because of wounds received at Port Hudson. This left Lieutenant Dock in command of Company B in the Consolidated Regiment. General Dockery had mounted a portion of his brigade, ostensibly to help facilitate the re-assembly of the brigade. This action caused friction with Confederate leadership. The Confederate Army had at this point far more mounted commands that was necessary and the logistical requirements to support such a large mounted force far exceeded the ability of the Arkansas country side to support. By late March, Dockery had a portion of his brigade mounted and a regimental size portion of the brigade under the command of Colonel Williams dismounted as infantry. Dockery's Brigade consisted of the following elements:Cluck, Damon "Dockery's Brigade during the Camden Expedition" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, posted 2/4/2016, 3:39 pm, Accessed 12 February 2016, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?page=1;md=read;id=30767 The mounted portion under Colonel Dockery consisted of: : 18th Arkansas Mounted Infantry Regiment (Carroll's) :19th and
15th 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 (number), 14 and preceding 16 (number), 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky ...
Consolidated Mounted Infantry RegimentMartel, G. G., Daniel, J., & Daniel, D.. (1947). The Escape of Captain Joe and Lieutenant Dock Daniel. The Arkansas Historical Quarterly, 6(3), 302–343. http://doi.org/10.2307/40018423 : 20th Arkansas Mounted Infantry Regiment (Jones) : 12th Arkansas Mounted Infantry Battalion (Sharpshooters) The infantry portion of Dockery's brigade was a regimental size (approximately 400 man) organization and was commanded by Lieut. Col. Horatio G. P. Williams. This organization is occasionally referred to as the 19th Arkansas Infantry, but was actually composed of dismounted company size elements of: :
15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Northwest) The 15th (Northwest) Arkansas Infantry Regiment (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was originally formed as the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Battalion. After receiving the required 10 companies, ...
, under Capt. Austin K. Etris :
18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Carroll's) The 18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment or Carroll's Arkansas Infantry Regiment was an infantry formation of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was raised in April 1862 under the command of Colonel D. W. Carroll. ...
, under Maj. Samuel H. Southerland :19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Dockery's), under Capt. Thomas M. Drewery :
12th Arkansas Infantry Battalion 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
, under First Lieut. James A. Gillespie The remnants of the following Arkansas regiments were also assigned to Dockery's brigade, but in numbers below company strength and the exact manner in which they were consolidated with the mounted and infantry portions of the brigade is unknown: : 8th Arkansas Infantry Battalion :
12th Arkansas Infantry Regiment The 12th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The regiment spent much of its service defending Confederate strong points along the Mississippi River. The unit participated in the d ...
:
14th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Powers') 14 (fourteen) is a natural number following 13 and preceding 15. In relation to the word "four" ( 4), 14 is spelled "fourteen". In mathematics * 14 is a composite number. * 14 is a square pyramidal number. * 14 is a stella octangula number ...
, :
16th Arkansas Infantry Regiment The 16th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (also known as the "Sixteenth Arkansas") was an infantry formation in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Organized from volunteer companies from northwest Arkansas, the regiment participa ...
:
21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Craven's) The 21st Arkansas Infantry (1862–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was organized from the consolidation of two understrength Arkansas units in May 1862. The unit participated in the Iuka-Corin ...
, and the :
23rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment The 23rd Arkansas Infantry (1862–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. In the summer of 1864, the unit was reorganized as a mounted infantry regiment in preparation for Price's Missouri Expedition and of ...


Campden Expedition

After being exchanged and reorganized the regiment, along with the rest of Dockery's Brigade, saw extensive action during the Camden Expedition at the Battles of Prairie D'Ane, Marks' Mills, and Jenkins Ferry.


The Expedition to Mount Elba

The 1864 Camden Expedition was part of a two-pronged strategy by the Union Army to drive Confederate resistance out of southwestern Arkansas and northern Louisiana, and to penetrate into Confederate Texas. Union Major General Frederick Steele led a Union force from Little Rock on March 23, 1864, with the objective of joining forces with Major General Nathaniel Prentice Banks at
Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...
. Confederate forces in Arkansas were directed from Washington, where the Confederate government of the state relocated after the fall of Little Rock. In support of General Steele's movements toward Arkadelphia, Arkansas, Union Colonel Powell Clayton, stationed at Pine Bluff, decided to conduct an attack Colonel Dockery's forces at Monticello. Clayton had received information that Dockery was about to leave Monticello to oppose Steele's movement. The expedition to Mount Elba began on March 27, 1864 when the Powell's forces under left Pine Bluff. Colonel Clayton's force consisted of elements of Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, Twenty-eighth Wisconsin Infantry, Fifth Kansas Cavalry, First Indiana Cavalry, Seventh Missouri Cavalry (US), totaling approximately 237 men. Major General Sterling Price, the commander of the Confederate district of Arkansas, had ordered General Dockery to harass the rear flanks of the Union troop movements and attack Union supply trains. General Dockery's forces consisted of his own brigade and elements of Colonel Crawford's Arkansas Cavalry Brigade, including Poe's and McMurtrey's Cavalry Battalions.Mark K. Christ, "Action at Mount Elba", The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, The Central Arkansas Library System, Accessed 4 February 2016, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=522 "Unfortunately," Price reported, "before Brigadier-General Dockery could execute this order he was on March 29 attacked at Mount Elba by a party of the enemy from Pine Bluff and completely routed. They at the same time captured at Long View his entire train (twenty-six wagons) and about 200 prisoners." "Col. Clayton, commanding the expedition from Pine Bluff, destroyed the pontoon bridge at Longview--burned a train of thirty-five wagons loaded with camp and garrison equipage, ammunition, quartermaster's stores, etc., and captured over three hundred prisoners ... .He engaged Dockery's division, of about 1200 men, from Monticello, on the morning of the 30th ult., routed and pursued him ten miles, with a loss on his side of over one hundred killed and wounded--capturing a large quantity of small arms and two stands of colors. Our loss did not exceed fifteen in killed, wounded and missing ... .Three hundred horses and mules and many wagons were captured. Col. Clayton by this expedition has added fresh laurels to his brow. He is worthy of all honor, and deserving the highest reward at the hands of the government. He has been in every instance successful and will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier General for valiant service to the Union cause. He justly deserves the honor."James L. Boney, "Battle at Mt. Elba", Cleveland County, ARGenWeb Accessed 12 February 2016, http://www.ashleycountyledger.com/articles/2016/01/27/history/aai7.txt


Battle of Prairie D'Ane

Confederate Major General Sterling Price ordered Brigadier General
John S. Marmaduke John Sappington Marmaduke (March 14, 1833 – December 28, 1887) was an American politician and soldier. He served as the 25th governor of Missouri from 1885 until his death in 1887. During the American Civil War, he was a senior officer ...
to harry the Union column and to prevent it from crossing the Little Missouri River as it moved toward Washington. Advance Union forces clashed with Confederate defenders in the Battle of Elkin's Ferry on April 3. The outnumbered Confederates were forced to withdraw, and General Marmaduke established a defensive position, lightly fortified by earthworks, on the road between Elkin's Ferry and Washington at the western edge of the sparsely-populated Prairie d'Ane, a roughly circular area of prairie surrounded by woodlands. and   After waiting for the arrival of reinforcements, General Steele advanced on April 9, but was stopped in the
Battle of Prairie D'Ane The Battle of Prairie D'Ane (April 9 – 13, 1864), also known as the Skirmish at Prairie D'Ane, Battle of Gum Springs or Battle of Moscow, was fought in present-day Nevada County, Arkansas, as part of the Camden Expedition, during the American ...
, a series of encounters that ended on April 12. General Dockery's Brigade assisted Marmaduke's division in Prairie D'Ane, 9–12 April. After making a feint in the direction of the Confederate state capital at Washington, Arkansas, Steele then turned and occupied
Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...
, on April 15, in order to resupply his army, which was then on half-rations. Price had stripped Camden of personnel in order to defend Washington, and the Union forces occupied the city against no significant opposition.


Battle of Poison Spring

After a two-day wait, General Steele sent out foraging parties into the countryside and awaited news from Banks. However, Banks was in retreat, having been defeated at the Battle of Mansfield, and now more of Kirby Smith's forces were heading into Arkansas to intercept Steele. Dwindling supplies for his army at Camden forced Steele to send out a 1,200-man foraging party to gather corn that the Confederates had stored about twenty miles away. After loading the corn into over 200 wagons and proceeding about 5 miles on April 18, Col. James M. Williams's party was savagely attacked by John Marmaduke's division, assisted by the 19th Arkansas as part of Dockery's Brigade at the
Battle of Poison Spring The Battle of Poison Spring was fought in Ouachita County, Arkansas on April 18, 1864, as part of the Camden Expedition, during the American Civil War. A Union force commanded by Major General Frederick Steele had moved from Little Rock, Arka ...
. Williams was forced to retreat northward into a marsh, where his men finally regrouped and fell back to Camden, minus the wagonloads of much needed corn.


Battle of Jenkins Ferry

Steele was relieved on April 20 when a wagon train arrived from Pine Bluff with welcome supplies. One week later, the Battle of Marks' Mills resulted in the capture of 2,000 more of Steele's men and many more wagons. Steele decided to abandon Camden under the cover of darkness and retreated to back toward Little Rock on April 26. Three days later, he reached the Saline River at Jenkins' Ferry and began constructing a pontoon bridge. Smith's Confederates arrived on April 30 and repeatedly attacked the retreating Federals in windy and rainy conditions. Colonel H. G. P. WILLIAMS, of the 19th Arkansas, led his "dismounted casuals" of Dockery's Brigade on the left of Churchill's Division during the battle and filed the following report of his operations: Colonel Steele repulsed the Confederate attacks and finally crossed with what was left of his force, destroying the bridge to prevent Smith from following. He was compelled to abandon most of his remaining supply wagons in the swamp north of the river. A badly chagrined Steele finally reached his base at the Little Rock Arsenal on May 3. On May 8, 1864, Brigadier General T.J. Churchill reported that the strength of Dockery's Brigade was 870 effectives of 900 assigned. On 25 June 1864, a Union intelligence report placed Dockery's Brigade including 900 paroled and exchanged prisoners at Washington, Arkansas.


Last Year of the war

The remnants of Dockery's 19th Arkansas were consolidated with the 15th and 20th Arkansas Infantry on November 29, 1864, and the consolidated unit renamed as the
3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment The 3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry (1864–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The regiment is separate from and has no connection with the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Confedera ...
.Hardy, Gary, "Dawson's - Hardy's Arkansas Infantry Regiment", Hardys in the Civil War, Accessed 29 July 2011, http://thehardyparty.com/civil_war/hardys_regiment_ark.htm The consolidated regiment was assigned along with the 1st and
2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment The 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry (1864–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The regiment is separate from and has no connection with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Confederat ...
s to the 2nd (McNair's) Arkansas Brigade, 1st (Churchill's) Arkansas Division, 2nd Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department, from September 1864 to May 1865. On 22 January 1865, Major General Churchill was ordered to move his division to Minden, Louisiana, and occupy winter quarters. Union commanders in the Department of the Gulf reported on March 20, 1865 that General McNair's brigade was located at Minden, Louisiana, with the rest of Churchill's Division. In early April 1865, the division concentrated near Shreaveport Louisiana, and then moved to Marshall, Texas, by mid April 1865.Price, Jeffery R. "A Courage And Desperation Rarely Equaled: The 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Confederate States Army), 26 June 1862--25 May 1865". MA thesis, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2003, Page 36


Surrender

The
3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment The 3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry (1864–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The regiment is separate from and has no connection with the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Confedera ...
was stationed at Marshall, Texas, when the war ended, and was officially surrendered with the Department of the Trans-Mississippi by Major General E. Kirby Smith on May 26, 1865.


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 Militia in the Civil War


Notes


References


External links


Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110718122909/http://arkansascivilwar.com/ The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas {{Authority control Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Arkansas 1865 disestablishments in Arkansas Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Military units and formations in Arkansas Military in Arkansas 1862 establishments in Arkansas Military units and formations established in 1862