11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 11th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
regiment
during the American Civil War
.
The regimental officers at the time of formation were:
(Chicago), the officers to Johnson's Island
, Lake Erie. Lieutenant Gibson, of Company H, was shot dead on Johnson's island by a Federal sentinel because he crossed the ‘dead line.’ The 11th and 12th Arkansas were exchanged September 16, 1862 at Vicksburg, Mississippi
. The year of the first enlistment expiring there was a reorganization, which resulted as follows:
The regiment was ordered to lower Mississippi. In March 1863, the 11th and the 17th (Griffith's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
were consolidated and Colonel John L. Logan was placed in command, since he was the senior Colonel superseding Col. John Griffith of the 17th Arkansas Infantry. The new consolidated regiment was mounted and placed under command of Col. John Griffith of the 17th. The consolidated regiment was dispatched to Clinton, Mississippi
, to head off the raid of the Federal General Grierson, but failed to meet him. At this time Colonel Logan served as the commander of a brigade which included 11th/17th so Col Griffin was often if field command of the consolidated regiment. The unit operated outside the fortifications of Port Hudson during the siege in March 1863. This detachment operated against the army under General Banks in Louisiana, and took a number of prisoners, among them Gen. Neal Dow. After the fall of Port Hudson the greater part of the regiment remained in Mississippi, where they fought in several small engagements. A squad of the Seventeenth, under Maj. B. B. Chisom, captured a Federal gunboat on the Yazoo river. They had a encounter with Federal cavalry at Keller's Lane, June 23, 1863, in which Lieutenant DeVaughn was wounded.
In November 1863, Colonel Logan was transfered to the Trans-Mississippi Department. Colonel Griffith of the 17th Arkansas assumed command of the regiment and led the unit unitl the end of the war.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Organization
The 11th Arkansas was organized in Saline County, Arkansas in July 1861. The Mustering Officer for the regiment was George M. Holt, a Brigadier General of the Arkansas State Militia. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:- Company A, the "Saline Tornadoes", Commanded by Captain M. Vance, Saline County, Arkansas.
- Company B, the "Rough and Ready Riflemen", Commanded by Captain J. Douglas, organized in Saline County, Arkansas.
- Company C, Commanded by Captain J. Sanders, organized in Saline County, Arkansas.
- Company D, the "Fairplay Riflemen" Commanded by Captain Z. Philips, organized in Saline County, Arkansas.
- Company E, the "Falcon Guards", Commanded by Captain J. Moss, organized in Columbia County, Arkansas.
- Company F, the "Saline Avengers", Commanded by Captain L. Mauney, organized in Saline County, Arkansas.
- Company G, the "Camden Knights No. 2", Commanded by Captain J. Logan, organized in Ouachita County, Arkansas.
- Company H, Commanded by Captain J. Matthews, organized in Columbia County, Arkansas.
- Company I, Commanded by Captain Anderson Cunningham , organized in Saline County, Arkansas.
- Company K, Commanded by Captain J. G. Johnson, organized in Saline County, Arkansas.
The regimental officers at the time of formation were:
- Smith, Jabez M., Colonel
- Vance, M.D., Lieutenant Colonel
- Poe, James T., Major
- Burke, J.D., Drum Major
- Gessweller, Joseph, Asst Surgeon
- Green, Goodwin, Drum Major
- Hogue, Ezekiel Chaplain
Battles
The 11th Arkansas was ordered to Fort Pillow, Tennessee in November, 1861, and was brigaded with the 12th Arkansas, commanded by Col. E. W. Gantt; was stationed at Island No.10 on the Mississippi river, and transferred back and forth to New Madrid at the will of Gen. Gid. J. Pillow. Island No. 10 was surrendered April 15, 1862, after a terrific bombardment by the enemy's mortar-boats and gunboats, aided by an overflow which nearly submerged the island. The Confederate defenses consisted of dissolving earthworks and twenty guns. Maj. W. J. Hoadley, of Little Rock, spiked his battery of guns and made his escape with one section of the his battalion. The others were included in the surrender documents, and were transported to Camp Butler near Springfield, Ill., then to Camp ChaseCamp Chase
Camp Chase was a military staging, training and prison camp in Columbus, Ohio, during the American Civil War. All that remains of the camp today is a Confederate cemetery containing 2,260 graves. The cemetery is located in what is now the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.- History :Camp Chase...
(Chicago), the officers to Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles 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. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...
, Lake Erie. Lieutenant Gibson, of Company H, was shot dead on Johnson's island by a Federal sentinel because he crossed the ‘dead line.’ The 11th and 12th Arkansas were exchanged September 16, 1862 at Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
. The year of the first enlistment expiring there was a reorganization, which resulted as follows:
- Col. John L. Logan,
- Lieut.Col. M. D. Vance,
- Maj. James T. Poe,
- Adjt. Edward A. Warren,
- Quartermaster E. Whitfield,
- Commissary Clerk,
- Surgeon James Whitfield.
- Company A, Capt. Jasper Shepherd;
- Company B, Capt. Claiborne Watkins;
- Company C, Capt. James D. Burke;
- Company D, Capt. A. A. Crawford;
- Company E, Capt. W. R. Selridge;
- Company F, Capt. L. H. Kemp;
- Company G, Capt. Frank Scott;
- Company H, Captain Matthews;
- Company I, Capt. W. F. Morton;
- Company K, Anderson Cunningham.
The regiment was ordered to lower Mississippi. In March 1863, the 11th and the 17th (Griffith's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
17th (Griffith's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 17th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:The unit, originally known as the 17th Infantry Regiment, was organized at Fort Smith, Arkansas, on 17 November 1861. The men elected Frank A. Rector, who would later commanded the...
were consolidated and Colonel John L. Logan was placed in command, since he was the senior Colonel superseding Col. John Griffith of the 17th Arkansas Infantry. The new consolidated regiment was mounted and placed under command of Col. John Griffith of the 17th. The consolidated regiment was dispatched to Clinton, Mississippi
Clinton, Mississippi
Clinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 23,347 at the 2000 United States Census.-History:...
, to head off the raid of the Federal General Grierson, but failed to meet him. At this time Colonel Logan served as the commander of a brigade which included 11th/17th so Col Griffin was often if field command of the consolidated regiment. The unit operated outside the fortifications of Port Hudson during the siege in March 1863. This detachment operated against the army under General Banks in Louisiana, and took a number of prisoners, among them Gen. Neal Dow. After the fall of Port Hudson the greater part of the regiment remained in Mississippi, where they fought in several small engagements. A squad of the Seventeenth, under Maj. B. B. Chisom, captured a Federal gunboat on the Yazoo river. They had a encounter with Federal cavalry at Keller's Lane, June 23, 1863, in which Lieutenant DeVaughn was wounded.
In November 1863, Colonel Logan was transfered to the Trans-Mississippi Department. Colonel Griffith of the 17th Arkansas assumed command of the regiment and led the unit unitl the end of the war.
External links
- 11th/17th Consolidate Arkansas Infantry Website
- 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 WarArkansas in the American Civil WarThe state of Arkansas was a part of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, and provided a source of troops, supplies, and military and political leaders for the fledgling country. Arkansas had become the 25th state of the United States, on June 15, 1836, entering as a...
- Arkansas Militia in the Civil WarArkansas Militia in the Civil WarThe units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War included militia organizations to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection: the militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by the State of Arkansas. Like most of the United States, Arkansas had an organized militia...