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The regiment saw its first true battle action during the [[Battle of Shiloh]], where it performed extremely well. Sent to [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]] following the evacuation by Confederate forces of [[Corinth, Mississippi]], the 6th Arkansas became a part of the [[Army of Tennessee]] under [[Major General]] [[Braxton Bragg]].<ref name="Park Service">National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, Confederate Arkansas Troops, 6th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm</ref> It would be with the Army of Tennessee that the 6th Arkansas began to become involved in regular battle actions.
The regiment saw its first true battle action during the [[Battle of Shiloh]], where it performed extremely well. Sent to [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]] following the evacuation by Confederate forces of [[Corinth, Mississippi]], the 6th Arkansas became a part of the [[Army of Tennessee]] under [[Major General]] [[Braxton Bragg]].<ref name="Park Service">National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, Confederate Arkansas Troops, 6th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm</ref> 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]], the 7th Arkansas 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.<ref name="Park Service"/>
During the [[Battle of Perryville]], the 7th Arkansas 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.<ref name="Park Service"/>


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


*Company D was merged into Company H June 20, 1862.


*Companies B and E were consolidated 22 Dec 1862 and were known as Co D, 6th & 7th Inf Regt.
⚫
From December 31, 1862 through January 2, 1863 the regiment was heavily engaged during the [[Battle of Murfreesboro]], and would later fight in the [[Battle of Chickamauga]] and the [[Battle of Chattanooga]]. The entire regiment was captured along with several other regiments during the [[Battle of Jonesboro]], which was part of the [[Atlanta Campaign]], but were released several weeks later in a prisoner exchange.".<ref name="AR Encyclopedia">Arkansas Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 6th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=2798</ref> Returning to the Army of Tennessee, they took part in the final charge of the army during the [[Battle of Bentonville]].

*Companies C and G were consolidated 22 Dec 1862 and were known as Co E, 6th & 7th Inf Regt

⚫
From December 31, 1862 through January 2, 1863 the was heavily engaged during the [[Battle of Murfreesboro]], and would later fight in the [[Battle of Chickamauga]] and the [[Battle of Chattanooga]]. The entire regiment was captured along with several other regiments during the [[Battle of Jonesboro]], which was part of the [[Atlanta Campaign]], but were released several weeks later in a prisoner exchange.".<ref name="AR Encyclopedia">Arkansas Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 6th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=2798</ref> Returning to the Army of Tennessee, they took part in the final charge of the army during the [[Battle of Bentonville]].


==Final Consolidation and Surrender==
==Final Consolidation and Surrender==

Revision as of 19:50, 29 August 2011

6th Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
The 6th Arkansas Infantry used a variant of Hardee's moon flag (above) as its battle flag
Active1861 to 1865
CountryConfederate States of America
Allegiance Confederate States
BranchInfantry
EngagementsBattle of Murfreesboro
Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chattanooga
Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Perryville
Atlanta Campaign
Battle of Bentonville

6th Arkansas Infantry (June 10, 1861-April 26, 1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War.

Organization

See also: Arkansas Militia in the Civil War

The 6th Arkansas, also known as the 6th Arkansas, State Troops and the 6th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, was made up of volunteer companies[1][2][3] from the following counties[4]:

  • Company A, the "Capital Guards" of Little Rock, in Pulaski County, commanded by Cpt. Gordon N. Peay[5]
  • Company B, the "Dallas Volunteer Rifles" of Calhoun County, commanded by Cpt. P.H. Echols
  • Company C, the "Dallas Rifles" of Dallas County, commanded by Cpt. F.J. Cameron
  • Company D, the "Ouachita Voyageurs" of Ouachita County, commanded by Cpt. J.W. Kingswell
  • Company E, the "Dixie Grays" of Arkansas County, commanded by Cpt. Sam G. Smith
  • Company F, the "Lafayette Guards" of Lafayette County, commanded by Cpt. Sam H. Dill
  • Company G, the "Columbia Guards" of Magnolia in Columbia County, commanded by Cpt. J.W. Austin
  • Company H, the "City Guards" of Camden in Ouachita County, commanded by Cpt. S.H. Southerland
  • Company I, the "Lisbon Invincibles" of Union County, commanded by Cpt. Sam Turner
  • Company J, the "Ouachita Grays" of Ouachita County, commanded by Cpt. Hope T. Hodnett.

The regiment's first commander was Colonel Richard Lyon.[4] The 6th Infantry was mustered into state service in Little Rock, Arkansas on June 10, 1861, a little less than a month after the state first began raising infantry regiments.[6]

Rough start

Initially poorly armed with outdated weapons, some of which were Flintlock 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 where they were to be attached to the 2nd Division of the Provisional Army of Arkansas under command of Major General James Yell.[7] While there, the Measles 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.[8] 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.[4]

The regiment saw no action in the coming months, taking part in a small raid in Missouri, and by October 1861 had been sent to Columbus, Kentucky. When their Colonel Lyon was killed during a river crossing, they fell under the command of Alexander T. Hawthorn.[9] They experienced their first real combat while supporting Terry's Texas Rangers near Woodsonville, Kentucky.[4]

Shiloh and after

The regiment saw its first true battle action during the Battle of Shiloh, where it performed extremely well. Sent to Chattanooga, Tennessee following the evacuation by Confederate forces of Corinth, Mississippi, the 6th Arkansas became a part of the Army of Tennessee under Major General Braxton Bragg.[10] 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, the 7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment 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.[10] 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. At the time of the field consoldiation with the 7th Arkansas, the followign consoldiations also occured among the companie of the 6th Arkansas:

  • Companies A and F, 6th Arkansas were consolidated in May or Jun 1862.
  • Company D was merged into Company H June 20, 1862.
  • Companies B and E were consolidated 22 Dec 1862 and were known as Co D, 6th & 7th Inf Regt.
  • Companies C and G were consolidated 22 Dec 1862 and were known as Co E, 6th & 7th Inf Regt

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 and the Battle of Chattanooga. The entire regiment was captured along with several other regiments during the Battle of Jonesboro, which was part of the Atlanta Campaign, but were released several weeks later in a prisoner exchange.".[11] Returning to the Army of Tennessee, they took part in the final charge of the army during the Battle of Bentonville.

Final Consolidation and Surrender

By this time, many of the Arkansas regiments assigned to the Army of Tennessee had suffered heavy casualties, so the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 19th, and 24th and the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiments were consolidated into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry.[11] Reorganized in Smithfield, North Carolina, the regiment was combat ready by April 9, 1865, the very day General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia. The regiment was surrendered with the rest of the Army of Tennessee on April 26, 1865, in Durham Station, North Carolina.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ MILITIA LAW OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; PUBLISHED BY DIRECTION OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND OF THE MILITIA THEREOF, Accessed 8 January 2010, http://books.google.com/books?id=3lFKAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA59#v=onepage&q&f=false
  2. ^ Acts Passed at the Fourths Session of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, An act for the better organization of the Militia of this State, page 149, accessed, 8 Jan 2010, http://books.google.com/books?id=48c3AAAAIAAJ&dq=Acts%20of%20Arkansas%201843%20General%20Assembly&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q=Acts%20of%20Arkansas%201843%20General%20Assembly&f=false
  3. ^ Revised statutes of the State of Arkansas: adopted at the October session of the General Assembly of said State, A.D. 1837, Page 543, accessed 10 December 2010, http://books.google.com/books?id=ohxEAAAAYAAJ&dq=acts%20General%20Assembly%20Arkansas%20militia&pg=PA543#v=onepage&q&f=false
  4. ^ a b c d The Capitol Guards, Company A, 6th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, History of the Capital Guards, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.reocities.com/capitalguards/history.html
  5. ^ The Arkansas Toothpick – The Civil War Hub of Arkansas, quoting [LITTLE ROCK] OLD-LINE DEMOCRAT, October 18, 1860, p. 3, c. 2–3, accessed 18 October 2010, http://arkansastoothpick.com/?p=863
  6. ^ The Capitol Guards, Company A, 6th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, History of the Capital Guards, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.reocities.com/capitalguards/history.html
  7. ^ Huff, Leo E., “The Military Board in Confederate Arkansas”, Arkansas Historical Quarterly, XXVI (Spring 1967), p. 79
  8. ^ Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Field and Staff Officers, 6th Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army, Accessed 10 Jan 2010, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/6thinff&s.html
  9. ^ Hempstead, Fay, "A Pictorial History of Arkansas" St. Louis and New York, N. D. Thompson publishing company, 1890, Call number: 9197481, Page 394, Accessed 29 August 2011, http://www.archive.org/stream/pictorialhistory00hemp#page/394/mode/2up
  10. ^ a b National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, Confederate Arkansas Troops, 6th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm
  11. ^ a b c Arkansas Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 6th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, Accessed 10 January 2010, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=2798
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