15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Johnson's)
Encyclopedia
The 15th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry
regiment
during the American Civil War
. There were two other Confederate infantry regiments which received the designation 15th Arkansas, The first was originally commanded by Colonel, later Major General, Patrick Cleburne
, is known as the 15th (Joesy's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment and the other, originally commanded by Colonel, later Brigadier General Dandridge McRea
, was known as the 15th (Northwest) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
.
, Arkansas
, on January 2, 1862, with the following regimental officers:
The regiment was orgionally composed of six volunteer companies from Columbia
, Hempstead, Lafayette, Ouachita, and Union counties: The original company commanders were:
Before its completion as a regiment, the six orgionaly companies were sent to the defense of Fort Henry
on the Tennessee River
, and then were transferred to the garrison at Fort Donelson
on the Cumberland River
twelve or fifteen miles distant.
Ben W. Johnson among the wounded. Fort Donelson fell on February 16, 1862. Men and officers were made prisoners by the ‘unconditional surrender.’ The men were sent to Camp Butler
, the officers to Fort Warren
. Lieut.-Col. John C. Wright made his escape, returned to Arkansas, was elected Colonel of cavalry in the service under General Thomas C. Hindman
, who was organizing the Trans-Mississippi Department
, and commanded Crawford's Brigade at the Battle of Marks' Mills
. Gee's regiment had 7 killed and 17 wounded out of a total of 270 men during the siege of Fort Donelson. In late September, 1862, the survivors were released and sent to Vicksburg to be exchanged.
The death rate in the regiment during its imprisonment was appalling. The company commanders reports show:
, Mississippi
, on October 16, 1862 and assigned to Beall's
Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
At the re-organization in 1862, four arkansas companies which had orgionally been assigned to the 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment were added to the unit to give in the legally required ten companies for a regiment. The companies were re-organized as follows:
The following regimental officers were elected:
to resist Major General Banks, and fought in many minor engagements, including Cross Landing, Greenfield, Plum's Store, and with the First Alabama and Thirteenth Mississippi, engaged at Keller's Lane a largely superior force, which they routed, taking many prisoners and valuable stores. The regiment was called into the fortifications of Port Hudson, when attacked by the army and navy of the United States. Captain Reed, of Company G, was killed May 29, 1863; Captain Hubbard, of Company D, was killed. Within a day or two, Captain Stevenson died from wounds received. Capt. E. Wilson died from concussion of the brain, caused by being struck with a shell. This regiment sustained the highest number of casualties of any unit defending the post, eighty-one percent. The regiment started the siege of Port Hudson with 484 men, and came out with only 92.
Colonel Johnson was ordered to move his men from their position at the center of the lines to a new position farther to the left, just six days before a massive Union attack took place. When he was given this order, no defensive fortifications existed at the location, and a frantic effort began to construct earthworks in anticipation of a coming assault. The men built a formidable parapet surrounding their camp on three sides. with an exterior trench running alongside it. A fortification in this shape is called a lunette. The ground dropped off steeply all around the wall, giving the fort a natural advantage. The timber was cut outside the wall, and the tangle of tree branches and brush covering the ground made the uphill approach very slow, difficult, and dangerous. Throughout the siege, work continued on the fortifications, mostly at night. Improvements were made, and damage caused by the continuous Union artillery bombardment was repaired.
In the defense of Fort Desperate, the 15th Arkansas was joined by two gun detachments of Company B, First Mississippi Artillery Regiment, with their two twelve-pounder guns and about twenty-five men. These two guns were Johnson's only artillery. At the beginning of the battle, Johnson had a total of 262 enlisted men and 31 officers. At certain times small detachments of several other units were also under Johnson's command, and were used as a reserve, seeing little action. The men of the 15th Arkansas were at the front without relief throughout the siege. This vital section of the Confederate line was never breached by Union forces, despite constant bombardment and repeated attacks by vastly larger forces. on July 9,1863, after a 48 day siege, the longest in American history, Port Hudson surrendered. Following the surrender the enlisted men were paroled but the officers were sent to various Northern prison camps, including Johnson's Island, Ohio.
to form the 3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment
under the command of Col. H.G.P. Williams.
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...
. There were two other Confederate infantry regiments which received the designation 15th Arkansas, The first was originally commanded by Colonel, later Major General, Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irish American soldier, best known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major general....
, is known as the 15th (Joesy's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment and the other, originally commanded by Colonel, later Brigadier General Dandridge McRea
Dandridge McRae
Dandridge McRae was a lawyer, court official, and inspector general of Arkansas, as well as a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, was known as the 15th (Northwest) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
15th (Northwest) Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was originally formed as the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Battalion. After receiving the required 10 companies, the unit was redesignated as the 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment...
.
Organization
The 15th (Johnson's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized at CamdenCamden, Arkansas
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Long an area of American Indians villages, the French also made a permanent settlement here because of its advantageous location above the Ouachita River. According to 2007 Census...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, on January 2, 1862, with the following regimental officers:
- Colonel James M. Gee
- Lieutenant Colonel John C. Wright
- Major P. Lynch Lee
- Adjutant Benjamin W. Johnson
The regiment was orgionally composed of six volunteer companies from Columbia
Columbia County, Arkansas
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 24,552. The county seat is Magnolia. Columbia County was formed on December 17, 1852, and was named for Christopher Columbus...
, Hempstead, Lafayette, Ouachita, and Union counties: The original company commanders were:
- Company A, Captain S. L. Proctor
- Company B, Capt. Henry Purifoy
- Company C, Capt. Robert Jordan
- Company D, Capt. L. W. Matthews
- Company E, Captain W. H. Perkinson
- Company F, Capt Alexander Byrne
Before its completion as a regiment, the six orgionaly companies were sent to the defense of Fort Henry
Fort Henry
Fort Henry is the name of:*Fort Henry , a 1646 fort near present-day Petersburg, Virginia*Fort Henry , a 1774 fort near present–day Wheeling, West Virginia...
on the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, and then were transferred to the garrison at Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson was a fortress built by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River leading to the heart of Tennessee, and the heart of the Confederacy.-History:...
on the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
twelve or fifteen miles distant.
Battles
In mid-December, 1861, the regiment was ordered to Memphis. Some of the companies began marching eastward from Camden in early January, and at Gaines' Landing on the Mississippi River, took a steamer to Memphis. One company was ordered to Little Rock, then went on to Memphis. The regiment camped for a few days at Memphis, and were then ordered to Fort Heiman, a new fort being constructed on the Tennessee River, arriving around January 28. On February 5, the regiment moved across the river to Fort Henry.:Forts Henry and Donelson
The regiment participated in the defense of Fort Henry, and when it was obvious that the fort would be captured, it was hurriedly ordered to march to Fort Donelson to defend that position against the coming Federal attack, leaving behind much of their extra clothing and other gear. This would make their coming winter months much more difficult.: At Fort Donelson, the regiment manned the heavy artillery until they burst or were dismounted, and then led a sortie in the snow and sleet against the Federal trenches which were in the process of being constructed in their front. They took the first line of works, suffering great loss, at least one-fourth of the command. Captain Frank Jordan was among the killed, and AdjutantAdjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
Ben W. Johnson among the wounded. Fort Donelson fell on February 16, 1862. Men and officers were made prisoners by the ‘unconditional surrender.’ The men were sent to Camp Butler
Camp Butler National Cemetery
Camp Butler National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located a few miles northeast of Springfield and a few miles southwest of Riverton, a small town nearby to Springfield, in Sangamon County, Illinois. It was named for Illinois State Treasurer at the time of its establishment,...
, the officers to Fort Warren
Fort Warren (Massachusetts)
Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
. Lieut.-Col. John C. Wright made his escape, returned to Arkansas, was elected Colonel of cavalry in the service under General Thomas C. Hindman
Thomas C. Hindman
Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a lawyer, United States Representative from the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, who was organizing the Trans-Mississippi Department
Trans-Mississippi Department
The Trans-Mississippi Department was an administrative subdivision of the Confederate States of America west of the Mississippi, consisting of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territories recognized by the CSA, and parts of Western Louisiana...
, and commanded Crawford's Brigade at the Battle of Marks' Mills
Battle of Marks' Mills
The Battle of Marks' Mills occurred on April 25, 1864, in Cleveland County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition of the American Civil War. Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. James F. Fagan overwhelmed a small Union detachment commanded by Lt. Col. Francis M...
. Gee's regiment had 7 killed and 17 wounded out of a total of 270 men during the siege of Fort Donelson. In late September, 1862, the survivors were released and sent to Vicksburg to be exchanged.
The death rate in the regiment during its imprisonment was appalling. The company commanders reports show:
- Company A, 62 surrendered, 58 carried off, 5 escaped, 27 died, 27 returned.
- Company B, 67 surrendered, 29 died in prison, 9 in Hospitals, 34 returned.
- Company E, Surrendered at Donelson. Majority died in prison.
- Company F, 50 surrendered, 22 died in prison, 26 returned
Reorganization
The soldiers of the regiment were declared exchanged in September 1862, and the regiment was reorganized at JacksonJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, on October 16, 1862 and assigned to Beall's
William Beall
William Nelson Rector Beall was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He is most noted for his supply efforts on behalf of Confederate prisoners of war.-Early life and career:...
Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
At the re-organization in 1862, four arkansas companies which had orgionally been assigned to the 40th Tennessee Infantry Regiment were added to the unit to give in the legally required ten companies for a regiment. The companies were re-organized as follows:
- Company A, orgionally organized as Company I, 40th Tennessee Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by John H. D. Stevenson
- Company B, orgionally organized as Company D, 40th Tennessee Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by Joseph A. Daniel
- Company C, orgionally organized as Company A, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by James H. Franklin
- Company D, orgionally organized as Company G, 40th Tennessee Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by John C. Hubbard
- Company E, orgionally organized as Company F, 40th Tennessee Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by William Walker
- Company F, orgionally organized as Company B, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by Edward C. Wilson
- Company G, orgionally organized as Company C, 15th (Gee's) ArkansasInfantnry Regiment, Commanded by Albert M. Reed
- Company H, orgionally organized as Company D, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by Theophilus Wilkerson
- Company I, orgionally organized as Company E, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by L. W. Matthews
- Company K, orgionally organized as Company F, 15th (Gee's) Arkansas Infantnry Regiment, Commanded by L.C. McClung
The following regimental officers were elected:
- Col. Benjamin Whitfield Johnson
- Lieut.Col. Paul Lynch Lee
- Maj. William E. Stewart
- Adjt. J. E. Baker
Port Hudson
The re-organized regiment was sent south to LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
to resist Major General Banks, and fought in many minor engagements, including Cross Landing, Greenfield, Plum's Store, and with the First Alabama and Thirteenth Mississippi, engaged at Keller's Lane a largely superior force, which they routed, taking many prisoners and valuable stores. The regiment was called into the fortifications of Port Hudson, when attacked by the army and navy of the United States. Captain Reed, of Company G, was killed May 29, 1863; Captain Hubbard, of Company D, was killed. Within a day or two, Captain Stevenson died from wounds received. Capt. E. Wilson died from concussion of the brain, caused by being struck with a shell. This regiment sustained the highest number of casualties of any unit defending the post, eighty-one percent. The regiment started the siege of Port Hudson with 484 men, and came out with only 92.
Fort Desperate
Fort Desperate was the name given to the Confederate position sitting at the top of an exposed ridge on the northeastern corner of the Port Hudson defensive line. It was primarily defended by the men of Johnson's 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. On May 21st, just before the garrison was place unded siege and a Union attack appeared imminent, the Confederate forces were reorganized and Colonel Johnson's unit was assigned to Colonel I. G. W. Steedman, who was given command of the entire left wing of the defenses.Colonel Johnson was ordered to move his men from their position at the center of the lines to a new position farther to the left, just six days before a massive Union attack took place. When he was given this order, no defensive fortifications existed at the location, and a frantic effort began to construct earthworks in anticipation of a coming assault. The men built a formidable parapet surrounding their camp on three sides. with an exterior trench running alongside it. A fortification in this shape is called a lunette. The ground dropped off steeply all around the wall, giving the fort a natural advantage. The timber was cut outside the wall, and the tangle of tree branches and brush covering the ground made the uphill approach very slow, difficult, and dangerous. Throughout the siege, work continued on the fortifications, mostly at night. Improvements were made, and damage caused by the continuous Union artillery bombardment was repaired.
In the defense of Fort Desperate, the 15th Arkansas was joined by two gun detachments of Company B, First Mississippi Artillery Regiment, with their two twelve-pounder guns and about twenty-five men. These two guns were Johnson's only artillery. At the beginning of the battle, Johnson had a total of 262 enlisted men and 31 officers. At certain times small detachments of several other units were also under Johnson's command, and were used as a reserve, seeing little action. The men of the 15th Arkansas were at the front without relief throughout the siege. This vital section of the Confederate line was never breached by Union forces, despite constant bombardment and repeated attacks by vastly larger forces. on July 9,1863, after a 48 day siege, the longest in American history, Port Hudson surrendered. Following the surrender the enlisted men were paroled but the officers were sent to various Northern prison camps, including Johnson's Island, Ohio.
Consolidation
After being exchanged following the fall of Port Hudson, the survivors of the regiment were consolidated with remains of Hardy’s Arkansas Infantry and the 20th Arkansas20th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
The 20th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was also known as the 22nd Arkansas Infantry.-Organization:...
to form the 3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment
3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment
The 3rd 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 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment which served in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and separate from the 3rd Regiment,...
under the command of Col. H.G.P. Williams.
Surrender
The 3rd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment was surrendered by General Kirby Smith with the remainder of the Department of the Trans-Mississippi on May 26, 1865.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 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...