The 17th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry

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 Seventeenth Arkansas regiment was organized in August, 1861, at Fairfield, Yell county, under orders of the State military board. The field and staff officers were:

• Colonel. George W. Lemoyne,
• Lieutenant Colonel S. W. Williams,
• Major Lawrence, of Danville, and
• Adjutant William A. Dowdle, of Conway county.

The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:

• Company A, Commanded by J. M. Dowdle, Organized 07 Oct 1861 at Lewisburg, Conway County, became Company D, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company B, Commanded by Capt. Bryan B. King, Organized 01 Nov 1861 at East Fork, Conway County, became Company D, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company C, Commanded by Captain John Perry, Organized 18 Nov 1861 at Clarksville, Johnson County, became Company C, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company D, Commanded by Capt. John Mills, Organized 03 Nov 1861 at Dardanelle, Yell County, became Company H,21st Ark Infantry
• Company E, Commanded by Capt. E. B Harrell, Organized 21 Dec 1861 at Dardanelle, Yell County, became Company I, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company F, Commanded by Captain Mathew L. Bone, Organized 28 Dec 1861 in Yell County, became Company E, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company G, Commanded by George Harrod, Organized 15 Feb 1862 in Yell County, became Company E, 21st Ark Infantry
• Company H, Commanded by John Bulls, Organized 15 Feb 1862 at Des Arc, Prairie County, became Company G, 21st Arkansas Infantry

Battles

After being ordered with the Arkansas regiments to Fort Pillow (old Randolph) in Tennessee, the regiment was held to duty in the vicinity of Memphis and joined the combined forces of Price and Van Dorn in north Mississippi. It participated with credit in the battle of Corinth.

Maj. Robert H. Crockett became colonel by promotion and Capt. W. N. Parrish was promoted lieutenant-colonel ‘for gallant conduct on the field.’ After the battle of Corinth, the Seventeenth and Twenty-first (Colonel McCarver's regiment) were consolidated. Col. Jordan E. Cravens, of Clarksville, who was a private in Company G, was elected colonel of the consolidated regiment, which was thereafter known as the 21st Arkansas Infantry, and assigned to duty at Vicksburg.

The 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment

21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 21st Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:21st Infantry Regiment was organized on May 15, 1862 by consolidating four companies of McCarver's 14th and six companies of Lemoyne's 17th Arkansas Regiments, to form the 21st ...

 took part in the Battle of Black River Bridge, May 17, 1863, and endured the Siege of Vicksburg until the capitulation of Pemberton, July 4, 1863. Colonel Cravens was captured at the Big Black and, with the other officers, was sent a prisoner 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...

. Colonel Cravens became circuit judge and representative in Congress; Colonel Pitman, circuit judge and State senator; Capt. B. B. Chisom, secretary of State; F. J. Spurlin, private, who lost a leg, was many years treasurer of Garland county; Col. O. P. Lyles became representative in Congress.

Consolidation and Surrender

In September 1864, 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment was consolidated with the remnants of 14th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Powers')

14th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Powers')

The 14th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. Two Arkansas units received the designation 14th. The other 14th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel James H...

, 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...

,and the 16th Arkansas Infantry  in the Army of the Trans-Mississippi, and designated as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi)

1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi)

The 1st 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 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment which was formed in the Confederate Army of Tennessee in April 1865 and separate...

 under the command of Colonel Jordan E. Cravens. The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry (Trans-Mississippi) 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 War
  Arkansas in the American Civil War
  The 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 War
  Arkansas Militia in the Civil War
  The 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...