The 13th Arkansas Infantry (1861–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. Organized mainly from companies, including several prewar volunteer militia companies, raised in northeastern Arkansas, the regiment was among the first transferred to Confederate Service, and spent virtually the entire war serving in Confederate forces east of the Mississippi River. After the unit sustained heavy casualties during the Battle of Murfreesboro, the unit spent most of the rest of the war field consolidated with the 13th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, to form the 5th/13th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.
Organization The 13th Arkansas was formally organized on July 29, 1861, at Camp Ground in Greene County, Arkansas, with about 1,000 men. The companies (less Co. K) mustered into Confederate service at Harrisburg, Arkansas, on July 23, 1861. Company K, the "Erin Guards," was from St. Louis, Missouri; the rest of the companies were from northeast Arkansas. Colonel A. D. Grayson was the mustering officer. The regiment was organized from the following companies: Company A – the "Tappan Guards" commanded by Captain Robert B. Lambert, was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 12th Militia Regiment of Phillips County on May 23, 1861, under the command of Captain James C. Tappan. For an unknown reason, the company officers were issued new militia commissions as belonging to the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia on August 1, 1861. Company B – the "Richland Rangers", originally organized as a volunteer militia company in the 19th Militia Regiment of St. Francis County, Arkansas, enlisted August 1, 1861, at Madison, Arkansas, under the command of Captain John C. Johnson, Captain J. R. Shelton succeeded Johnson in command. Company C – the "Harrisburg Vindicators", commanded by Captain Benjamin Harris from Poinsett County, Arkansas, by the time of the Battle of Shiloh, 1st Lieutenant J. H. Hall had assumed command. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Poinsett County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued to the company officers on August 1, 1861. Company D – Commanded by Captain Andrew Balfour from Lawrence County, Arkansas. The company officers were issued militia commissions as officers of a volunteer militia company under the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Poinsett County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued on August 12, 1861. Company F – "Rough and Ready", commanded by Captain Thomas Wilds from Greene County, Arkansas. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company in the 14th Militia Regiment, under the command of Captain William F. J. Clements with commissions being issued on August 10, 1862. The clerk which recorded the commissions inserted a note "Greene County" in the list of Commissioned Officers with this company. Company G – Commanded by Captain Hogan W. Murphy from St. Francis County, Arkansas. Company H – the "Mound City Greys", commanded by Captain Braxton C. Crump from Crittenden County, Arkansas. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 30th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Poinsett County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued to the officers on July 5, 1861.Arkansas Military Department Records, List of Commissioned Officers in State Militia 1827–1862, Microfilm Roll 00000038-8, Page 41 Company I – the "Confederate Greys", commanded by Captain James M. Pollard from Craighead County, Arkansas. The company was originally organized as a volunteer militia company under the 55th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Craighead County, Arkansas, with commissions being issued to the officers on August 18, 1861.Arkansas Military Department Records, List of Commissioned Officers in State Militia 1827–1862, Microfilm Roll 00000038-8, Page 461 Company K – the "Erin Guards," commanded by Captain George B. Hunt from Washington County, Missouri. This company contained a large number of Irish immigrants that had been working in Missouri before the war. These immigrants were led south by Patrick Ahearn. Ahearn had belong to a Missouri State Guard company which was captured at Camp Jackson, outside of St. Louis. Ahearn had disguised his men as a gang of laborers, and moved south, eventually coming in contact with a Captain Hunt, whose company apparently also contained Irishmen. The two groups united to become Company K.Montomery, J.M. "Reminisceness of a Cavalryman", Papers of the Washington County Historical Society, Accessed 31 October 2013, http://www.lthome.com/genealogy/documents/07%20Chapter%20six%20-%20Military%20activities%20in%20Washington%20County%20part%201.pdfHughes, Nathaniel Cheairs, The Civil War Memoir of Philip Dangerfield Stephenson, D.D., Private, Company K., 13th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, and Loader, Piece No.4, 5th Company, Washington Artillery. Conway, AR: University of Central Arkansas Press, 1995, Page 28
The original regimental officers elected at the formation of the regiment were:Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas. NARA M317. Accessed 15 March 2012, http://www.fold3.com/image/#20|222028708
James C. Tappan, colonel A. D. Grayson, lieutenant colonel James A. McNeely, major William N. Mercer, adjutant P. Van Patten, surgeon E. T. Wimpy, hospital steward
Battles The 13th Arkansas was ordered to a camp at Belmont, Missouri, just across the river from Columbus, Kentucky. On November 7, 1861, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant landed troops from Cairo, Illinois, via steamer on the Missouri side of the river. The "Camp of Observation", occupied by the 13th Arkansas, was briefly overrun by Union forces, who set fire to the camp. Grant's forces were eventually driven off and, in the process, the 13th gained its first combat experience. Unfortunately in the process, it lost its original muster rolls which were lost when the regiment's camp was burned. As a result, the oldest surviving documents are from the regimental reorganization that took place nine months later in April 1862. Consequently, the names of several hundred of the regiment's original members have been lost to history.
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. The 13th Arkansas was assigned to Brigadier General Alexander P. Stewart's 2nd Brigade of Brigadier General Charles Clark's 1st Division of Major General Leonidas Polk's 1st Army Corps, of General Albert S. Johnston's Army of Mississippi. The regiment suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of Shiloh.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/m1/306/?q=Arkansas 16th Hill : accessed June 16, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. It lost 100 soldiers killed, wounded and missing, which represented almost one third of the 306 engaged there. Colonel Tappan was sick and absent on the first day of the battle so command fell to Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Grayson, who was killed in action while leading a charge. Upon Grayson's death, command of the regiment fell to Major James A. McNeely.Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 10, Part 1, Pages 430–431. Accessed at Confederatevets.com, 15 March 2012, http://www.confederatevets.com/documents/mcneely_13_ar_or_01_10_01_shiloh.shtml
In April 1862 the Confederate Army underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1962. All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for two 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. 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. The 13th Arkansas reorganized for the war on April 29, 1862,NARA M317. Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Arkansas units, http://www.fold3.com/image/#222030193 and the following field officers were elected:
James A. McNeely, Colonel (Resigned 27 May 1862) A. R. Brown, Lieutenant Colonel R. A. Duncan, Major Jasper F. Butler, Surgeon A. W. Cole, Assistant Surgeon Abner M. Casey, Chaplain B. B. Casey, Ordnance Sergeant
As a result of the reorganization in April 1862, the companies were re-lettered and new commanders were elected as follows:
Company A – Captain George B. Hunt (originally Company K) Company B – Captain Hiram F. Tennison (originally Company E) Company C – Captain D. W. Hoshall (originally Company A) Company D – Captain Thomas R. Shelton (originally Company B) Company E – Captain Reginald H. Thompson (see note) Company F – Captain James H. Lloyd (originally Company D) Company G – Captain Luther Dunn (originally Company G) Company H – Captain Henry M. Ellis (originally Company H) Company I – Captain Ivey S. Hughes (originally Company I) Company K – Captain James M. Levesque (originally Company C)
Note: Company E (originally commanded by Captain R. C. Flournoy), from Desha County, had been attached to the 7th Kentucky Infantry as (old) Company K. It was transferred to the 13th Arkansas in the reorganization.
Despite their heavy losses at Shiloh the regiment continued to function as a part of the Army of the Mississippi.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/m1/462/?q=Arkansas Corinth Battery : accessed June 15, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. By the time they took part in the Battle of Perryville the regiment had been consolidated with the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Josey's), which had formerly been commanded by Colonel Cleburne. The unit was assigned to Brigadier General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne's 2nd Brigade of Major General Simon Bolivar Buckner's 3rd Division of William Joseph Hardee's Corps of the Army of Mississippi. The regiment lost 6 killed and 23 wounded at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky.
After the Kentucky Campaign, the unit was assigned to General Liddell/Govan's Brigade, Cleburn's Division, Army of Tennessee. It would remain in this brigade for the rest of the war. In 1863, the 13th Arkansas was consolidated with the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and placed under the command of Colonel Lucius E. Polk of the 15th. It was consolidated with the 15th Arkansas at Murfreesboro. The 13th/15th reported 68 casualties in the fight at Murfreesboro.
The 13th was field consolidated with the 5th Arkansas in September, 1863 and remained consolidated with the 5th until the closing month of the war. The regiment took part in the Battle of Chickamauga and the Tullahoma Campaign along with many other major engagements. The 5th/13th lost forty-five percent of the 450 at Chickamauga, had 21 men disabled at Ringgold Gap, totaled 321 men and 222 arms in December 1863, and reported 112 casualties at the Battle of Atlanta.