3rd Arkansas Infantry
Encyclopedia
3rd Arkansas, or 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment (May, 1861-April 12, 1865) was a Confederate Army regiment
during the American Civil War
, and the most celebrated unit from that state. Formed and initially commanded by Colonel
Albert Rust
, and later falling under the command of Colonel Van H. Manning
, the regiment was part of the Army of Northern Virginia
serving under General
Robert E. Lee
. The regiment served for the duration of the war, from the late months of 1861 through to the Surrender at Appomattox Court House
in 1865. They were the only Arkansas
regiment to serve the entire war in the east, where most of the major battles were fought. They were also the only Arkansas regiment to initially sign up for the duration of the war, with all other regiments from that state signing on for a one year enlistment.
, who would be appointed a captain, and Van Manning who would later command the regiment. Early in May, 1861, Dr. W. H. Tebbs, Captain of a volunteer company raised on Bayou Bartholomew, in Ashley county, and Captain Van H. Manning, the Captain of a company organized at Hamburg, in Ashley County, went to Vicksburg, Mississippi in order to tender the services of their two companies, for service in the Confederate Army. They contacted Leroy P. Walker, Confederate Secretary of War, at Montgomery, by telegraphh and received his reply declining the offer of the two companies, spearate from a regiment. They then went to Montgomery, and Manning enlisted the help of Arkansas Confederate Senator Albert Rust. Rust help gain the acceptance as a part of the Confederate Army, conditioned on his raising the remaining companies needed to form a regiment. Rust, returned to Arkansas, and organized nine additional companies, and joined Captain Tebbs and Capt Manning in Virginia, were the regiment was musted into service for the period of the war. The addition of nine companies made eleven when the regiment was organized. Tebbs' Company and Captain Mannings' were perhaps the first and only companies
denied admission into the Cenfederate service, even for a day, and were the first companies enlisted for the war. When organized, the regiment was composed of 11 companies:
Albert Rust was appointed colonel, and the regiment was sent to Lynchburg, Virginia
for military training. While in Virginia
, command level officers with formal military training were assigned to the regiment, to include West Point graduate Seth Maxwell Barton who was assigned as lieutenant colonel
, and with Virginia Military Institute
graduate Thomas Middleton Semmes assigned as regimental adjutant.. The regiment was then attached to General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, and deployed to the area of what would soon after become West Virginia
. By mid-1862, the regiment was under the command of Van Manning following Albert Rust's promotion to Brigadier General
, with William H. Tebbs
being promoted to lieutenant colonel.
and historian
Mauriel P. Joslyn, the regiment was first seen as a poorly dressed and poorly equipped lot of ignorant country boys. Similar accounts are recorded in They'll Do to Tie To! - The Story of the Third Regiment, Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A., by Calvin L. Collier. Once proven in combat, however, those opinions of them would change dramatically.
The regiment took part in almost every major eastern battle, decimating their ranks by the wars end, to include the Battle of Cheat Mountain
, Battle of Seven Pines
, Seven Days Battle, Battle of Harpers Ferry
, Battle of Antietam
, Battle of Fredericksburg
, Battle of Gettysburg
, Battle of the Wilderness
, and the Battle of Chickamauga
. In almost every battle the 3rd Arkansas fought as a part of the Texas Brigade
, which as a brigade would also become well respected, distinguishing itself in numerous combat actions, and which also included the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas regiments. The 3rd Arkansas acquired a reputation as tenacious fighters, often finding themselves in the thickest fighting on the battlefield, such as their presence at the "sunken road" during the Battle of Antietam. Their most famous action was while serving as a part of the Texas Brigade during the Battle of Gettysburg, at the Devil's Den
, where they took heavy casualties while serving under General John Bell Hood
. The regiment was commended for gallantry in that action, while under the direct command of Brigadier General Jerome B. Robertson
. Mauriel P. Joslyn later described the heroism of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg in "For Ninety Nine Years or the War" The Story of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg. The regiment suffered even heavier casualties later in the Battle of the Wilderness, during which they lost many of their commanding officers in addition to heavy losses in their ranks. In that battle they lost Colonel Van Manning and Lt. Col. Robert Samuel Taylor, both of whom were badly wounded and captured, in addition to Major William K. Wilkins who was killed in action. By the end of the war, the Texas Brigade
as a whole, which included the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas, and the 3rd Arkansas, had only 617 men remaining out of a total of 5,353. The 3rd Arkansas Infantry is entitled to the following campaign participation credit:
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...
, and the most celebrated unit from that state. Formed and initially commanded by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Albert Rust
Albert Rust
Albert Rust was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas, and a delegate to the Provisional Confederate Congress...
, and later falling under the command of Colonel Van H. Manning
Van H. Manning
Vannoy Hartrog Manning was a U.S. Representative from Mississippi and an officer in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, the regiment was part of the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
serving under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
. The regiment served for the duration of the war, from the late months of 1861 through to the Surrender at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Campaign
The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
in 1865. They were the only 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...
regiment to serve the entire war in the east, where most of the major battles were fought. They were also the only Arkansas regiment to initially sign up for the duration of the war, with all other regiments from that state signing on for a one year enlistment.
Formation
The regiment was formed in May and June 1861, initially by Dr. W. H. TebbsWilliam H. Tebbs
William Henry Tebbs was a Confederate Army lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, best known for having been a driving force behind the recruitment and organization of the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, which would become one of the most distinguished and respected Confederate...
, who would be appointed a captain, and Van Manning who would later command the regiment. Early in May, 1861, Dr. W. H. Tebbs, Captain of a volunteer company raised on Bayou Bartholomew, in Ashley county, and Captain Van H. Manning, the Captain of a company organized at Hamburg, in Ashley County, went to Vicksburg, Mississippi in order to tender the services of their two companies, for service in the Confederate Army. They contacted Leroy P. Walker, Confederate Secretary of War, at Montgomery, by telegraphh and received his reply declining the offer of the two companies, spearate from a regiment. They then went to Montgomery, and Manning enlisted the help of Arkansas Confederate Senator Albert Rust. Rust help gain the acceptance as a part of the Confederate Army, conditioned on his raising the remaining companies needed to form a regiment. Rust, returned to Arkansas, and organized nine additional companies, and joined Captain Tebbs and Capt Manning in Virginia, were the regiment was musted into service for the period of the war. The addition of nine companies made eleven when the regiment was organized. Tebbs' Company and Captain Mannings' were perhaps the first and only companies
denied admission into the Cenfederate service, even for a day, and were the first companies enlisted for the war. When organized, the regiment was composed of 11 companies:
- Company A— “The Arkansas Travelers,” commanded by Captain W. H. Tebbs, organized at Portland, Ashley county.
- Company B— “The Berlin Beauregards,” commanded by Captain Capers, organized at Berlin, Ashley county.
- Company C— “The Confederate Stars,” commanded by Captain Thomas M. Whittington, organized at Monticello, Drew county.
- Company D— “The Selma Rifles,” commanded by Captain R. S. Taylor, organized at Selma, Drew county.
- Company E— “The Champagnolle Guards,” commanded by Captain ??, organized at Champagnolle, Union county.
- Company F— “The Hot Spring Hornets,” commanded by Captain Thrasher, organized at Rockport, Hot Spring county.
- Company G— “The Three Creeks Rifles,” commanded by Captain Rudy, organized at Three Creeks, Union county.
- Company H— “The Orphan Company,” commanded by Captain Reed, a mixed Arkansas/Kentucky company.
- Company I— “The Tulip Rifles,” commanded by Captain Alexander, organized at Tulip, Dallas county.
- Company K— “The Ashley Volunteers,” commanded by Captain Wilson Wilkins organized at Hamburg, Ashley county.
- Company L— “The Rust Guards,” commanded by Captain ??, organized at Latonia, Ashley county (later consolidated with Co A).
Albert Rust was appointed colonel, and the regiment was sent to Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
for military training. While in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, command level officers with formal military training were assigned to the regiment, to include West Point graduate Seth Maxwell Barton who was assigned as lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, and with Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
graduate Thomas Middleton Semmes assigned as regimental adjutant.. The regiment was then attached to General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, and deployed to the area of what would soon after become West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. By mid-1862, the regiment was under the command of Van Manning following Albert Rust's promotion to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, with William H. Tebbs
William H. Tebbs
William Henry Tebbs was a Confederate Army lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, best known for having been a driving force behind the recruitment and organization of the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, which would become one of the most distinguished and respected Confederate...
being promoted to lieutenant colonel.
Battle actions
From its induction into the Confederate Army, the 3rd Arkansas would go on to become one of the most distinguished and well respected Confederate regiments of the war. However, prior to their first battle actions, the first impressions of them by their fellow Confederates were, by written accounts since, not good to say the least. In several accounts, relayed by authorAuthor
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Mauriel P. Joslyn, the regiment was first seen as a poorly dressed and poorly equipped lot of ignorant country boys. Similar accounts are recorded in They'll Do to Tie To! - The Story of the Third Regiment, Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A., by Calvin L. Collier. Once proven in combat, however, those opinions of them would change dramatically.
The regiment took part in almost every major eastern battle, decimating their ranks by the wars end, to include the Battle of Cheat Mountain
Battle of Cheat Mountain
The Battle of Cheat Mountain, also known as the Battle of Cheat Summit Fort, took place from September 12 to 15, 1861, in Pocahontas County and Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of the Civil War in which Robert...
, Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
, Seven Days Battle, Battle of Harpers Ferry
Battle of Harpers Ferry
The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
, Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
, and the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
. In almost every battle the 3rd Arkansas fought as a part of the Texas Brigade
Texas Brigade
The Texas Brigade, also often referred to as Hood's Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Confederate States Army that distinguished itself for its fierce tenacity and fighting capability during the American Civil War.-Organization:...
, which as a brigade would also become well respected, distinguishing itself in numerous combat actions, and which also included the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas regiments. The 3rd Arkansas acquired a reputation as tenacious fighters, often finding themselves in the thickest fighting on the battlefield, such as their presence at the "sunken road" during the Battle of Antietam. Their most famous action was while serving as a part of the Texas Brigade during the Battle of Gettysburg, at the Devil's Den
Devil's Den
Devils Den is a boulder-strewn Gettysburg Battlefield hill used by artillery and infantry during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day...
, where they took heavy casualties while serving under General John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
. The regiment was commended for gallantry in that action, while under the direct command of Brigadier General Jerome B. Robertson
Jerome B. Robertson
Jerome Bonaparte Robertson was a doctor, Indian fighter, Texas politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
. Mauriel P. Joslyn later described the heroism of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg in "For Ninety Nine Years or the War" The Story of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg. The regiment suffered even heavier casualties later in the Battle of the Wilderness, during which they lost many of their commanding officers in addition to heavy losses in their ranks. In that battle they lost Colonel Van Manning and Lt. Col. Robert Samuel Taylor, both of whom were badly wounded and captured, in addition to Major William K. Wilkins who was killed in action. By the end of the war, the Texas Brigade
Texas Brigade
The Texas Brigade, also often referred to as Hood's Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Confederate States Army that distinguished itself for its fierce tenacity and fighting capability during the American Civil War.-Organization:...
as a whole, which included the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas, and the 3rd Arkansas, had only 617 men remaining out of a total of 5,353. The 3rd Arkansas Infantry is entitled to the following campaign participation credit:
- Operations on Cheat Mountain, West Virginia, September 11-17, 1861.
- Skirmish, Elkwater, West Virginia, September 11, 1861.
- Skirmish, Point Mountain Turnpike, West Virginia, September 11-12, 1861.
- Skirmish, Petersburg, West Virginia, September 12, 1861.
- Engagement, Greenbrier River, Cheat Mountain, West Virginia, October 3-4, 1861.
- Operations in the Valley District and against Romney, West Virginia, November 26, 1861 to February 21, 1862.
- Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks), Virginia, May 31 to June 1, 1862.
- Skirmish, Gill’s Bluff, Virginia (Company F), June 20, 1862.
- Seven Days Battles, Virginia, June 25 to July 1, 1862.
- Engagement, Turkey Bridge (Malvern Cliff), Virginia, June 30, 1862.
- Campaign in Northern Virginia (Second Bull Run Campaign), August 16 to September 2, 1862.
- Maryland Campaign, September 3-19, 1862.
- Siege, Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, September 13, 1862.
- Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Maryland, September 16-17, 1862.
- Action, Bolivar Heights, West Virginia, September 19, 1862.
- Operations in Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties, Virginia, October 26 to November 10, 1862.
- Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 12-15, 1862.
- Siege, Suffolk, Virginia, April 11 to May 4, 1863.
- Skirmish, Somerton Road, Virginia, April 15, 1863.
- Skirmish, Somerton Road, Virginia, April 20, 1863.
- Action, Edenton Road, Suffolk, Virginia, April 24, 1863.
- Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 to August 1, 1863.
- Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1-3, 1863.
- Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 19-21, 1863.
- Siege, Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 24 to November 1, 1863.
- Campaign, Knoxville, Tennessee, November 4 to December 23, 1863.
- Siege, Knoxville, Tennessee, November 17 to December 4, 1863.
- Assault, Forts Saunders and Loudoun, Knoxville, Tennessee, November 29, 1863.
- Operations about Dandridge, Tennessee, January 16 to January 17, 1864.
- Operations about Dandridge, Tennessee, January 26-28, 1864.
- Wilderness Campaign, May 4 to June 12, 1864.
- Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia, May 5-7, 1864.
- Battles of Spotsylvania Court House, Laurel Hill, Ny River and Fredericksburg Road, Virginia, May 8-21, 1864.
- Assault of the Salient, Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, May 12, 1864.
- Operations on the line of the North Anna River, Virginia, May 22-26, 1864.
- Operations on the line of the Pamunkey River, Virginia, May 26-28, 1864.
- Operations on the line of the Totopotomoy River, Virginia, May 28-31, 1864.
- Battles about Cold Harbor, Virginia, June 1-12, 1864.
- Assault, Petersburg, Virginia, June 15, 1864.
- Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, June 16, 1864 to April 2, 1865.
- Assault, Petersburg, Virginia, June 18, 1864.
- Engagements at Deep Bottom (Darbytown), Strawberry Plains and New Market Road, Virginia, June 27-29, 1864.
- Engagements at Deep Bottom, New Market Road and Darbytown Road, Virginia, August 13-20, 1864.
- Engagement, Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Virginia, October 27-28, 1864.
- Appomattox Campaign, March 28 to April 9, 1865.
- Assault and capture, Petersburg Lines, Virginia, April 2, 1865.
- Surrender, Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865.
Surrender
When General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, only 144 men of the 3rd Arkansas remained out of the 1,353 mustered into it from the start of the war.External links
- Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page
- 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
- 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA
- History of the 3rd Arkansas
- 3rd Arkansas, Texas Brigade
- 3rd Arkansas at Devil's Den
- "For Ninety Nine Years or the War" The Story of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg
- Arkansas Confederate regimental histories
- Confederate Officers of the 3rd Arkansas, CSA
- 3rd Arkansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Arkansas roster
- Arkansas Civil War Soldiers Index
- Order of Battle, Battle of Chattanooga
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...