1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Union)

1st Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Infantry
Artist Interpretation of 1st Arkansas National Flag
Active	March 25, 1863 – August 10, 1865
Disbanded	August 10, 1865
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	United States Army Volunteers
Type	Infantry
Role	Garrison, Escort, and Guard Duty
Size	Regiment
Garrison/HQ	Fort Smith (1863-1865) Waldron (1863-1864)
Nickname(s)	"Mountain feds"
Engagements	American Civil War Battle of Fayetteville Skirmish at Fayetteville Skirmish at Perryville Capture of Fort Smith Occupation of Waldron Skirmish at Mount Ida Scout to Mount Ida Skirmish at Waldron Camden Expedition Battle of Prairie D'Ane Battle of Moscow Battle of Jenkins Ferry Skirmish at Skirmish at Newton County
Commanders
Col.	James M. Johnson
Lt. Col.	Elhanan J. Searle
Major	Elijah D. Ham

The 1st Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Infantry (1863–1865) was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although Arkansas joined the Confederate States of America in 1861, not all of its citizens supported secession. Arkansas formed some 48 infantry regiments to serve in the Confederate Army, but also formed another 11 regiments that served in the Union Army.^[1]

Background[]

During the antebellum period, Arkansas geopolitics could be split into two regions. The eastern counties along the Mississippi River, with their large slave plantations situated on flat fertile land, and the northwest, with its rolling hills taken up by yeomen and small towns. Unlike their fellow Arkansans on the opposite side of the state, cotton was not king in the northwest. This region was also located next to Indian Territory, where no doubt citizens took comfort in the fact of having Fort Smith, a Federal Army Fort, of which to offer them protection. With these conditions it is easy to see why the Northwest was the most Pro-Union area in the state. The men of this region were also one of the first to offer themselves as soldiers for the Federal government during the Mexican-American War. In April of 1861, in response to a confederate flag raising at Fayetteville, unionists raised the Stars and Stripes above the courthouse.^[2] However, this region had by no means had a unionists majority. Following Arkansas seceding from the Union, men rushed to enlist in the confederate army from all across Arkansas, with multiple regiments being organized in the Northwest. Despite this Arkansas unionists still held firm, albeit in secrecy, such as the organization of the Arkansas Peace Society. Those who spoke out against secession found themselves being increasingly harassed by confederate sympathizers. Some decided to move into the mountains for seclusion and protection while others fled the state entirely.

Northwest Arkansas saw extensive action early in the Civil War following the battle of Wilson’s Creek. In the spring of 1862 a federal army, under the command of General Curtis entered Arkansas south of Springfield, Missouri. This would have one of two reactions on the men in this region. Some, after seeing this large Yankee army invade their state, were compelled to enlist in confederate regiments as a why of protecting their homes. For those who had been harassed it was a sight of relief. The latter of which would have their hopes dashed no soon as they began.

After the Battle of Pea Ridge, on March 7, 1862, general Curtis decided to move his army to Helena, Arkansas, a March which took them from one part of the state to the other. Along the way his army was joined by a few of the local unionists mentioned earlier. These men wanted to fight the same men who had harassed them and their families and became dismayed after learning that the armies destination would take them east to the Mississippi, not west to their families. Nonetheless these men carried on and were eventually mustered in a battalion of infantry in the summer of 1862. Their enlistments only lasted 6 months and in that time they saw no fighting and were later mustered out in Missouri. Another Arkansas Regiment was also formed in the same summer, that being the 1st Arkansas Union Cavalry. Unlike the 1st Arkansas Infantry battalion, the 1st Arkansas Cavalry saw much fighting in Northwest Arkansas, mainly skirmishing with confederate guerrillas. In the fall of 1862, unionists would be given good news as another large Union army was once again entering Northwest Arkansas.^[3]

Organization[]

Colonel Johnson, leader of the First Arkansas, who would later become a Brevet Brigadier General.

James M. Johnson, a doctor and unionist from Huntsville, had in April of 1862 fled his home and joined the union army, serving as an aide to General Curtis and later to General Schofield. General Schofield decided to move his federal army back to northwest Arkansas in October of 1862 and Johnson followed. The next month Johnson was granted authority to raise an infantry regiment made up of loyal Arkansas citizens. At that same time northwest Arkansas again experienced another large Battle, this time at Prairie Grove. This battle temporary forced back much of the confederate forces in the region. Johnson decided to open up a recruiting office at Fayetteville. Johnson, along with the help of Captain Elhanan J. Searle of the 10th Illinois Cavalry, successfully recruited enough men to form a regiment where they were given the designation of "First Regiment Arkansas Infantry Volunteers". The regiment was mustered into service on March 25, 1863, numbering 800 men and 36 commissioned officers. Johnson was mustered in as the regiments Colonel.^[4]

At the time of their mustering however the First Arkansas could scarcely be called a regiment. In an April 1 report by Colonel Marcus Harrison, commanding officer at Fayetteville, he describes the First Arkansas Infantry as being "totally without transportation, clothing or tents, or equipments". Harrison was concerned that if the regiment was attacked, union forces would not be able to distinguish between them and "rebels in the same dress.” The only guns provided to the regiment were from battlefield of Prairie Grove, which were "of all patterns and calibers.” A couple of weeks after his report was written the First Arkansas would experience their first battle.^[5]

Service[]

Battle of Fayetteville[]

The first combat test for most of the men serving under the 1st Arkansas would be in Fayetteville on the morning of April, 18 1863. The situation was not ideal going into their first engagement. Half of the regiment, including Colonel Johnson, were away for various reasons leaving only about 500 Infantrymen in the city. To add to their misfortune some men were still without uniforms and muskets. When the first shots of confederate artillery began to rain upon the town about 30 men from the regiment fled north to safety. Colonel Harrison decided to place 7 companies of the 1st Arkansas in reserve under orders to stand by, with companies A, F and H forming the center battle line along with 4 companies of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry. As the battle raged, Harrison ordered two companies of the 1st Arkansas in reserve to leave and form up along the left flank of the federal line. The battle lasted 3 hours and was over by noon. The two loyal Arkansas regiments held the line against the Confederate cavalry under General William Cabell, most of them being Arkansans as well. Two privates in the 1st Arkansas, Shadrack Cockrell and James Shockley, became the first men of the regiment to die from battle. The casualty report for the First Arkansas are as follows : eight infantrymen wounded, including two captains, one soldier captured (later paroled) and the regimental quartermaster fled during the battle.^[6] Due to Johnson being absent from the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Elhanan J. Searle took command of the regiment along with Major Elijah Ham. Harrison would later reported that the two men "did good service in keeping their men in position and preventing them from being terrified by the artillery".^[7] Seven days after the battle the regiment was ordered to Springfield, Missouri.

Service on the Frontier[]

The regiment would spend the rest of spring and early summer in Missouri with its only movements around this time being on July 6, when it was ordered to Cassville, near the border. The decision to send the regiment north of Arkansas was likely done to keep them out of harms way while they received proper federal equipment, most of which probably arrived from Rolla, the closet supply depot. On the 17th of August the First Arkansas joined Major General Blunt's Army of the Frontier where it was ordered to Indian territory, with the intent to follow a confederate force under Stand Watie. On August 23 however, a confusing affair would take which brought them back to Fayetteville. Prior to the entering of Indian Territory, a small group of the regiment got lost. The 1st Arkansas, along with the 2nd Arkansas and Kansas Cavalries, searched for their respective regiments together which brought them Fayetteville. Captain James Vanderpool of company C also arrived at Fayetteville with 150 new recruits.^[8] Upon entering the town however a group of Confederates attacked and many of the new recruits fled, while others fended off the rebels. Both sides later withdrew shortly after.^[9]

While in Indian Territory, the regiment was present at the skirmish at Perryville on August 26 but did not take part in any combat. The skirmish ended after the remaining Confederates retreated and Blunt later ordered the town to be burned. Following this Blunt decided to take his force and invade western Arkansas. He ordered a Union force under Col. William Cloud to follow the retreating confederates, which cumulated in the Battle of Devil's Backbone, while blunt, along with the First Arkansas, pushed forward capturing Fort Smith on September 1, 1863 without firing a single shot. The 1st Arkansas was the first Union regiment to enter the garrison since its abandonment by the federal government in 1861. Upon entering, an officer of the 1st Arkansas noted "the regiment entered Fort Smith in advance of the Federal forces. The entire distance traveled 400 miles on scanty rations and poor water". The regiment remained on duty there till March 1864.^[4][10]

Mountain Feds[]

Despite the federal presence now in the state, many of the unionists, dubbed “Mountain feds”, still found themselves without any means of support or long term protection. Many would form groups and hide out in northwest mountains where they would occasionally fend of bushwakers and other threats. Some of these men were no different than their confederate counterparts in that they would similarly raid towns, farms, and harass the local population. One such man was Williams “Wild Bill” Heffington. Heffington, a former confederate soldier, was one of the more famous Union bushwackers in the state. In February he and about 100 of his followers arrived at Fayetteville where they later enlisted into company I the following March.

Heffington would die under mysterious circumstances in August and the remaining mountain feds would continue to hide out in the mountains where they were occasionally given assistance by Union forces, as was the case in late September of 1863. Portions of companies H and I, led by captain Parker, were sent to deliver ammunition to local unionists hiding out on Mount magazine and the surrounding areas. Their mission was a success and Captain Parker decided to set up camp at Haguewood Prairie, an area that would allow the men to visit their families. On September 27, 1863 the First Arkansas would encounter a portion of Confederate cavalry known as “Shelby's Iron Brigade” prior to their raid into Missouri. Both sides acted quickly and organized their men for a fight. The overall strength of the two sides aren’t definitively known but the confederates appear to have outnumbered Parkers men. Despite this the First Arkansas skirmished for around 2 hours, thanks in large part to retreating into the woods for superior cover. The battle ended with a confederate cavalry charge that forced the First Arkansas to flee back to Fort Smith. The regiment lost 2 killed and 28 captured, while killing 10 and wounding 8 of their assailants. Of the 28 captured, all but 1 would were eventually released. Captain Parker himself escaped and reported back to Fort Smith where he detailed the attack, to which his superiors quickly spread word of Shelby's movements.^[1][11]

Following the battle of Haguewood Prairie the first Arkansas were presented with a flag made by the ladies of Van Buren. According to the newspaper Fort Smith New Era, "The ladies of that place made and presented to the 1st Reg't Ark. Infantry, a large Federal flag". They also reported the flag was raised above the Crawford County courthouse with speeches being made by Col Johnson, Lt. Col Searle and other commanders which were "loudly applauded, and were well calculated to encourage the patriotic aspirations of the numerous assemblage of citizens and soldiers". In may of 1861, before the union took control of northwest Arkansas, the ladies of Van Buren are also said to have made a flag for the Pope Walker Guards which later became company B of the First Cavalry Regiment, Arkansas State Troops.^{[12] [11]}

On October 30, a meeting took place at Fort Smith with the intent of electing Arkansas unionists to represent the northwestern part of the state (Third Congressional District) in the U.S. Congress. Colonel Johnson was nominated during this meeting and was elected the following November, and again in October of 1865. While President Lincoln was sympathetic to the southern unionist, Congress was apprehensive and did not recognize either elections. Johnson, by now an aspiring politician, was persistent however and in his attempts to petition the Government he was often called away from the regiment. In his absence Lieutenant Colonel Searle would take command.^[4] In November 1863, while this regiment was stationed at Fort Smith, about three hundred of its men were vaccinated with spurious vaccine matter, a large number of whom were permanently disabled, and many others, whose disability unfitted them for duty, it became necessary to discharge.^[4]

The regiment participated in the skirmish at Mt. Ida November 13. The regiment participated in the scout from Waldron to Mt. Ida, Caddo Gap and Dallas December 2–7.^[4]

Winter At Waldron[]

In November the First Arkansas captured Waldron, Arkansas in Scott County while under the command of Colonel Johnson. A detachment of the First Arkansas was later ordered to remain in the town and set up an encampment for winter. That winter was especially brutal on the men, where temperatures reportedly reached negative 18 degrees. Couple this with snow fall in December, sickness and disease spread fast, killing a sizable number. All the while men were sent out on patrols, searching for any bushwackers in the area. In late January two of these patrols would turn deadly with 3 men being slain. Not all was negative, however as the First Arkansas’s ranks were steadily increased with new recruits from the area. These men would be needed for the following spring as the Union prepared for an offensive into Louisiana. By February the regiment was ordered to return to Fort Smith and on their exit burned most of the town. In total the regiment lost at least 31 soldiers, the majority being from sickness and desertion.^[13]

Camden Expedition[]

Developments began to take shape in the union high command in the spring of 1864 which would result in the ill-fated Red River Campaign. Part of this campaign involved sending the federal army in Arkansas, under the command of General Steele, south where it would attack the confederate army in Louisiana from the north, while another federal army attacked from the south. Steele's part of the campaign is known as the Camden Expedition. The entire expedition, along with the campaign as a whole, was a disaster for the Union, and the First Arkansas would later get to experience this failure first hand.

As part of the Expedition, the regiment was attached to Brigadier General Thayer's "Frontier Division", serving part of Colonel John Edwards's 1st brigade under Lieutenant Colonel Searle. On March 24 the First Arkansas left Fort Smith and marched south where it would then meet up with Steel's other two divisions. The Frontier Division fell behind schedule but would eventually reach Steele but by then the expedition was already marred with issues, chief among them being dwindling supplies. On April 12 the First Arkansas fought on the last day of the Battle of Prairie D'ane and the next day skirmished at Moscow. The latter of which involved three loyal Arkansas units, the First and Second Arkansas Infantries and the First Arkansas Light Artillery. The regiment would lose 3 men altogether in these battles and reportedly suffered many wounded, although the exact number is unknown. On April 16th the regiment entered Camden, Arkansas. Following the Battle of Poison Springs, the First Arkansas was sent to recon the confederate forces. Steele's army was in full retreat by this point with the only remaining goal being to arrive at the better supplied and fortified Little Rock. By the end of the month a pontoon bridge is all that stood in the armies way. The confederates knew this too and on the 30th of April the two sides fought at Jenkins Ferry, 50 miles from Little Rock. This would be the First Arkansas's biggest engagement of the war. While the battle raged, the regiment, along with the 12th Kansas Infantry, was ordered to come up and protect to the union left flank.^[14] According to Major Johnson of Company B, the First Arkansas "Repulsed a strong flanking party with considerable loss to the enemy, and losing no men itself."

Captain John Whiteford of company I gave this account of the fighting in a letter to his wife:

We fought all day on swampy land The night before we were up all night in the rain in line of battle, and during the fight we were up to our knees in water, and when we had drove the enemy back we had to march on return four miles through mud knee deep.

Following the Battle, much of the union wagons needed to be left behind in order to quickly cross the swollen Saline River. Anything left in these wagons were destroyed, including a few enlistment records from Company D. The aforementioned flag of the First Arkansas was nearly confined to share the same fate until a man named Pete, an African-American who was attached to the regiment, saved it. Reportedly after seeing the flag he "rolled it up and carried it on his back all the way to Little Rock".^[11] The First Arkansas, with Pete and the flag in tow, arrived in Little Rock on May 1st. Any thought of rest would be quickly dismissed as on the day of arrival they were ordered to march another 159 miles back to Fort Smith, essentially making a gigantic circle since their departure in March. Much of the regiments movements and casualties from the exhibition are unknown, party due to the fact that General Thayer did not file an after action report, unlike his fellow divisional commanders.^[4][15]

Escort, Guard Duty and Mustering out[]

Following the Camden Expedition the First Arkansas was ordered to escort and guard duty along the frontier. This would involve detachments of the regiment being sent out to skirmish with local confederates, rescue any unionists and protect convoys of loyalist families. Arkansas regiments were chosen for this duty due to their knowledge of the surrounding areas. In November the regiment would have skirmishes at Bates Township and Newton County. In 1865 much of the frontier began to quite down and by summer the Civil War was over. The First Regiment of Arkansas Infantry Volunteers was mustered out on August 10th, 1865, serving the union for over 2 years.^[16]

Attachment[]

The 1st Arkansas Infantry was attached to District Southwest Missouri, Dept. Missouri to December 1863. The 1st Arkansas was attached to 2nd Brigade, District of the Frontier, Dept. Missouri, to January 1864. The regiment was attached to 2nd Brigade, District of the Frontier, 7th Army Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to March 1864. The regiment was attached to 1st Brigade, District of the Frontier, 7th Army Corps, to February 1865. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 7th Army Corps, to August 1865.^[16]

See also[]

• List of Arkansas Civil War Union units
• List of United States Colored Troops Civil War Units
• Arkansas in the American Civil War

References[]

• This article contains text from a text now in the public domain: Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.
  •  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document: "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service".

Bibliography[]

• Dyer, Frederick H. (1959). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. New York and London. Thomas Yoseloff, Publisher. LCCN 59-12963.
• Bishop, Albert W. (1867). Report of the Adjutant General of Arkansas, for the Period of the Late Rebellion, and to November 1, 1866., (Washington : Govt. print. off., 1867).

External links[]

• The Civil War Archive
• 1st Arkansas Infantry, USA