6th Arkansas Infantry - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

6th Arkansas Infantry 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...

. Organized mainly from Volunteer Companies raised in the southern half of Arkansas, the regiment was among the first transferred to Confederate Service, and virtually the entire war serving in Confederate forces east of the Mississippi River. After the unit sustained heavy casualties during the Battle of Shiloh and Bragg's Kentucky Campaign, the unit spent most of the rest of the war field consolidated with the 7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, to form the 6th/7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.

Organization

The 6th Infantry was mustered into state service in Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...

on June 10, 1861, a little less than a month after the state first began raising infantry regiments. The 6th Arkansas, also known as the 6th Arkansas, State Troops and the 6th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, was made up of volunteer companies from the following counties:

Company A, the "Capital Guards" of Little Rock, in Pulaski County, commanded by Captain Gordon N. Peay. This company was one of the oldest militia organizations in the State. Its Officers were first elected in 1858. The unit played a prominate roll in the siezure of the Little Rock Arsenal.
Company B, the "Yellow Jackets" of Calhoun County, commanded by Captain P.H. Echols. This company was disbanded when the regiment was mustered into Confederate service on July 26, 1861. The company was in state service from May 5, 1861 until July 26, 1861. Fourteen men from this Company were reassigned to Company H.
Company C, the "Dallas Rifles" of Dallas County, commanded by Captain F.J. Cameron.
Company D, the "Ouachita Voyageurs" of Ouachita County, commanded by Captain J.W. Kingswell.
Company E, the "Dixie Grays" of Arkansas County, commanded by Captain Sam G. Smith.
Company F, the "Lafayette Guards" of Lafayette County, commanded by Captain Sam H. Dill.
Company G, the "Columbia Guards" of Magnolia in Columbia County, commanded by Captain J.W. Austin.
Company H, the "City Guards" of Camden in Ouachita County, commanded by Captain S.H. Southerland.
Company I, the "Lisbon Invincibles" of Union County, commanded by Captain Sam Turner.
Company J, the "Ouachita Grays" of Ouachita County, commanded by Captain Hope T. Hodnett.

The regiment's first commander was 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...

Richard Lyon. The other regimental officers were:

Alexander T. Hawthorn, Lieutenant Colonel;
D. L. Kilgore, Major.
C. A. Bridewell Adjutant and
John F. Ritchie, Quartermaster.

Rough start

Initially poorly armed with outdated weapons, some of which were Flintlock

Flintlock

Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. The term may also apply to the mechanism itself. Introduced at the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the doglock, matchlock and wheellock...

rifles, as well as having mixed uniforms, they were by the end of 1861 given matching uniforms from the Little Rock supply depot, and later received better weapons. Prior to that, though, they were marched to Pocahontas, Arkansas

Pocahontas, Arkansas

Pocahontas is a city in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, its population of the city is 6,765. The city is the county seat of Randolph County....

where they were to be attached to the 2nd Division of the Provisional Army of Arkansas under command of Major General James Yell. While there, the Measles

Measles

Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...

broke out in the camp, and many of their soldiers died. When the units were offered the opportunity to vote on whether to accept transfer from state service to Confederate service, one full company, the B company, which originated in Calhoun County, declined to re-enlist. A few other soldiers from other companies also declined extended enlistments. The remainder of the regiment was mustered in to Confederate service on July 26, 1861 at Pittman's Ferry, Arkansas. The 6th Arkansas, along with the 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 8th Arkansas Infantry units was initially assigned to a brigade under the command of Brigadier General William J. Hardee

William J. Hardee

William Joseph Hardee was a career U.S. Army officer, serving during the Second Seminole War and fighting in the Mexican-American War...

.

The regiment saw no action in the coming months, taking part in a small raid in Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, and by October 1861 had been sent to Columbus, Kentucky

Columbus, Kentucky

Columbus is a city in Hickman County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 229 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbus is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

. When their Colonel Lyon was killed during a river crossing, they fell under the command of Alexander T. Hawthorn. They experienced their first real combat while supporting Terry's Texas Rangers

Terry's Texas Rangers

The 8th Texas Cavalry, , popularly known as Terry's Texas Rangers, was a group of Texas volunteers for the Confederate States Army assembled by Colonel Benjamin Franklin Terry in August 1861...

near Woodsonville, Kentucky.

Shiloh and after

The regiment saw its first true battle action during the Battle of Shiloh

Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...

, where it performed extremely well. Sent to Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...

following the evacuation by Confederate forces of Corinth, Mississippi

Corinth, Mississippi

Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.- History :...

, the 6th Arkansas became a part of the Army of Tennessee

Army of Tennessee

The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...

under Major General

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...

. It would be with the Army of Tennessee that the 6th Arkansas began to become involved in regular battle actions.

During the Battle of Perryville

Battle of Perryville

The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...

, the 7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War composed of troops from northeast Arkansas.-Organization:...

had taken devastating casualties, leaving that regiment all but ineffective. The 6th Arkansas had also suffered heavy casualties in that same battle, so the 7th Arkansas' remaining soldiers were augmented into the 6th. The 6th and 7th Arkansas Infantry Regiments were combined December 22, 1862, and remained conslideated for the remainer of the war. The rolls of each company were, however, continued as though no consolidation had ever been made. The following consoldiations also occurred among the companies of the 6th Arkansas:

Companies A and F, 6th Arkansas were consolidated in May or Jun 1862.

Companies D and H were merged on June 20, 1862.

Companies B and E were consolidated December 22, 1862 and were known as Co D, 6th & 7th Infantry Regiment.

Companies C and G were consolidated December 22, 1862 and were known as Co E, 6th & 7th Infantry Regiment.

From December 31, 1862 through January 2, 1863 the 6th and 7th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment was heavily engaged during the Battle of Murfreesboro, and would later fight in 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...

and the Battle of Chattanooga

Battle of Chattanooga

There were three Battles of Chattanooga fought in or near Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the American Civil War:* First Battle of Chattanooga, minor artillery bombardment by Union Brigadier General James S. Negley against Confederate Maj. Gen...

. The entire regiment was captured along with several other regiments during the Battle of Jonesboro, which was part of the Atlanta Campaign

Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...

, but were released several weeks later in a prisoner exchange.". Returning to the Army of Tennessee, they took part in the final charge of the army during the Battle of Bentonville

Battle of Bentonville

At 3 p.m., Confederate infantry from the Army of Tennessee launched an attack and drove the Union left flank back in confusion, nearly capturing Carlin in the process and overrunning the XIV Corps field hospital. Confederates under Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill filled the vacuum left by the retreating...

Battle Flags

At least six flags attributed to the 6th Arkansas Infantry or the 6th & 7th Consolidated Infantry Regiments are known to exist.

	The earliest flag known for the 6th Arkansas is a 1st pattern Hardee (Buckner) battle flag- 28" x 38", no white border on three sides, only 2" white border on staff edge. (See Battle Flags of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, p. 55) This flag is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC; accession no. 18342. This flag (according to its file card) "was made by a soldier of the Sixth Arkansas, from remnants of blue and white shirts." The blue field is extensively pieced.	1st Pattern Hardee
	This is a 2nd pattern, Hardee battle flag, 31" x 43 1/2", with white border all around and inscription "6th Arks/Shiloh" on elliptical central disc in black paint or ink. (See Battle Flags of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, pp. 55–56.) This flag presumably was used by the 6th Arkansas as its battle flag from sometime in early 1862 until the flag was too worn for further use. (Note: 1/3d of the fly portion of the blue field is replaced, presumably a repair, but the date of the repair is uncertain.)This flag is currently in the collection of the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. Dimensions: 31.5" x 43.5"; blue wool bunting, white cotton, with black painted letters.	2nd pattern Hardee
	A silk Confederate 1st national flag of the 6th Arkansas Infantry with battle honor "PERRYVILLE" attached by means of a rectangular applique on the reverse; 55" x 84 1/2" (exclusive of fringe), badly faded. (See Battle Flags of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, pp. 54–56.) It was captured when found in an abandoned railroad car at Macon, Georgia on 20 May 1865 by Sergt. John W. Deen, 17th Indiana Mounted. Infantry; and is War Department capture no. 500. According to a 1907 letter, this flag was only used at Perryville, then retired before Murfreesboro. It is currently in the collection of the Old State House Museum in Little Rock.	1st National Flag Pattern
	A Confederate 2nd national flag of the combined 6th & 7th Arkansas Infantry. (Mentioned in The Battle Flags of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, p. 98) -- currently in the Missouri State archives in Columbia, Missouri. When examined in 1978, it consisted of a 40 1/2" x 76 1/2" white bunting field with a red canton bearing an unedged 3 1/2" wide St. Andrew's cross bearing thirteen white cotton stars, those on the arms 3 1/2" across their points, the center 5" across its points, applied to the reverse and cut away on the obverse (reverse side accordingly 1/2" larger in diameter.) The white field bears the following inscriptions: (upper- in outline scrolls) "6th and 7th/ARK/REG'T" (middle) "God & Our Country"; (lower) "SHILOH. PERRYVILLE. MURFREESBORO.", all in red painted lettering. This flag dates no earlier than May 1863 and was probably a "parade" flag used briefly between May and June 1863, however no firm history survives regarding it.	2nd National Flag Pattern
	This is a 2nd pattern Hardee battle flag, originally of the 7th Arkansas, but modified for the combined 6th & 7th Arkansas; 30" x 37 1/4"; captured at Jonesboro, Georgia on 1 September 1864 by Private Henry B. Mattingly, 10th Kentucky Infantry; War Department capture no. 531. This flag bears the embroidered battle honor "SHILOH" in the center of the elliptical disc, over embroidered "Down with the Tyrant", and with "7TH ARK." above it in paint, with "6TH &" added in front of it, both in black. Similarly, three battle honors, "PERRYVILLE." "MURFREESBORO." and "CHICKAMAUGA" painted in black on the white border. Also painted in white on blue field, "LIBERTY GAP", "RINGGOLD GAP", and "TUNNEL HILL, Tenn." This is the flag that the combined 6th and 7th Arkansas carried from their consolidation in November, 1862 until its loss in September 1864. This flag was captured, along with the regiment, when Govan's Arkansas Brigade was overrun and captured by a Federal charge on their position at Jonesboro, Georgia on September 1, 1864. Private Henry B. Mattingly of Co. B, 10th Kentucky Infantry (U.S.) won the Medal of Honor Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her... for the capture of this flag. This flag is in the collection of the Old State House Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dimensions: 28.5" x 37.5"; blue wool bunting, white cotton, silk embroidery, with blue, black, and white painted letters.	2nd pattern Hardee
	This is a small (23 1/2" x 28 1/8") flag, most likely a camp color or flag marker, in the form of the 2nd pattern Hardee battle flag, with the Arkansas coat-of-arms painted on the elliptical disc and the designation "6TH and 7TH ARK. REG." painted on the upper border in black. It was acquired in 1976 by the National Park Service, and is on display at the Stone's River National Battlefield visitor's center in Murfreesboro, TN. Dimensions: 28" x 38"; blue wool bunting, white cotton, with black painted letters.	2nd pattern Hardee

Final Consolidation and Surrender

By the close of the war many of the Arkansas regiments assigned to the Army of Tennessee had suffered heavy casualties, so the 1st, 2nd

2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 2nd Arkansas Infantry was an army regiment of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.- Organization:The regiment was first formed in Helena, Arkansas through the efforts of Thomas Carmichael Hindman who had only recently resigned from the United States Congress due to the Arkansas...

, 5th, 6th, 7th

7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War composed of troops from northeast Arkansas.-Organization:...

, 8th

8th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 8th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War from the state of Arkansas.-Organization:...

, 13th

13th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 13th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.- Organization :The 13th Arkansas was formally organized on 29 Jul 1861 at Camp Ground in Greene Co, Arkansas with about 1000 men. The companies mustered into Confederate service at Harrisburg,...

, 15th

15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Josey's)

The 15th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment that served during the American Civil War. The unit was originally formed from previously existing militia units and designated as the 1st Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. After being transferred from state service to...

, 19th

19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Dockery's)

The 19th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. There were two other Arkansas units which were designated as the 19th Arkansas...

, 24th

24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 24th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:The 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized at White Sulphur Springs, Arkansas on June 6, 1862. The field officers were Colonel E. E. Portlock, Jr.; Lieutenant Colonels W. R....

and the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiments

18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 18th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. This unit is also known as 18th Arkansas Infantry. There was another regiment designated as the 18th Arkansas...

were consolidated into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry

1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry

The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.-Organization:The remnants of ten depleted Arkansas regiments, along with one mostly-Arkansas regiment, in the Army of Tennessee were consolidated into a single regiment at Smithfield,...

. Accourding to the Muster rolls of the 1st Arkansas Consolidated, an attempt was made to maintain unit cohesion by allowing each of the orgional regiments to form one or two complete companies for the new unit. The following list indicates the regiment of origin for the companies of the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment:

Company A--1st Arkansas Infantry.
Company B-2nd Arkansas Infantry.
Company C--5th Arkansas Infantry.
Company D--6th and 7th Arkansas Infantry.
Company E-- 8th Arkansas Infantry.
Company F--24th Arkansas Infantry.
Company G--13th Arkansas Infantry.
Company H--15th (Josey's) Arkansas Infantry.
Company I--19th (Dawsons's) Arkansas Infantry.
Company K--3rd Confederate Infantry.

Organized in Smithfield, North Carolina

Smithfield, North Carolina

Smithfield is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. In 2008, the estimated population was 12,965. It is the county seat of Johnston County...

, the 1st Arkansas Consolidated was combat ready by April 9, 1865, the very day General 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....

surrendered 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...

. The regiment was surrendered with the rest of the Army of Tennessee on April 26, 1865, in Durham Station, North Carolina.

External links

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