The 17th (Lemoyne's) Arkansas Infantry (1862–1865) was a
Confederate Army
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...
infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. The regiment did not yet have the required 10 companies when it was ordered east of the Mississippi River with the rest of General Earl Van Dorn's Army of the West. Due to its understrength size the unit was also known as the 17th Arkansas Infantry Battalion. The unit was eventually consolidated with remnants of McCraver's 14th Arkansas Infantry Battalion and the consolidated unit was re-designated as the
21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment. The 21st Arkansas fought in all of the engagements of the Vicksburg campaign, and ended up surrounded and besieged at Vicksburg and surrendered with the rest of Pemberton's command. After being paroled and exchanged back to Arkansas, the regiment was consolidated with the remnants of several other Arkansas regiments to become
1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi).
Another Arkansas Infantry Regiment, first commanded by Colonel Frank A. Rector and later commanded by Colonel John Griffith was also designated as the
17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Griffith's) The 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was the designation of two units of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a ...
.
Organization
The Seventeenth Arkansas regiment was organized from six companies from Conway, Johnson, Pope and Yell counties on January 3, 1862, at Fairfield, Yell county. The regiment recruited only two more before it was ordered east of the Mississippi River by General
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) was an American Major General who started his military career as a United States Army officer and became famous for successfully leading two defenses of a Native American settlement from the Comanch ...
.
[Howerton, Bryan R. "17th Arkansas Regiment, No. 2", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 10 February 2007, Accessed 6 June 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=14732] The field and staff officers were:
*Colonel George W. Lemoyne.
*Lieutenant Colonel Samuel W. Williams.
*Major Commodore S. Lawrence, of Danville.
*Adjutant William A. Dowdle, of Conway county.
The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:
*Company A – Commanded by Captain J. M. Dowdle, Organized 07 Oct 1861 at Lewisburg, Conway County. This company was consolidated with company B and became Company D, 21st Ark Infantry.
[Gerdes, Edward G., "17TH(LEMOYNE'S ) ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT ", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed January 8 June 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/17indx.html][Gerdes, Edward G., "COMPANY D, 21ST (McCARVER'S) ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed January 8 June 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/21stcod.html]
*Company B – Commanded by Captain Bryan B. King, Organized 01 Nov 1861 at East Fork, Conway County. This company was consolidated with Company A and became Company D, 21st Ark Infantry.
*Company C – Commanded by Captain John Perry, Organized 18 Nov 1861 at Clarksville, Johnson County, became Company C, 21st Ark Infantry.
*Company D – Commanded by Captain John Mills, Organized 03 Nov 1861 at Dardanelle, Yell County, became Company H, 21st Ark Infantry.
*Company E – Commanded by Captain E. B Harrell, Organized 21 Dec 1861 at Dardanelle, Yell County, became Company I, 21st Ark Infantry.
*Company F – Commanded by Captain Mathew L. Bone, Organized 28 Dec 1861 in Yell County. This company was consolidated with Company G and became Company E, 21st Ark Infantry.
[Gerdes, Edward G., "COMPANY E, 21ST (McCARVER'S) ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed January 8 June 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/21stcoe.html]
*Company G – Commanded by Captain George Harrod, Organized 15 Feb 1862 in Yell County. This company was consolidated with Company F and became Company E, 21st Ark Infantry.
*Company H – Commanded by Captain John Bulls, Organized 15 Feb 1862 at Des Arc, Prairie County, became Company G, 21st Arkansas Infantry.
Battles
The 17th Arkansas was ordered to Jacksonport. Records exist of soldiers from this unit being injured when the steamer ''Cambridge'' sank on February 23, 1862, while transporting Lemoyne's regiment across the White River between Grand Glaize and Augusta. The Company G of Yell County and Company H of Prairie County were added on February 15, 1862.
The regiment was ordered to accompany General Van Dorn to Mississippi, and a return of troops shows Lemoyne's regiment, now listed as the 17th Arkansas Battalion at Corinth in early May 1862. During the reorganization of the army at Corinth, the 17th Arkansas was consolidated with
McCarver's 14th Arkansas, and redesignated as the 21st Arkansas Regiment. The existing 21st Arkansas was redesignated as the 15th (Northwest) Arkansas Infantry.
The
21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment was assigned to the
Army of the West under General Price in north Mississippi and participated with credit in the battle of Corinth.
[Col. John M. Harrell, "Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States", Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas Clement Anselm Evans, Ed., Page 317, Accessed 21 July 2011, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2001.05.0254%3Achapter%3D11%3Apage%3D292]
The
21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment took part in the
Battle of Big Black River Bridge, May 17, 1863, and endured the
Siege of Vicksburg
The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed th ...
until the capitulation of Pemberton, July 4, 1863. Colonel Cravens was captured at the Big Black and, with the other officers, was sent a prisoner to
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Initially, ...
. Colonel Cravens became circuit judge and representative in Congress; Colonel Pitman, circuit judge and State senator; Capt. B. B. Chisom, secretary of State; F. J. Spurlin, private, who lost a leg, was many years treasurer of Garland county; Col.
O. P. Lyles became representative in Congress.
Consolidation and Surrender
In September 1864, 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment was consolidated with the remnants of
14th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Powers'),
15th (Northwest) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Northwest Arkansas, Northwest regiment", was an Line infantry, infantry formation of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was originally formed as the 3rd Arkansas In ...
, and the
16th Arkansas Infantry Regiment in the Army of the Trans-Mississippi, and designated as the
1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi) under the command of Colonel Jordan E. Cravens. The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry (Trans-Mississippi) Regiment was surrendered by General Kirby Smith with the remainder of the Department of the Trans-Mississippi on May 26, 1865.
[Howerton, Bryan "15th Arkansas Infantry, No. 1", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 8 February 2007, 5:04 pm, Accessed 25 July 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=14671]
See also
*
List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
*
Lists of American Civil War Regiments by State
This is a list of American Civil War units, consisting of those established as federally organized units as well as units raised by individual states and territories. Many states had soldiers and units fighting for both the United States ( Union Ar ...
*
Confederate Units by State
*
Arkansas in the American Civil War
During the American Civil War, Arkansas was a Confederate state, though it had initially voted to remain in the Union. Following the capture of Fort Sumter in April 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for troops from every Union state to put dow ...
*
Arkansas Militia in the Civil War
References
External links
Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home PageThe Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
* ttp://arkansascivilwar.com The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas
*
{{American Civil War , expanded=CTCBS
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