The 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (1862–1865) was a Confederate Army regiment during the American Civil War. Originally known as McRea's Emergency Regiment, had been organized as the 28th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. After the Battle of Prairie Grove, the regiment was reorganized and designated the 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. The regiment is also referred to as the 2nd Trans-Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Glenn's Regiment, and Davie's Regiment.
Organization The 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized on June 26, 1862, as the 28th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, under the command of Colonel Dandridge McRae. The unit was intended to be mounted, but General Thomas Hindman soon ordered it dismounted, along with three other new cavalry regiments.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: Col John McNeil", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 13 September 2004, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?read=2072 The 36th Infantry would serve in the brigades of Generals McRae, L. C. Gause, and Roane in the Trans-Mississippi Department.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 41, In Four Parts. Part 4, Correspondence, Etc., Book, 1893; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145061 : accessed February 14, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. The field officers were Colonels McRea, James M. Davie and John E. Glenn, Lieutenant Colonels W. S. Hanna and Walter C. Robinson, and Major Joseph F. Hathaway. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:Gerdes, Edward G. "36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36f&s.html
Company A, of White County, commanded by Captain James M. Davie.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY A, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36coa.html This company contained several former members of the 21st Arkansas Militia Regiment) Company B, of White County, commanded by Captain Robert Query.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY B, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36cob.html This company contained several former members of the 21st Arkansas Militia Regiment) Company C, of Prairie County, commanded by Captain Walter C. RobinsonGerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY C, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36coc.html Company D, of Van Buren County, commanded by Captain R.L. Norman.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY D, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36cod.html Company E, of White County, commanded by Captain George W. Lewis.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY E, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36coe.html This company contained several former members of the 21st Arkansas Militia Regiment) Company F, of Conway County, commanded by Captain John W. Duncan.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY F, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36cof.html Company G, of Pulaski County, commanded by Captain B.C. Neale. This company included several men from other regiments who had been hospitalized at Little Rock.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY G, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36cog.html Company H, of White County, commanded by Joseph F. Hathaway.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY H, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36coh.html Company I, of Conway County, commanded by Captain Isaac H. Johnson.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY I, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36coi.html Company K, of Pulaski County, commanded by Captain Hugh A. McDonald.Gerdes, Edward G. "COMPANY K, 36TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/36cok.html
Uniforms and Equipment The 28th Arkansas Infantry mustered by companies and conducted its initial training near Fort Smith, Arkansas, on what the locals called the Mazzard Prairie. Initially, the regiment was poorly equipped; however, they were eventually supplied with modern Springfield rifle-muskets that had been captured at the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia, and transported west. The regiment gained a reputation as some of the most disciplined and martial looking then training on Mazzard Prairie.Col. John M. Harrell, "Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States", Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas Clement Anselm Evans, Ed., Page 135, Accessed 21 July 2011, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2001.05.0254%3Achapter%3D6%3Apage%3D135 In the Spring of 1863 the men was issued standard Columbus Depot uniforms, generally made from light-grey jean material with an eight button single breasted frock coat having dark blue trim on its straight stand-up collar and straight cuffs. They also were issued one pair of matching trousers and a simple black felt hat. The regiment's commissioned officers were mostly men of means before to the war, and it is assumed they would have indulged themselves at the many commercial uniform outfitters. The 36th Arkansas's microfilm records include many Quartermaster receipts showing the officers purchased gold braid, coats, silk sashes, white cotton shirts, and large brimmed hats.Price, Jeffery R. "A Courage And Desperation Rarely Equaled: The 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Confederate States Army), 26 June 1862--25 May 1865". MA thesis, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2003, Page 32
Service Prairie Grove Campaign On November 5, 1862, Colonel McRae was promoted to brigadier general and Major John Edward Glenn, who was also a veteran of the Battle of Wilson's Creek, was elected regimental commander. During the Prairie Grove campaign, the 28th Arkansas Infantry was brigaded with the 26th, 32nd, and 30th Arkansas and Marshalls Arkansas Battery.United States. War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1888; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154600/m1/906/?q=west's arkansas battery : accessed January 14, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. On December 3, 1862, the regiment had a strength of 1042 officers and soldiers. General McRae commanded the brigade, which was assigned to Shoup's Division in Major General Thomas C. Hindman's 1st Corps of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi. The 28th Arkansas saw its first combat on November 28, 1862, at the Battle of Cane Hill. General Hindman described the regiment's actions during the Battle of Prairie Grove December 7, 1862:Price, Jeffery R. "A Courage And Desperation Rarely Equaled: The 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Confederate States Army), 26 June 1862--25 May 1865". MA thesis, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2003, Page 11
The 28th Arkansas delivered a devastating volley on the Union regiments from Wisconsin and Iowa, forcing them to withdraw.Price, Jeffery R. "A Courage And Desperation Rarely Equaled: The 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Confederate States Army), 26 June 1862--25 May 1865". MA thesis, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2003, Page 14 McRae's Brigade then charged down the hill sending the surviving Union infantry fleeing to the protection of their artillery which, in turn, fired double canister into the advancing Confederates. Shaken by the massive power of the Federal artillery, the Confederates were forced to withdraw back across the cornfields. The Union infantry charged back up the high ground two more times, resulting in both the 26th Indiana and the 37th Illinois effectively being rendered combat ineffective. The final blow to the Union forces was another counter-attack from Brigadier General McRae's left most regiment, probably the 30th Arkansas, along with all of Fagan's Brigade to the left, which served to secure that portion of the field for the Confederates. In spite of its success on the first day of battle, a lack of ammunition led General Hindman to order a retreat during the night. The 36th Arkansas suffered three killed and two taken prisoner.
Redesignated as the 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment During the general re-organization of the 1st Corps of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi, following the Battle of Prairie Grove, new muster rolls for several of the regiments were sent to the Confederate War Department in Richmond, which assumed that the rolls were for new regiments, and thus assigned new numerical designations, thus the 28th Arkansas Infantry became redesignated as the 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.Howerton, Bryan R. "Re: 36th Arkansas Regiment", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 16 September 2004, Accessed 27 April 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?read=8481
By the end of February 1863, the 36th Arkansas was encamped at Des Ark with the remainder of its brigade.Price, Jeffery R. "A Courage And Desperation Rarely Equaled: The 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Confederate States Army), 26 June 1862--25 May 1865". MA thesis, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2003, Page 17 The brigade's task organization remained the same for the rest of the war: The 32nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel Lucien C. Gause; the 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commended by Colonel James M. Davie; the 30th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel J. W. Rogan; and Marshall's Arkansas Battery, commanded by Captain John G. Marshall. In early March 1863, the brigade marched to Camp Bowen, near Little Rock, and took up defensive positions in a portion of the capital's protective ring. Their days were occupied with more drill and working on the earthworks of the defenses. The regiment remained near Little Rock until April 23, 1863, when the regiment crossed the Arkansas River and began a march to Jacksonport, in preparation for the Battle of Helena.