17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Lemoyne's)

The 17th (Lemoyne's) Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.

Organization

The Seventeenth Arkansas regiment was organized in August, 1861, at Fairfield, Yell county, under orders of the State military board. The field and staff officers were:^[1]

• Colonel. George W. Lemoyne,
• Lieutenant Colonel S. W. Williams,
• Major Lawrence, of Danville, and
• Adjutant William A. Dowdle, of Conway county.

The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:

• Company A, Commanded by J. M. Dowdle, Organized 07 Oct 1861 at Lewisburg, Conway County, became Company D, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company B, Commanded by Capt. Bryan B. King, Organized 01 Nov 1861 at East Fork, Conway County, 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 Capt. John Mills, Organized 03 Nov 1861 at Dardanelle, Yell County, became Company H,21st Ark Infantry
• Company E, Commanded by Capt. 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, became Company E, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company G, Commanded by George Harrod, Organized 15 Feb 1862 in Yell County, became Company E, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company H, Commanded by John Bulls, Organized 15 Feb 1862 at Des Arc, Prairie County, became Company G, 21st Arkansas Infantry

Battles

After being ordered with the Arkansas regiments to Fort Pillow (old Randolph) in Tennessee, the regiment was held to duty in the vicinity of Memphis and joined the combined forces of Price and Van Dorn in north Mississippi. It participated with credit in the battle of Corinth.^[2]

Maj. Robert H. Crockett became colonel by promotion and Capt. W. N. Parrish was promoted lieutenant-colonel ‘for gallant conduct on the field.’ After the battle of Corinth, the Seventeenth and Twenty-first (Colonel McCarver's regiment) were consolidated. Col. Jordan E. Cravens, of Clarksville, who was a private in Company G, was elected colonel of the consolidated regiment, which was thereafter known as the 21st Arkansas Infantry, and assigned to duty at Vicksburg.^[2]

The 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment took part in the Battle of Black River Bridge, May 17, 1863, and endured the Siege of Vicksburg 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. 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.^[2]

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,and the 16th Arkansas Infantry 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

References

1. ^ Hempstead, Fay, "A Pictorial History of Arkansas" St. Louis and New York, N. D. Thompson publishing company, 1890, Call number: 9197481, Page 416, Accessed 24 August 2011, http://www.archive.org/stream/pictorialhistory00hemp#page/416/mode/2up
2. ^ ^{a b c} 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
3. ^ Howerton, Bryan, "Hardee leaves Arkansas, with which units?", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 25 July 2011, 4:17 pm, Accessed 25 July 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=24458
4. ^ Howerton, Bryan "15th Arkansas Infantry, No. 1", Arkansas in the Civl 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

External links

• Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page
• The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
• The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
• The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas

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

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service".