25th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 25th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.

Organization

The 25th Arkansas Infantry was organized as the 30th Arkansas Infantry Regiment on June 18, 1862, when the 11th Battalion Arkansas Infantry was increased to a regiment.^[1] Charles J. Turnbull, of Little Rock, was elected Colonel of the regiment. Henry Remington was elected Lieutenant Colonel, but resigned and was replaced by Lt. Col. Eli Hufstedler. and James J. Franklin was elected Major. After the battle of Murfreesboro, the regiment was renamed as the 25th Arkansas Infantry. The field officers were Colonel Charles J. Turnbull, Lieutenant Colonels Eli Hufstedler and Thomas S. Simington, and Majors James J. Franklin and L. L. Noles.^[2] The companies were enrolled on the following dates and at the following locations:^[3]

• Company A, Enrolled at Randolph County, Arkansas on March 18, 1863 under the command of Cpt Eli Hufstedler of Pocahontas
• Company B, Enrolled at Little Rock, Arkansas on March 1, 1862 under the command of Cpt. James W. Adams of Saline County
• Company C, Enrolled at Jacksonport, Arkansas on March 13, 1862 under the command of Cpt. John Thomas of Jacksonport
• Company D, Enrolled at Pocahontas, Randolph County, Arkansas (included many from Green Co.) March 25−26, 1862 under the command of Cpt S. T. Black of Pocahontas, killed at Murfreesboro
• Company E, Enrolled at Jacksonport, Arkansas on March 10, 1862 under the command of William C. Moore
• Company F, Enrolled at Little Rock, Arkansas on March 15, 1862 under the command of Cpt. J.J. Franklin of Little Rock, elected major at the regimental organization and subsequently lieutenant colonel, succeeded by Cpt. L.L. Noles, promoted major, 1LT John O'Brien then becoming captain
• Company G, Enrolled at Pocahantas, Arkansas on March 13, 1862 under the command of Cpt. Stephen Smith of Pocahontas
• Company H, Enrolled at Brownsville, Arkansas on March 11, 1862 under the command of Cpt. W.A. Cotter
• Company I, Enrolled at Jacksonport, Arkansas on March 19, 1862 under the command of Cpt J.G. Adams of Jacksonport
• Company K, Enrolled at St. Charles, Arkansas on February 22, 1862 under the command of John A. Wakefield of St. Charles

Major Franklin was wounded at the Battle of Murfreesboro, and Captain Noles, of Company E became major. He was killed at Kennesaw Mountain, and was succeeded by Captain Cotter, of Company H. Captain S.T. Black, of Company D, was killed at Murfreesboro.^[3]

Battles

After fighting at Farmington, Mississippi, and Richmond, Kentucky, it was assigned to McNair's and D. H. Reynold's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. From April to August 1863, the 25th was consolidated with the 31st Arkansas Regiment. Following the Battle of Murfressboro, the unit was redesignated as the 25th Arkansas Infantry. It fought at Murfreesboro and Jackson, then participated in the campaigns of the army from Chickamauga to Bentonville. The unit reported 10 casualties at Richmond, lost 7 killed, 51 wounded, and 3 missing at Murfreesboro, and of the 111 engaged at Chickamauga, fifty-five percent were disabled.^[2]

• Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, August 29–30, 1862
• Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, October 8, 1862
• Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 31, 1862 to January 3, 1863
• Siege of Jackson, Mississippi, July 1863
• Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 19–20, 1863
• Siege of Chattanooga, September to November 1863
• Atlanta Campaign, May to September 1864
• Battle of Resaca, Georgia, May 14–15, 1864
• Battle of New Hope Church, Georgia, May 25 - June 4, 1864
• Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, June 27, 1864
• Battle of Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, July 20, 1864
• Siege of Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1864
• Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia, August 31 to September 1, 1864
• Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864
• Battle of Nashville, Tennessee, December 15–16, 1864
• Carolinas Campaign, February to April 1865
• Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, March 19–21, 1865

Captured Flag

The 25th Arkansas Infantry was designated as the 30th Arkansas Infantry for a period of about six months in the winter of 1862-1863, until after the battle of Murfreesboro. While serving as the 30th Arkansas Infantry its colors were captured by the 2nd Ohio Infantry at the Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on December 31, 1862. The flag was returned to the State of Arkansas by the U.S. War Department in 1905. The flag measures 40 inches on the staff by 46 inches on the fly. It is composed of a blue cotton field, bordered on all sides with white cotton, 3 inches wide, with a white St. Andrew's cross traversing the blue field. In black painted outline figures, 2-1/2 inches high, is the designation 30TH REG, ARK INF on the upper and lower borders, respectively. Two battle honors—FARMINGTON MISS and RICHMOND KY—appear in white painted outline letters, in the upper and lower quadrants, respectively, formed by the white cross. The flag is presently housed in the collection of the Old State House Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.^[4]

Consolidation and Surrender

On April 9, 1865, the depleted Arkansas regiments of D. H. Reynolds' Brigade, Walthall's Division, Confederate Army of Tennessee, were consolidated into a single regiment the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Rifles, at Smithfield, North Carolina. The companies of the consolidated regiment were consolidated from the following Arkansas regiments:^[5]

• Company A—1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles
• Company B—1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles
• Company C—2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles
• Company D—2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles
• Company E—4th Arkansas Infantry
• Company F—4th Arkansas Infantry
• Company G—31st Arkansas Infantry
• Company H—9th Arkansas Infantry
• Company I—9th Arkansas Infantry
• Company K—25th Arkansas Infantry

The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Rifles surrendered with the Army of Tennessee at Greensboro, North Carolina, April 26, 1865. The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Rifles was paroled on May 1, 1865, at Jamestown, North Carolina.^[5]

References

Bibliography

• Things Grew Beautifully Worse: Captain John O'Brien, 30th Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A., edited by Brian K. Robertson, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies 2001-05, EAN: 9780970857415

• Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Florida and Arkansas. (New York and Oxford: Facts on File. 1992).

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".