12th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 12th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
regiment
during the American Civil War
.
, and the Siege of Port Hudson
. The bulk of the 12th Arkansas was captured at Island #10 and sent to prison with the other captured regiments from that post. At the prison camps, they joined with those regiments previously captured at Ft Donelson. As was the case with other regiments, there were escapees from the surrender of Island No. 10, including those in hospital or on detached duty, etc. The members of the 12th Arkansas who avoided capture at Island No. 10, were consolidated into two companies assigned on June 16, 1862 as second companies D and F of the 6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and returned to the 12th Regt after it was reorganized October 2, 1862. Meanwhile, the 6th Arkansas embarked on Bragg's Kentucky campaign, and thus, these two companies were unable to rejoin the exchanged regiment until about December 1862: Still other escapees of the 12th Arkansas were consolidated with the 14th and 23rd Arkansas regiments on September 10, 1862 at Saltillo, MS, to form the 12th/14th/23rd Arkansas consolidated regiment.
Prisoners of the 12th Arkansas were delivered to Vicksburg on or about September 16, and/or September 23, 1862. The regiment was then reorganized by the election of new officers on October 2, 1862 at Jackson, Mississippi. The 11th Arkansas
and 12th Arkansas regiments were consolidated after release. The 12th Arkansas was officially "exchange" date of November 10, 1862. Because Col. Gantt was confined as a prisoner at Fort Warren, when the 12th Ark was exchanged & reorganized at Jackson, Reid, was elect to the Colonecy. The other regimental officers elected at the reorganization were:
The company commanders elected in this new organization were:
After the fight at Island Number Ten, many of its members refused to return to the command. There were too few men to bring the regiment up to effective strength, so the officers were granted leave to return to Arkansas to recruit replacements, while the enlisted men were temporarily attached to the 11th Ark under Col. Logan. When the officers returned to the regt, the added recruits brought the regt's strength up to approximately 300 men in the ranks. The 12th Arkansas participated in the following engagements as a separate regiment:
Following the capitulation of Port Hudson, the men were exchanged, but the officers were sent to Johnson's Island. The survivors of the regiment were consolidated with the remains of several other regiments surrendered at that place or at the Siege of Vicksburg and formed into the 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment
.
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
12th Infantry Regiment was organized July 27, 1861 by E. W. Gantt. Many of the men were recruited in Dallas County. The field officers were Colonels Edward W. Gantt and T. J. Reid, Jr., Lieutenant Colonels W.D.S. Cook and E.C. Jordan, and Major J. S. Walker. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:- Company A, Commanded by Captain J.M. Ruffin, organized in Clark County, Arkansas.
- Company B, Commanded by Captain G.A. Hale, organized in Clark County, Arkansas.
- Company C, Commanded by Captain H.W.L. Johnson, organized in Ouachita County, Arkansas.
- Company D, Commanded by Captain E. Chandler, organized in Dallas County, Arkansas.
- Company E, Commanded by Captain Thomas Glasgow, organized in Hot Spring County, Arkansas.
- Company F, Commanded by Captain J.C. Brewer, organized in Dallas County, Arkansas.
- Company G, Commanded by Captain B. Abernithy, organized in Sevier County, Arkansas.
- Company H, Commanded by Captain A.C. Lovett, organized in Columbia County, Arkansas.
- Company I, Commanded by Captain Mathew Archer, organized in Dallas County, Arkansas.
- Company K, Commanded by Captain Josh B. Davis, organized in Hempstead County, Arkansas.
Battles
It served in the Western Department, and later at Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The 12th had the unfortunate distinction of being captured in two engagements: Battle of Island Number TenBattle of Island Number Ten
The Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
, and the Siege of Port Hudson
Siege of Port Hudson
The Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 22 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of Port Hudson, Louisiana, during the American Civil War....
. The bulk of the 12th Arkansas was captured at Island #10 and sent to prison with the other captured regiments from that post. At the prison camps, they joined with those regiments previously captured at Ft Donelson. As was the case with other regiments, there were escapees from the surrender of Island No. 10, including those in hospital or on detached duty, etc. The members of the 12th Arkansas who avoided capture at Island No. 10, were consolidated into two companies assigned on June 16, 1862 as second companies D and F of the 6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and returned to the 12th Regt after it was reorganized October 2, 1862. Meanwhile, the 6th Arkansas embarked on Bragg's Kentucky campaign, and thus, these two companies were unable to rejoin the exchanged regiment until about December 1862: Still other escapees of the 12th Arkansas were consolidated with the 14th and 23rd Arkansas regiments on September 10, 1862 at Saltillo, MS, to form the 12th/14th/23rd Arkansas consolidated regiment.
Prisoners of the 12th Arkansas were delivered to Vicksburg on or about September 16, and/or September 23, 1862. The regiment was then reorganized by the election of new officers on October 2, 1862 at Jackson, Mississippi. The 11th Arkansas
11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 11th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-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...
and 12th Arkansas regiments were consolidated after release. The 12th Arkansas was officially "exchange" date of November 10, 1862. Because Col. Gantt was confined as a prisoner at Fort Warren, when the 12th Ark was exchanged & reorganized at Jackson, Reid, was elect to the Colonecy. The other regimental officers elected at the reorganization were:
- Lt. Col. Ed Jordan
- Maj Walker
- Adjutant Hemingway
- Quartermaster Jonas
The company commanders elected in this new organization were:
- Company A, Cpt. Stewart
- Company B, Cpt Donnell
- Company C, Cpt. Johnson
- Company D, Cpt. Linzee
- Company E, Cpt.Glasgow
- Company F, Cpt.Bowen
- Company G, Cpt. Doggett
- Company H, Cpt. J.E. Inge
- Company I, Cpt.Archer
- Company K, Cpt.Davis
After the fight at Island Number Ten, many of its members refused to return to the command. There were too few men to bring the regiment up to effective strength, so the officers were granted leave to return to Arkansas to recruit replacements, while the enlisted men were temporarily attached to the 11th Ark under Col. Logan. When the officers returned to the regt, the added recruits brought the regt's strength up to approximately 300 men in the ranks. The 12th Arkansas participated in the following engagements as a separate regiment:
- Battle of Island Number TenBattle of Island Number TenThe Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
- Battle of Port Hudson
Following the capitulation of Port Hudson, the men were exchanged, but the officers were sent to Johnson's Island. The survivors of the regiment were consolidated with the remains of several other regiments surrendered at that place or at the Siege of Vicksburg and formed into the 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment
2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment
The 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The regiment is separate from and has no connection to the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Confederate Army of Tennessee and separate from the 2nd Regiment, Arkansas...
.
Surrender
The 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry was surrendered with the Department of the Trans-Mississippi by General Kirby Smith on May 26, 1865.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...