15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Josey's): Difference between revisions

15th Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
Arkansas state flag
Active	1861 to 1865
Country	Confederate States of America
Allegiance	CSA
Branch	Infantry
Engagements	Battle of Shiloh,[1] Kentucky Campaign Battle of Richmond, Battle of Perryville, Battle of Murfreesboro,[2] Tullahoma Campaign, Battle of Liberty Gap, Chattanooga Campaign, Battle of Chickamauga, Siege of Chattanooga, Battle of Ringgold Gap, Atlanta Campaign, Battle of Dalton, Battle of Resaca, Battle of New Hope Church, Battle of Pickett's Mill,[3] Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Battle of Atlanta, Siege of Atlanta, Battle of Jonesboro, Franklin–Nashville Campaign Battle of Franklin, Battle of Nashville, Carolinas Campaign, Battle of Bentonville,

Template:Infobox Arkansas Confederate Infantry Regiments

The 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Josey's) (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment that served during the American Civil War. The regiment was raised in May 1861 under Col. P Cleburne. It served throughout the war in the western theater, seeing action in the Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia campaigns. Following its depletion in numbers the regiment was consolidated several times with other Arkansas regiments, finally merging in 1865 into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment.

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 Confederate service the unit was redesignated as the 15th Arkansas. There were two other regiments which also received the designation of "15th Arkansas". The 21st (McRae's) Arkansas Infantry was redesignated the 15th Arkansas in February 1863, but to avoid confusion, was normally referred to as the 15th (Northwest) Arkansas Infantry Regiment. This second "15th Arkansas" was surrendered at Vicksburg in July 1863. A third regiment, under command of Colonels Gee and later Johnson, also received the designation 15th Arkansas Infantry. This last regiment surrendered at Port Hudson, Louisiana in July 1863.

The 1st Regiment, Arkansas State Troops, was organized mainly from existing Volunteer Militia Companies^[4] several of which had participated in the seizure of the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock.

Ten Volunteer Companies were enrolled in State service on May 14, 1861 at Mound City, 6 miles (9.7 km) above Memphis on the Mississippi River. Seven of the original ten companies had initially been organized under the state militia laws. Captain Patrick R. Cleburne, of the Yell Rifles, was elected Colonel of the regiment.^[5] As the very first regiment of the line authorized by the Arkansas State Military Board in the Civil War, they bore the title of 1st Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. The regiment was formally organized with the following Volunteer Companies:

When Captain Cleburne was appointed colonel of the new regiment, Captain Edward H. Cowley was elected to succeed him in command of the Yell Rifles, Company F.^[8]

Under the command of Colonel Patrick Cleburne, the unit was enrolled in Confederate service on July 23, 1861, at Pitman's Ferry, AR and was initially designated as the 1st Arkansas Infantry; The 15th Arkansas was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:^[13]

On July 23, 1861, while stationed at Pitmans Ferry, the 1st Arkansas Regiment, along with the other Arkansas State Troops, were transferred from State to Confederate service. This transfer was not binding on the men, who could opt out if they so desired. The men of Company C (Yell Guards) and Company G (Hindman Guards) declined to transfer to the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, so the men were honorably discharged and their companies were disbanded.^[8] After July 1861, the 1st/15th Arkansas had only eight companies, making it, in effect, a "heavy" battalion, rather than a full regiment, but the unit was kept on the army rolls as a regiment throughout the war.^[8] The following companies were transferred into Confederate Service:

• Company A-Harris Guards.
• Company B-Yell Rifles.
• Company C-Napoleon Grays.
• Company D-Tyronza Rebels.
• Company E-Monroe Blues.
• Company F-Phillips Guards.
• Company G-Rector Guards.
• Company H-Jefferson Guards.^[8]

By late September 1861 all of the Arkansas troops transferred to Confederate service were moved east of the Mississippi River. The 15th Arkansas did so with 506 men.^[14] By January 1862 the Confederate War Department had discovered that there was already a "1st Arkansas Infantry" enrolled in Confederate service. COL James Fleming Fagan's regiment was accepted and enrolled in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States at Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 19, 1861, as the (1st Regiment Arkansas Volunteers. When the Confederate War Department realized that it had two "First Arkansas" regiments, it arbitrarily assigned what their records showed was the next available designation, "the 15th Arkansas Regiment" and ordered Cleburne's regiment to adopt this designation. The regiment was redesignated as the 15th Arkansas Infantry on December 31, 1861.^[13] Unfortunately the Arkansas State Military Board had already authorized the use of this designation for Col. James M. Gee's regiment. Effectively the Confederate Army went from having two 1st Arkansas Regiments to having two 15th Arkansas Regiments; however, these designations stuck for the rest of the war. Thus, by January 1862 Cleburne's 1st Arkansas Regiment was reorganized for the war as the 15th Arkansas Regiment, as follows:

• Company A-Harris Guards.
• Company B-Jefferson Guards.
• Company C-Yell Rifles.
• Company D-Napoleon Grays.
• Company E-Tyronza Rebels.
• Company F-Monroe Blues.
• Company G-Phillips Guards.
• Company H-Rector Guards.^[8]

Colonel Cleburne was appointed brigadier-general in March 1862, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel Archibald K. Patton. After the battle of Shiloh, Colonel Lucius E. Polk took command. Colonel Polk was appointed Brigadier-General in December 1862, and was succeeded by Colonel John E. Josey. The U.S. War Department cataloged the regiment's Compiled Service Records as the 15th (Josey's) Arkansas Infantry.^[14]

Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald K. Patton, the 15th Arkansas fought at the Battle of Shiloh and the Kentucky Campaign of 1862 as part of Cleburne's Brigade. The regiment lost 2 killed and 19 wounded at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky.^[14] It then was assigned to first Polk's then Liddell's and finally to Govan's Brigade, Army of Tennessee.^[14] During the Battle of Murfreesboro the 15th Arkansas was field consolidated with the 13th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.^[15] The 13th/15th reported 68 casualties at Murfreesborough.^[14]

In September 1863 the 15th was field consolidated with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment and during December 1862, the 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was added to the field consolidation. During December, 1863, the 2nd/15th/24th totaled 295 men and 202 arms.^[14] The unit served with the army from the Battle of Chickamauga and the Battles for Chattanooga, and throughout the Atlanta Campaign.^[16]

In July, 1864, the 15th Arkansas was field consolidated with the Fagan's 1st Arkansas Infantry. During the Battle of Kennesay Mountian the 1st/15t became involved in a famous humanitarinan act. At one point in the battle on June 27, not far from the position known as the "Dead Angle", the Union frontal assualt had failed leaving hundreds of dead and wounded Union soliders between the Confederate works and the Union lines. The woods and brush between the two armies caught fire because of the gun fire and artillery. The fire began to creep toward the wounded soldiers. Lt. Colonel William P. Martin who was commanding the 1st and 15th combined Arkansas Regiments, jumped on the earthworks and ordered his Confederate soldiers to cease firing. He then waved a white flag of truce yelling to the Union soldiers to "come and get your wounded, they are burning to death." For a short time the Union and Confederate soldiers helped remove the wounded and put out the fires. The next day the Union generals presented Martin with two Colt Revolvers as a thank you for his humanitarian efforts. Later the opposing forces begain to fire at each other again.^[17]

The 1st/15th reported 15 killed, 67 wounded, and 3 missing during the Battle of Atlanta. The 1st/15th was participated in the Battles of Franklin and Nashville in Tennessee, and ended the war in North Carolina.^[18]

Like other regiments in Hardee's Corps, the 15th Arkansas probably carried a Hardee Pattern Battle flag, with a large white moon on a blue field, similar to flags of the 6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment The only surviving flags associated with the 15th Arkansas are the flags of the Phillips Guards, and the Jefferson Guards, both prewar militia units. Miss Emma Rightor, representing the young ladies of Helena, presented a flag to Capt. Joseph C. Barlow of the Phillips Guards, upon the unit's return from the Seizure of the Little Rock Arsenal. The Phillips Guards became Company G, 15th Arkansas and their Colors are currently displayed in the Phillips County Museum, Helena, Arkansas. It consisted of a white field with the seal of the state of Arkansas being the focal point and an eagle resting on top of the seal while holding the United States flag in its beak. The word “Onward” appears at the left of the seal, and “Upward” appears at the right of the seal. This flag was presented to the Phillips Guards on February 22, 1861, when there was as of yet no official Confederate flag pattern to copy. It is unlikely that the flag was actually carried in any engagement. ^[19]

The flag of the Jefferson Guards was presented to the company on May 15th, 1861 while the unit was stationed at Camp Rector, near present day West Memphis. The Jefferson Guards became Company H, 15th Arkansas. The flag is 48" by 96" and consists of a blue field with the letters JG surrounded by the inscription "FIAT JUSTICIA RUAT COELUM" and "ARKANSAS". The reverse side of the flat has a cotton plant surrounded by 15 stars and the inscription "REGNANT POPULI".^[20] . The flag was apparently actually carried with the regiment through the engagements at Shiloh, the Kentucky Campaign, and Murfreesboro. The flag was returned to Arkansas by the State of Illinois in 1986. The flag is currently in the collection of the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Historical Museum, Pine Bluff, Arkansas.^[21]

At the end of the war, Cleburne's old regiment finally recovered its original designation, after a fashion. In the massive reorganization of the Army of Tennessee on April 9, 1865, the 15th Arkansas was consolidated with nine other depleted Arkansas regiments, the 1st Arkansas, 2nd Arkansas, 5th Arkansas, 8th Arkansas, 13th Arkansas, 19th (Dawson's) Arkansas, 24th Arkansas and the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment were lumped together as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry.^[18] The survivors of the 15th Arkansas were consolidated into a single understrength company, "Company H" of the new 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry.^[8] The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry surrendered with the Army of Tennessee at Greensboro, North Carolina on April 26, 1865.^[22]

Joslyn, Mauriel Phillips, ed. A Meteor Shining Brightly: Essays on Major General Patrick R. Cleburne. (Milledgeville, GA: Terrell House, 1998).

Watts, J. C. "History of Jefferson Guards and the Fifteenth Arkansas Regiment." Jefferson County Historical Quarterly, 11, No. 4 (1983): 25-42.

• 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

• Battle of Chattanooga, Order of Battle
• Confederate Medal of Honor
• The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
• Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page
• The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
• The Arkansas History Commission, State Archives, Civil War in Arkansas
• 15th Arkansas Infantry

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service