The 5th Arkansas Infantry, also called the Fighting Fifth (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

organized in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

to serve for the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. It served throughout the war in the western theater, 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. Another Arkansas unit also had the designation 5th Arkansas, the

5th Regiment, Arkansas State Troops The 5th Regiment, Arkansas State Troops (1861) was an Arkansas State infantry regiment that served during the American Civil War. Formed in mid-1861, the regiment was assigned to the command of Brigadier General Nicholas Bartlett Pearce, commander ...

which participated in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, but was never transferred to Confederate Service. There is no connection between the two units.

Organization

This regiment was organized for one year in state service at Gainesville in

Greene County, Arkansas Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,090. The county seat is Paragould, which sits atop Crowley's Ridge. Greene County is included in Jonesboro–Paragould Combined St ...

, on June 28, 1861, and was transferred to Confederate service on July 27, 1861, at

Pocahontas, Arkansas Pocahontas is a city in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. According to the 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city was 6,608. The city is the county seat of Randolph County. Pocahontas has a number of hist ...

. It was reorganized for the war at Corinth, Mississippi, on May 12, 1862.Upton, Emory, Bvt. Maj. Gen., United States Army; "The Military Policy of the United States", Washington Government Printing Office 1912, page 471, Congressional edition, Volume 6164, Google Books, Accessed 4 November 2011, https://books.google.com/books?id=2-tGAQAAIAAJ&dq=Confederate+conscription+law+reorganization+regiment&pg=PA471 The field officers were David C. Cross, Lucius Featherston, Peter V. Green, and J. E. Murray; Lieutenant Colonels E. A. Howell and B. F. Sweeney; and Majors T. W. Ellsberry and Riddick Pope. The regiment would spend the duration of the war in the service of the Confederate

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in ...

, fighting in the western theater. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties: * Company A, Commanded by Captain S.L. Miller, organized at Pineville, Poinsett County, Arkansas, on 15 July 1861. * Company B, the "Walker Grays", Commanded by Captain Lawrence R. Frisk, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on June 12, 1861. * Company C, the "Sweeney Riflemen", also known as the "Bevering Riflemen" Commanded by Captain Henry C. Fisher, organized at Warren, Arkansas, on May 14, 1862. This company had originally been organized on January 26, 1861, as a volunteer company in the 27th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, under the command of Captain Benjamin F. Sweeney. * Company D, Commanded by Captain W.G. Bohaning, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on July 13, 1861. * Company E, the "Gainesville Guards", Commanded by Captain W.C. Rayburn, organized at Gainesville, Arkansas, on June 26, 1861. This company had originally been organized on as a volunteer company in the 27th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, under the command of Captain Captain Flavius S. White. * Company F, the "Harrisburg Riflemen", Commanded by Captain G.F. Smith, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on June 12, 1861. This company had originally been organized on as a volunteer company in the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, under the command of Captain G.F. Smith. * Company G, the "Brownsville Rifles", commanded by Captain Robert S. Gantt, organized at Brownsville, Arkansas, on May 31, 1861. This company had originally been organized on May 2, 1861, as a volunteer company in the 50th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, Prairie County.Arkansas Military Department Records, List of Commissioned Officers of the Militia 1827–1862, Arkansas History Commission, Microfilm Roll 00000038-8, Page 441 * Company H, commanded by Captain John L. Kuykendoll, organized at Gainesville, Arkansas, on September 28, 1861. * Company I, the "Austin Rifles", Commanded by Captain B.H. Cozart, organized at Brownsville, Arkansas, on June 14, 1861. This company had originally been organized on May 22, 1861, as a volunteer company in the 50th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, Prairie County. * Company K, the "Arkansas Toothpicks", commanded by Captain Augustus B. Washington, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on June 13, 1861. * Unlettered Company, Commanded by Captain Poindexter Dunn. A letter from a member of the Brownsville Rifles to the ''Des Arc Citizen'' described the outcome of the election for regimental officers: The regiment was armed with weapons which the state confiscated when the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock was seized by Arkansas State Militia troops in February 1861. Disposition of the weapons found in the Arsenal is somewhat sketchy, but from various records it can be surmised that the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Arkansas Infantry Regiments, mustered in June, 1861, were issued M1816/M1822 .69 caliber flintlocks. They retained these weapons until April, 1862 when they were able to exchange them for better weapons scavenged from the battlefield at Shiloh.

Battles

The regiment moved with the rest of General Hardee's division to

Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States. Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. As of the ...

, where Hardee's Division became the Army of Central Kentucky. After the losses of Fort Henry and

Fort Donelson Fort Donelson was a fortress built early in 1862 by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River, which led to the heart of Tennessee, and thereby the Confederacy. The fort was named after Confederate general Da ...

in February 1862, Confederate General

Albert Sidney Johnston Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) served as a general in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army. He saw extensive combat during his 34-year military career, figh ...

withdrew his forces into western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and Alabama to reorganize. and then retreated through western Tennessee to northern Mississippi. In the reorganization of forces, the 5th Arkansas was assigned to Hindman's (later Liddell's) brigade,

Army of Mississippi There were three formations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. This name is contrasted against Army of ''the'' Mississippi, which was a Union Army named for the Mississippi River, not ...

in March, 1862. At the time the Battle at Shiloh took place, the 5th Arkansas was on picket duty along the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, about 7 miles north and west of Corinth. Colonel David C. Cross pleaded with Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston to permit the 5th Arkansas to take part in the movement towards Shiloh, but Johnston replied that "the post of duty was the post of honor," and kept the 5th Arkansas on picket duty. In early May 1862, 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. When Corinth was evacuated on the approach of Halleck and Grant in May 1862, the regiment fell back with the Confederate army to Tupelo Mississippi, where it was reorganized. Captain L. P. Featherston was elected colonel, J. E. Murray, Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Peter Green, major; J. J. Winston was appointed adjutant. When General Braxton Bragg led the

on the

Kentucky Campaign The Confederate Heartland Offensive (August 14 – October 10, 1862), also known as the Kentucky Campaign, was an American Civil War campaign conducted by the Confederate States Army in Tennessee and Kentucky where Generals Braxton Bragg and ...

, the 5th Arkansas became engaged in the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the ...

. While in Kentucky, John Edward Murray was made Lieutenant Colonel, upon the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel Sweeney. The regiment was assigned to General Liddell's and Govan's Brigade, and consolidated with the 13th Arkansas from August 1863 to April 9, 1865. The regiment was organized with 722 officers and men and lost forty-two percent of the 336 at the

Battle of Murfreesboro The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Am ...

. The 5th/13th lost forty-five percent of the 450 engaged at the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. I ...

. Colonel L. Featherston was also killed during on the first day of battle and was succeeded by Colonel Murray. The unit had 21 men disabled at the

Battle of Ringgold Gap The Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, outside the town of Ringgold, Georgia, by the Confederate and Union armies during the American Civil War. Part of the Chattanooga Campaign, it followed a heavy Confederate loss at the Bat ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

John E. Murray, was killed in action on July 22, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign. Colonel Peter V. Green succeeded Colonel Murray and remained in command until the close of the war. The consolidated 5th/13th totaled 321 men and 222 arms in December 1863, and reported 112 casualties at the

Battle of Atlanta The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Un ...

. The regiment and the rest of Govan's Brigade participated 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.Wernick, John. "Re: 5th Arkansas Infantry", The Civil War Flags Message Board, Posted 10 January 2008, Accessed 15 February 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/cwflags/webbbs_config.pl?read=5234 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 campaign of the Carolinas (January 1 – April 26, 1865), also known as the Carolinas campaign, was the final campaign conducted by the United States Army (Union Army) against the Confederate States Army in the Western Theater. On January ...

. The unit is credited with the following engagements: *

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

, April–June 1862. *

, Kentucky, August–October, 1862 **

, Kentucky, October 8, 1862. *

, Tennessee, December 31, 1862 – January 3, 1863. * Tullahoma Campaign, June 24 – July 3, 1863. **

Battle of Liberty Gap The Battle of Liberty Gap was fought during the Tullahoma Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was an early instance of mounted infantry using Spencer repeating rifles during the war similar to the concurrent battle of Hoover's Gap. ...

, Tennessee, June 24–26, 1863. * Chickamauga Campaign, Georgia, August–September, 1863. **

, Georgia, September 19–20, 1863. * Chattanooga Campaign, September to November 1863. ** Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee, November 25, 1863. **

, Georgia, November 27, 1863. * Atlanta Campaign, May to September 1864. ** Battle of Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, May 5–11, 1864. **

Battle of Resaca The Battle of Resaca, from May 13 to 15, 1864, formed part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War, when a Union force under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The battle ...

, Georgia, May 14–15, 1864. **

Battle of New Hope Church The Battle of New Hope Church (May 25–26, 1864) was a clash between the Union Army under Major General William T. Sherman and the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign of the American ...

, Georgia, May 25 – June 4, 1864. **

Battle of Pickett's Mill The Battle of Pickett's Mill (May 27, 1864) was fought in Paulding County, Georgia, between Union forces under Major General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston during the Atlanta Campaign in the ...

, Georgina, May 27, 1864. **

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tenne ...

, Georgia, June 27, 1864. **

Battle of Peachtree Creek The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee ...

, Georgia, July 20, 1864. ** Siege of Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1864. **

Battle of Jonesboro The Battle of Jonesborough (August 31–September 1, 1864) was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. On the first ...

, Georgia, August 31 – September 1, 1864. *

Franklin–Nashville Campaign The Franklin–Nashville campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civ ...

, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, September 18 – December 27, 1864 *:

Battle of Spring Hill The Battle of Spring Hill was fought November 29, 1864, at Spring Hill, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood, attacked a Union ...

, Tennessee, November 29, 1864. ** Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864. ** Battle of Nashville, Tennessee, December 15–16, 1864. *

, February – April 1865. **

Battle of Bentonville The Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865) was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last battle between the armies of Union Maj ...

, North Carolina, March 19–21, 1865.

Flags

A flag was presented to Company A, the Moro Greys, from Calhoun County, by Miss Lucy Lorraine Adams 5th Ark Flag, Hardee Pattern

It is likely that 5th Arkansas had a First National pattern regimental flag when it entered service, but after being transferred to the Army of Central Kentucky at Bowling Green in late 1861, they would have been issued the first of the Buckner/Hardee pattern battle flags, blue field with a white circle in the center and possibly the unit's name in the circle. The regiment was assigned to St. John Lidell's Brigade, part of Major General

Patrick Cleburne Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne ( ; March 16, 1828November 30, 1864) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Born in Ireland, Cleburne served in the 4 ...

’s Division, which fought the entire war under Hardee Pattern battle flags. There are two existing flags of this type for the 5th Arkansas; one is currently in the collection of the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth Texas and the second is in private hands. The flag which is currently located at the Texas Civil War Museum is of a later issue than the January 1862 flags and has the unit number in the white circle while the other is for the combined 5th/13th Arkansas.Biggs, Greg. "Re: 5th Arkansas Infantry", The Civil War Flags Message Board, Posted 19 January 2007, Accessed 15 February 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/cwflags/webbbs_config.pl?read=5234 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, Tennessee. The flag-staff for this flag is also in private hands and it is stenciled; "5th & 6th Arkansas - B. Newman". The curator of the Carter House in Franklin, Tom Carter, says it was mistakenly labeled, and should have been the "5th & 13th", which were consolidated at the time of the battle. The 6th Arkansas by that time was consolidated with the 7th Arkansas. Research shows the flag at that time was a "white moon on a blue field". The 5th/13th Arkansas flag was one of five captured by the 88th Illinois at the Battle of Franklin, and none were forwarded to the War Department. It was last seen at Nashville when the 88th Illinois displayed the captured flags to General Thomas. The division commander stated, "They were afterward sent home by those who captured them. Since then they have been ordered to be returned, and will be forwarded to department headquarters as soon as they arrive." However, none were ever returned.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: Captured Regimental Flags" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 11 January 2009, Accessed 19 February 2012

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 A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

, 5th, 6th, 7th,

8th 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

, 15th,

19th 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

and

24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment The 24th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit began its service in the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, but the bulk of the unit was captured at the Battle of Arkansa ...

s and the

3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment The 18th Arkansas Infantry (Marmaduke's) (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was also briefly identified as the 1st Arkansas Infantry Battalion. The unit was most often referred to as the ...

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 Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

References

Bibliography

*Barnhill, Floyd R. Sr. with Calvin L. Collier. The Fighting Fifth: Pat Cleburne's Cutting Edge, The Fifth Arkansas Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. (Jonesboro, AR: The Authors, 1990).

External links

Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home PageThe Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
*[https://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 in Arkansas Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 1861 establishments in Arkansas