2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment

2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry (Confederate)

Arkansas state flag
Active September 1864–May 26, 1865
Country Confederate States of America
Allegiance CSA
Branch Infantry
Size Regiment
Engagements American Civil War
Disbanded May 26, 1865
Arkansas Confederate Infantry Regiments
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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 Confederate Army of Tennessee and is also separate from the 2nd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops, which participated in the Battle of Wilson's Creek.

Organization

In September 1864, the remnants of several Arkansas Infantry Regiments in the Trans-Mississippi Department were consolidated. There is some evidence that this consolidation may have occurred as a field consolidation as early as May 1864.[1] The 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment was created by combining the following depleted units:[2]

Col. Thomas J. Reid, Jr. was selected to command the new consolidate regiment. All of these regiments had been captured at either the Siege of Vicksburg or Port Hudson and exchanged back in Arkansas.[2]

The consolidated regiment was assigned along with the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi) and 3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiments to the 2nd (McNair’s) Arkansas Brigade, 1st (Churchill’s) Arkansas Division, 2nd Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department, from September 1864 to May 1865. Because of the lack of subsistence or forage in the devastated State, all of the infantry brigades were moved to camps around Marshall, Texas, where they remained inactive for the rest of the war.[2]

Surrender

This regiment was surrendered with the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, General Kirby Smith commanding, May 26, 1865.[2][3] When the Trans-Mississippi Department surrendered, all of the Arkansas infantry regiments were encamped in and around Marshall, Texas (war-ravaged Arkansas no longer able to subsist the army). The regiments were ordered to report to Shreveport, Louisiana, to be paroled. None of them did so. Some soldiers went to Shreveport on their own to be paroled, but the regiments simply disbanded without formally surrendering. A company or two managed to keep together until they got home. For example, Company G, 35th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, traveled back to Van Buren, Arkansas where they surrendered to the U.S. post commander in a formal ceremony, drawn up in front of the court-house, laying down their weapons, etc. But for the most part, the men simply went home. Many of the Arkansas Cavalry units, which had largely been furloughed for the winter of 1864-1865 following Price's disastrous Missouri Expedition did formally surrender at Jacksonport, Wittsburg, and a few other locations.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Oldham, Danny, "1st, 2nd & 3rd Arkansas Consolidated Inf Regim", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 26 July 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=24473
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Howerton, Bryan, "1st, 2nd & 3rd Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiments", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 26 July 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=24472
  3. ↑ Sikakis, Stewart, Compendium of the Confederate Armies, Florida and Arkansas, Facts on File, Inc., 1992, ISBN 978-0-8160-2288-5, page 69.
  4. ↑ Howerton, Bryan, "Re: 17th/1st/35th/22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment.", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 26 October 2011, Accessed 26 October 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=24907

External links