The 2nd Arkansas Infantry (June 1, 1861 – May 26, 1865) was an army regiment of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was raised in June 1861 under Colonel Thomas C. Hindman. It served throughout the war in the western theater, in the Confederate Army of Tennessee, 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 regiment has no connection with the 2nd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops, which participated in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, and is also separate from the 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment, which was formed in 1864 from remnants of regiments surrendered at Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
Organization The regiment was organized at Helena, Arkansas, in the summer of 1861 at the expense of Thomas Carmichael Hindman, who had only recently resigned from the United States Congress with Arkansas's secession and the formation of the Confederate States of America. Hindman demonstrated his aggressive and militant spirit early in life. By June 1, 1861, Hindman had raised ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas which would eventually become known as the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment. The Second Arkansas Infantry, formed in June 1861 by Thomas Hindman, was notable for being privately funded by Hindman himself, who paid to clothe and feed the troops when state support failed. The state was responsible for providing the arms for the unit. Ten companies were raised by June 1, with six at Helena and four at Pine Bluff (Jefferson County). The companies were from Phillips, Jefferson, Bradley, and Saline counties.The regiment was composed primarily of men from the following counties:
Company A – of Phillips County commanded by Captain T.C. Anderson:,Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY A", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoa.html Company B – of Phillips County, commanded by Captain John Kane.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY B", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcob.html Company C (old) – of Phillips County.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY C (OLD)", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoc_old.html Company C – of Phillips County commanded by Captain John J. Foreman.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY C", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoc.html Company C (new) – of Phillips County.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY C(new)", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoc_new.html Company D – of Phillips County, commanded by James E. Richards.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY D", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcod.html Company E – of Phillips County.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY E", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoe.html Company E (old) – of Phillips County, commanded by Barton Y. Truner.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY E(old)", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoe_old.html Company E (new) – of Transfers from 11th Arkansas Infantry.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY E(new)", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoe_new.html Company F – of Phillips County, originally commanded by Daniel C. Govan,Col. John M. Harrell, "Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States", Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas Clement Anselm Evans, Ed., Page 309, Accessed 21 July 2011, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2001.05.0254%3Achapter%3D11%3Apage%3D292 later commanded by Captain Richard S. Boyd.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY F", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcof.html Company G – of Bradley County, commanded by Captain William D. Mackey.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY G", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcog.html Company H – the "Southern Guards", of Jefferson County, commanded by Captain Joseph W. Bocage.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY H", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoh.htmlArkansas Military Department Records, Spanish American War, List of Commissioned Officers of the Militia 1827–1862, Arkansas History Commission, Microfilm Roll 38-8 This company was originally organized on December 18, 1860, as a volunteer company in the 24th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia. Company I – of Bradley County, commanded by W.J. McKinney.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY I", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcoi.html Company K – of Saline County, commanded by Captain M.D Brown.Howerton, Bryan R. "2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY K", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/2dinfcok.html
Colonel Hindman asked the state to provide muskets, clothing and ten days rations so his men could "fight for our country."Arkansas State Gazette, June 1, 1861. Hindman also asked to be ordered to march to Virginia. His requests were not complied with, so he stopped steamers loaded with sugar for Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and sold their cargo. He then purchased all the arms available and took his command to Memphis. Other organizations joined him: Lieutenant Colonel John S. Marmaduke's battalion of eight companies, which would eventually become 3rd Confederate Infantry; 6th (Phifer's) Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, under Major Charles W. Phifer, and Captain Swett's Mississippi battery of four guns. This combined force, known temporarily as "Hindman's Legion", was ultimately ordered to assemble with the other Arkansas troops assembling at Pocahontas, where they were mustered into Confederate service by companies between May 26 and June 26, 1861, and assigned to Hardee's Division.Howerton, Bryan R. "THE HISTORY OF THE 2D ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 5 November 2011,
The regiment was commanded by Colonels Thomas C. Hindman, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Bocage, Colonel Daniel C. Govan, Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Scaife, and E. Warfield; Lieutenant Colonels Jos. W. Bocage, E. G. Brasher, R. F. Harvey, and Charles Patterson; and Major A. T. Meek. Two of the regiment's officers, Thomas C. Hindman and Daniel C. Govan,Wright, Marcus J., General Officers of the Confederate Army, J. M. Carroll & Co., 1983, ., Page 117 were promoted to general.Thomas Carmichael Hindman was a prominent attorney and Democratic politician prior to the Civil War. Hindman would later be wounded in action and receive a promotion to major general, ending the war as Arkansas' highest-ranking officer.Little Rock Arkansas State Gazette, September 29, 1868.
Battles The unit moved from Pittman's Ferry in northeast Arkansas to Kentucky. In October 1861, General Albert Sidney Johnston assumed command of Army of Central Kentucky, and Brigadier General Hardee was promoted to major general and given command of a division, which included the 2nd Arkansas.Col. John M. Harrell, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas, Clement Anselm Evans, Ed., page Colonel Hindman was reassigned to brigade command.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 7., Book, 1882; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154610/m1/858/?q=Army of Mississippi : accessed June 27, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. When Hindman was promoted to brigadier general on September 28, 1861, and the command of the regiment fell to Lieutenant Colonel Bocage.United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 4., book, 1893; Washington D.C.. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154607/m1/497/?q=second%20arkansas%20infantry: accessed October 27, 2016), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department. Lieutenant Colonel Bocage resigned on November 23, 1861. The unit was involved in an engaged at Rowlett's Station, Kentucky, on December 17, 1861.
After the losses of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston withdrew his forces into western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and Alabama to reorganize. On March 29, 1862, the Army of Central Kentucky was merged into the Army of Mississippi in preparation for the Battle of Shiloh.
Assigned to Hindman's (later Liddell's) brigade, Army of Mississippi in March, 1862 where it participated in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6–7, 1862 and in the Corinth Campaign from April through June of that year. As a result of losses in the Battle of Shiloh, Companies C and E were disbanded and consolidated with other companies. A new Company C was recruited from Marianna, Arkansas and a new Company E was formed from members of the 11th Arkansas Infantry Regiment who had escaped capture at the fall of Island Number Ten.
In early May 1862 the Confederate forces underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862. All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for two additional years or the duration of the war; a new election of officers was ordered; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 10, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence, etc., Book, 1884; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154614/m1/500/?q=Army of Mississippi : accessed June 17, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. Officers who did not choose to stand for re-election were also offered a discharge. The reorganization was accomplished among all the Arkansas regiments in and around Corinth, Mississippi, following the Battle of Shiloh.
In the reorganization of Confederate forces before the start of the Kentucky Campaign, the 2nd Arkansas, now under the command of Colonel Daniel C. Govan was assigned to Brigadier General St. John Richardson Liddell's 1st Brigade of Major General Simon Bolivar Buckner's 3rd Division of Major General William Joseph Hardee's Corps of the Army of Mississippi. The regiment participated in Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, in October 1862.