The 22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was an infantry formation of the Confederate States Army in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.
Originally formed as the 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment; it was reorganized after the Battle of Elk Horn as 1st Regiment, Northwest Division, Trans-Mississippi Department, or Rector's War Regiment; redesignated as the 35th Arkansas in the summer of 1862; and reorganized and redesignated as the 22nd Arkansas following the Battle of Prairie Grove. It was also known as King's regiment or McCord's regiment.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. This was the second regiment to be officially designated as the 22nd Arkansas. The first was mustered in at DeValls Bluff, Arkansas, on April 9, 1862, and later reorganized as the 20th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.
Formation The core of what became the 22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was originally organized as the 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, which was organized at Fort Smith, Arkansas, November 17, 1861. The regiment was originally composed of volunteer companies from Sebastian, Washington, Madison and Hempstead Counties,
The 17th Arkansas's first major action was the Battle of Elk Horn in March 1862 where, from some accounts, Rector's regiment did not acquit itself well. A Missouri (Confederate) artillery battery allegedly found the regiment's colors lying on the field, and for a time refused to return the flag to Rector, saying that a regiment that would abandon its colors in battle had no right to carry them after the battle. On March 20, 1862, Colonel Rector tendered his resignation as Colonel of the 17th Arkansas Infantry, On May 20, 1862, the Lieutenant Colonel Griffith and the officers of the regiment who were with General Van Dorn east of the Mississippi demanded a court of inquiry to attempt to clear the regiment's name.Odom, Danny, "From Danny Odom", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, posted, 19 January 2016, Accessed 19 January 2016, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?page=1;md=read;id=30709
Whatever the truth behind the 17th Arkansas's retreat and break up following the Battle of Elk Horn, by early May 1862 Colonel Rector and portions of Companies A, B, C, and G were still in Arkansas and the balance of the regiment was at Corinth, Mississippi, with the Army of the West, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Griffith. A battalion-sized 17th Arkansas fought at the Battle of Corinth, and this portion of the regiment would go on to form the 11th/17th Consolidated Mounted Infantry.Howerton, Bryan, "17th Arkansas Regiment, No. 1", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 10 February 2007, Accessed 21 October 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=14724
Reorganization Meanwhile, back in Arkansas, Governor Henry Rector issued an address on May 5, 1862, calling for the formation of 30 new infantry companies and 20 new cavalry companies. Governor Rector indicated that if there were insufficient volunteers to fill these new companies, a draft would be made upon the militia regiments and brigades. As a further enticement, Rector also indicated that these regiments were for home defense and that they would not be transferred to Confederate Service without their consent. Many new volunteer companies were organized from the militia regiments in the summer of 1862. It appears that the militiamen decided it was better to enlist and remain together, and be allowed to elect their own officers, rather than to wait for forced conscription under new Confederate Conscription laws, which were being strictly enforced during the summer of 1862.Copybook of General Orders from Thomas Hindman’ s Command, 31 May - 30 Dec. 1862. Peter Wellington Alexander Papers, Box 8, Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Columbia University in the City of New York. Accessed 13 January 2016 http://cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/mack/id/7806/rec/1 Colonel Rector's much reduced former regiment, the remaining portions of Companies A, B, C, and G, were reinforced with troops, many of whom were came from the 58th Regiment Arkansas Militia regiment of Franklin County, the 15th Regiment Arkansas Militia of Pope County, and the 10th Militia Regiment of Johnson County.
Colonel Rector's new reorganized regiment, was initially organized at Camp Johnson, on July 11, 1862, near Fort Smith, Arkansas, as the "1st Regiment, Northwest Division, Trans-Mississippi Department" with 1037 men. They were also called Rector's War Regiment, 1st Arkansas Volunteers.Howerton, Bryan, "MORE on the 3rd's" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 7 February 2007, Accessed, 21 October 2011, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=14631 The reorganized regiment consisted of the following companies:
Company A – Enlisted 12 June 1862, at Fort Smith, commanded by Captain A.J. Cline. This company was made up of men who transferred from Companies B, C, and F, of the 17th Arkansas Infantry.Howerton, Bryan, "COMPANY A, 35TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page Accessed 19 January 2016, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/35thcoa.html Company B – Enlisted 19 Jun 1862 at Ft Smith, commanded by Captain James C. Bourland.Howerton, Bryan, "COMPANY B,35TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page Accessed 19 January 2016, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/35thcob.html Company C – Enlisted 9–22 June 1862 at Fort Smith, commanded by Captain George W. Bennett.Howerton, Bryan, "COMPANY C, 35TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page Accessed 19 January 2016, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/35thcoc.html Company D – Enlisted 27 June 1862 at Greenwood, commanded by Captain John M. Inge.Howerton, Bryan, "COMPANY D, 35TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page Accessed 19 January 2016, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/35thcod.html Company E – Enlisted 25 Jun 1862 at Charleston, commanded by Captain unknown. These men were largely from Franklin County and many had been present when the 58th Regiment Militia of Franklin County had been activated in February 1862 during the Pea Ridge Campaign. Company F – The first Company F was transferred to the 11th Missouri Infantry on August 27, 1862, and was replaced by a new Company F from which had enlisted 15 Aug 1862 in Benton County, commanded by Captain John Miser.Howerton, Bryan, "COMPANY F, 35TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page Accessed 19 January 2016, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/35thcof.html Company G – “The Brown Guards,” enlisted 18 June 1862 at Van Buren, under the command of Captain James P. King. When Captain King was appointed Major of the regiment, Captain Robert Miles succeeded him. This company included many men who had previously served in the Frontier Guards of Van Buren Crawford County. The Frontier Guards had been organized as a volunteer militia company in the 5th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, on January 5, 1860, under the command of Captain Hugh T. Brown and had been assigned to the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. Captain Brown was killed during the Battle of Oak Hills. After that battle, the State Troops had returned to Arkansas mustered out of service on September 19, 1861. The company reformed under the command of Captain J.P. King, who had served as a Lieutenant under Captain Brown and the Company was renamed in Brown's honor.Howerton, Bryan, "Van Buren Frontier Guards ", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Accessed January 15, 2016, Company H – Enlisted 20 June 1862 at Dover, Pope County, Arkansas, under the command of Captain James E. Truett. Many men in this company had been activated with the 15th Regiment, Arkansas Militia of Pope County in February 1862 during the Pea Ridge Campaign. Company I – Enlisted 20 June 1862 at Dover, Arkansas, under the command of Captain Joseph Howard. Most of the men in this company were from Johnson county and many had been activated with the 10th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Johnson County in February 1862 during the Pea Ridge Campaign. Company K – New enlistments on 4 July at Fort Smith, under the command of Captain William Johnson, This company included several men who had previously served Company G, 17th Arkansas Infantry, in a company originally enlisted in Madison County in November 1861. A few men has also previously served in either the 16th Arkansas Infantry or Stirman's Battalion.Howerton, Bryan, "COMPANY K, 35TH ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT", Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page Accessed 19 January 2016, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/35thcok.html
Its commanding officers were Colonels Frank Rector, James George, James P. King and Henry J. McCord, Lieutenant Colonel John W. Wallace, and Majors John J. Dillard and Mark T. Tatum. The regiment was originally composed of eight companies mostly from Sebastian County and the surrounding area.
American Civil War 1862 Two other new regiments were raised under Governor Rector's plan, Brooks' 2nd Arkansas and Adams' 3rd Arkansas. On May 31, 1862, Major General Thomas Hindman was assigned as the Commander of the District of the Trans-Mississippi.Copybook of General Orders from Thomas Hindman’ s Command, 31 May - 30 Dec. 1862. Peter Wellington Alexander Papers, Box 8, Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Columbia University in the City of New York. Accessed 13 January 2016, http://cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/mack/id/7806 General Hindman found that Major General Van Dorn had stripped the state of almost all organized forces and immediately began organizing a new Confederate Army in Arkansas, by vigorously enforcing the new Confederate Conscription Act. General Hindman also demanded that Governor Rector cease organizing State Troops and transfer all unit to the Confederate Army. This ultimately resulted in the three new regiments that Governor Rector had intended to be State Troops, being enrolled as new Confederate Regiments and numbered accordingly. These regiments would become Rector's 35th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and Brook's 34th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.
On July 5, 1862, Colonel Frank A. Rector was reported to be north of the Arkansas River, en route to Fayetteville, with some 400 men mounted, and not well armed. On 11 July 1862, Rector appointed Colonel of the 1st Regiment, Northwest Division, Trans-Mississippi Department. On the same day Captain James Georges was appointed Lieutenant Colonel and Capt James P King was appointed Major. The muster rolls of the Field and Staff state that the regiment was stationed at Camp Johnson from 11 July 1862 to 7 August 1862. On 17 July 1862, Capt. Green of the Union army reported intelligence that Col Rector had passed 15 miles east and south of Tahlequah on the 14th (July) en route for Fort Gibson to join Cooper in Indian Territory.