Arkansas Militia in the Civil War: Difference between revisions

Civil War

Main article: American Civil War

The beginning of the war, 1861

Lincoln's victory in the presidential election of 1860 triggered South Carolina's declaration of secession from the Union. By February 1861, six more Southern states made similar declarations. On February 7, the seven states adopted a provisional constitution for the Confederate States of America and established their temporary capital at Montgomery, Alabama. A pre-war February Peace Conference of 1861 met in Washington in a failed attempt at resolving the crisis. The remaining eight slave states, including Arkansasa, rejected pleas to join the Confederacy. Confederate forces seized most of the federal forts within their boundaries. Governors in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania quietly began buying weapons and training militia units.As sectional tensions began to increase, interest in the militia in Arkansas also increased. By 1860 there were two regiments of militia in Pulaski County, four companies in Phillips County, two in Jefferson County and at lease one company each in Prairie, White, Saline, Hot Springs Montgomery Monroe and St. Francis counties. Saturday, February 23, 1861, the 5th Regiment Arkansas Militia—the Crawford County Militia—mustered at Van Buren for their annual inspection and drill. They were joined on this occasion by two companies of volunteers, the “Frontier Guards” (Captain Hugh Thomas Brown) and the “Independent Light Horse Guards” (Captain Powhatan Perkins). The two independent companies received rave reviews for their drill, but the performance of the 5th Militia Regiment provoked the following report from the Van Buren Press:

"The special parade of this Regiment, by order of the Officers in command, took place in this City on Saturday last. In connection therewith, the Rifle Company, Capt. Brown, and Horse Company, Capt. Perkins, paraded, making a fine display—and in fact all the “military” on the ground was composed of these two independent companies. A more decided burlesque on military parade could not be had, than the muster on Saturday. If any good was derived by bringing such a body of men together, for “inspection” and “drill,” we were not able to discover it—and we trust it will be at least a year, before another “occasion” occurs for preparation to defend our rights and liberties against northern aggression."

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as President. In his inaugural address, he argued that the Constitution was a more perfect union than the earlier Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, that it was a binding contract, and called any secession "legally void". He stated he had no intent to invade Southern states, nor did he intend to end slavery where it existed, but that he would use force to maintain possession of federal property. His speech closed with a plea for restoration of the bonds of union.

The South sent delegations to Washington and offered to pay for the federal properties and enter into a peace treaty with the United States. Lincoln rejected any negotiations with Confederate agents because the Confederacy was not a legitimate government, and that making any treaty with it would be tantamount to recognition of it as a sovereign government. However, Secretary of State William Seward engaged in unauthorized and indirect negotiations that failed.

Fort Monroe in Virginia, Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, and Fort Pickens, Fort Jefferson, and Fort Taylor, all in Florida, were the remaining Union-held forts in the Confederacy, and Lincoln was determined to hold them all. Under orders from Confederate President Jefferson Davis, troops controlled by the Confederate government under P. G. T. Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter on April 12, forcing its capitulation. Northerners rallied behind Lincoln's call for all the states to send troops to recapture the forts and to preserve the Union, citing presidential powers given by the Militia Acts of 1792. With the scale of the rebellion apparently small so far, Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers for 90 days. For months before that, several Northern governors had discreetly readied their state militias; they began to move forces the next day. Liberty Arsenal in Liberty, Missouri was seized eight days after Fort Sumter.

US Postage, 1894 issue, honoring William T. Sherman

Four states in the upper South (Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Virginia), which had repeatedly rejected Confederate overtures, now refused to send forces against their neighbors, declared their secession, and joined the Confederacy. As sectional tensions began to increase, interest in the militia in Arkansas also increased. By 1860 there were two regiments of militia in Pulaski County, four companies in Phillips County, two in Jefferson County and at lease one company each in Prairie, White, Saline, Hot Springs Montgomery Monroe and St. Francis counties.

What became of the Militia

Much confusion has existed over the involement of the Arkansas Militia units during the civil war. Current Arkansas National Guard units do not trace their Lineage and Honors to any of the units that participated in the Civil War. Tracking the involemenet of the Arkansas State Militia in the Civil War is complicated for several reason. First, there is a derth of records regarding the actual organization of the milita before and after the war. Defining the Militia's involvement is futher complicated by the chotic manner in which troops were raised, under various authorities for various "governements" during the war. Finally, the fact that Confederate authorities were often inconsitant in the numbering and naming of units raised in the state makes it even more difficult to determine which units have a connection to the Arkansas State Militia and thus to today's, Arkansas Army National Guard.

Seizure of the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock by the Militia

Little Rock Arsenal, early 1800s

The first convention called in Arkansas to vote on the question of succession voted the ordnance down, so the state remained in the union for a time. The first convention had pledged the state to "Assist to the last extremity any attempt on the part of such power (President Lincoln) to coerce any state that had succeeded from the old Union". Anit-union forces, probably including Governor Henry Massey Rector, seized upon this pledge to justify calling out the state Militia and seizing the Federal Arsenal in Little Rock. The Yell Rifles of Phillips County, commanded by Patrick Cleburne were one of the first companies to reach Little Rock and Report to Govenor Rector. Governor Rector denied giving the order but used the quickly massing militia forces to force a settlement that led to the surrender of the Arsenal to State Forces. Militia companies began assembling in Little Rock by February 5, 1861 and they made their intention to seize the Arsenal known to its commander, CPT Totten. Totten agreed to evacuate the Arsenal in return for safe passage out of the state. Governor Rector agreed and the Militia took control of the Arsenal on February 8, 1861. A miltia battalion was quickly organized under the command of Solon F. Borland, which included the Captiol Guards of Little Rock, was dispatched to also sieze the Federal Arsenal at Fort Smith, Arkansas on 23 Apr 1861.

Following the Confederate shelling of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861, President Lincoln called upon the "militia of the several states" to provide 75,000 troop to put down the rebellion. The Adjutant General, Edmond Burgevin, provided the states' response:

Sir: I am directed by his Excellency the governor to acknowledge the receipt for Special Orders, No. 106, from the War Department at Washington. That order is based on the presumption of the State of Arkansas being willing to furnish the quota of troops required of her for the Federal Army, a presumption entirely improbable, and I can assure you, utterly impossible.

Further, I have to inform you that I had the honor on Tuesday night, April 23, 1861, at Fort Smith, to order the seizure of the person of Maj. R.C. Gatlin, Fifth Infantry, as a prisoner of war, and who is now at large on parole of honor not to serve against the State of Arkansas or the Southern Confederacy.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant.

Edmund Burgevin

Adjutant General of Arkansas

On May 6, 1861 a second convention on succession met in Little Rock and passed the ordinance of succession by a vote of 69 to 1.

The years of the Civil War were a period of heated internal conflict not only between two sections of the country, but also between different regions within Arkansas. Arkansas, like the nation as a whole, was composed of disparate groups of people who were in many ways basically different. Despite the pervasiveness of the “Moonlight and Magnolias” myth, the Civil War years were characterized as much by political and military strife in Arkansas as by unified action against the “Yankees.” This chapter will briefly analyze how Arkansans, both secessionists and unionists, responded to the war and how that response affected the militia and home guards. Very little attention will be paid to Arkansas troops after they entered the regular Confederate service, since after that point they were no longer militiamen.

Arkansans on the whole were opposed to secession from the Union. Even after the election of Abraham Lincoln as president, most Arkansans maintained a wait-and-see attitude. Governor Henry M. Rector in his inaugural address became the first Arkansas leader to call for withdrawal from the Union. On February 18, 1861 Arkansans voted to call a secession convention, but at the same time elected mostly unionist delegates. The convention assembled on March 5, 1861 and promptly defeated a secession ordinance by a vote of thirty-nine to thirty-five. After providing for a popular vote on the question, the convention recessed.

The people of Arkansas never got a chance to vote on the question of secession, for on April 12, 1861 Confederate forces in South Carolina fired upon Fort Sumter. The outbreak of hostilities swept Arkansas with a wildfire of secessionist activity. On May 6 the convention was reassembled and promptly adopted an act of secession from the United States of America. Only one delegate, Isaac Murphy of Madison County, prevented the vote from being unanimous. Despite the one-sided vote, Arkansans were still divided over the issue of secession and this was to deepen as the approaching war became a reality.

Confederate military operations actually began in Arkansas prior to the formal vote for secession. On February 6, 1861 state militia and volunteer forces occupied the United States Army arsenal in Little Rock. Later, artillery batteries were set up at Helena on the Mississippi River and Pine Bluff on the Arkansas to prevent reinforcement of Federal military posts. On April 24 Arkansas troops, again a mixture of militia and volunteers, occupied Fort Smith after it was evacuated by Federal troops.

Balmy from their initial success and imbued with an intense martial spirit, Arkansas set about to organize for war. The constitutional convention, which met after Arkansas seceeded, provided for a State Military Board in the new Confederate State Constitution. The Military Board was to oversee the organization of a Confederate state army, to arm, feed, and clothe the troops, and to call out the forces for such military expeditions as might be necessary to defend the state. Although the Board was specifically ordered to act as an auxiliary of the Confederate authorities, it was actually organizing a state “Army of Arkansas.” Two million dollars was appropriated to fund the Board.

This new Army of Arkansas was to consist of two divisions, the First covering western Arkansas and the Second in the eastern half of the state. A major general was to command the Army, while each division was to be under the command of a brigadier general.

Each regiment was to consist of six to ten companies. As was tradition, company officers were elected by the men and regimental officers were elected by the company officers.

Named to these posts were Major General James Yell of Jefferson County (overall commander) Nicholas Barlett Pearce, a graduate of West Point and resident of Benton County (commander of the First Division), and Thomas H. Bradley of Crittenden County (commander of the Second Division). Historian Leo Huff has referred to these commanders as “three political generals.” Pearce, due to his military training, was obviously the best of the lot. But all three of these men did harm to the war effort by opposing the transfer of Arkansas troops to a unified Confederate command. Eventually, all three men were either relieved of their command or transferred to other activities.

Early in the war organizing the forces was easy. Southerners in general felt that they were being invaded and responded in large numbers. The presence of many anti-war unionists in the mountainous regions of the state merely hastened the organization since Confederate leaders believed that force might be necessary to control their recalcitrant neighbors. The speed with which the State Army was organized worked to the detriment of the regular militia. The 1861 Constitutional Convention had intended for the militia to remain separate from the Confederate forces. The existing militia organizations were to be retained as a source of manpower and a last ditch defense network. However, the local militia commanders frequently volunteered their existing forces rather than organize separate Confederate companies.

Between July 2 and August 1, 1861 eight regiments were organized by the Military Board. By November 1861 Governor Rector could report that twenty-one regiments had been raised, a total of 16,000 men, and an additional 6,000 men were soon to be in the ranks.

Equipping these forces was much more difficult than recruiting themThe pre-war militia was so badly disorganized that it was unable to receive weapons and supplies from the War Department. It is true that some weapons, including artillery, was taken from the occupied Federal arsenals in Fort Smith and Little Rock.

These weapons, however, mostly consisted of out-of-date flintlocks and six pound cannons left over from the Mexican War. The Military Board appealed to the public for assistance, but with little success. On one occasion General Pearce threatened confiscation unless citizens turned-in their Sharps' and Maynards' rifles. The state penitentiary in Little Rock was turned into a factory and fabricated 3,000 uniforms, 8,000 pairs of shoes, 250 wagons, 100 sets of wagon and artillery harness, 500 drums, 200 tents, 600 knapsacks, and 500 cartridge boxes. Still, the army was ill-equipped and when General Thomas C. Hindman marched his regiment off to Richmond they were unarmed.

On July 14, 1861 Confederate Brigadier General William J. Hardee arrived in Little Rock to assume unified Confederate command in the state. The following day the state Military Board signed an “Article of Transfer,” which provided that all state forces (excepting the militia), some 10,000 men, would be transferred on a voluntary basis to the command of the Confederate States of America. All weapons, ammunition, and supplies were also to be transferred.

 Before the transfer could take place, Arkansas state troops got their first taste of real battle.

General Pearce, who lived in Benton County, established his divisional headquarters, Camp Walker, at nearby Maysville. Thus when a Union army began operating around Springfield in Southwest Missouri, Pearce's state troops were nearby. Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch assembled Pearce's 2,234 troops, along with about 8,000 other soldiers from several commands, to form a sizable force and immediately marched toward Springfield. On August 10, 1861 Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, the forceful commander of Union troops in Missouri, attacked the Confederates. The ensuing day-long battle witnessed heavy fighting on a number of fronts. During the battle Colonel William E. Woodruff, Jr., commander of the “Pulaski Artillery,” engaged in a fierce artillery duel with Captain James Totten, who had only a few months earlier surrendered the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock. Captain Totten found himself with an opportunity to gain revenge, and his cannons roared throughout the day.

The Battle of Wilson's Creek came to an abrupt and inglorious halt when the Union commander was killed. Leaderless and outnumbered five-to-one, the bluecoats fled the battlefield. The Arkansas troops played a major role in winning the battle, but paid a heavy price for victory. Two Arkansas units suffered particularly heavy casualties. Colonel Thomas J. Churchill's 1st Arkansas Mounted Riflemen counted forty-two killed and 155 wounded out of 600 men. Colonel John Gratiot's 3rd Arkansas Infantry, State Troops, suffered 109 casualties, including twenty-five killed, out of a force of 500 men.

Shortly after the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Pearce's troops were polled as to whether they wanted to be transferred to Confederate command as had been arranged prior to the battle. Sources differ as to how many of these Arkansas state troops agreed to the transfer, however, it appears that few were willing to continue in either service. Colonel Gratiot's command voted enmasse against the transfer, and they were marched back to southwest Arkansas where they were mustered out. The Eastern Division, headquartered at Pocahontas, refused the transfer. Another large contingent of state troops were mustered out at Fort Smith. By the end of August 1861, all organized state troops had either been transferred to Confederate command or mustered out.

With the transfer of command to Confederate authority, most Arkansas troops were sent into service east of the Mississippi River. Arkansas soon found itself virtually defenseless. By insisting that all state troops have the right to approve their transfer to Confederate service, state authorities had effectively killed the chance of raising a large unified force in the state. Few of those early state troops volunteered for regular service which was to last the duration of the war. Governor Rector was finally forced to admit that “a man once in camp rarely takes service again.” State authorities, especially Rector, were unwilling to assume blame for the problem and, instead, put the blame on the Confederate government. Governor Rector's newspaper charged: “The Confederate government has abandoned Arkansas to her fate.”

Furious with the authorities in Richmond, Governor Rector threatened to withdraw Arkansas from the Confederacy. When Arkansas' Confederate congressional delegation joined Rector in demanding defense for Arkansas, President Jefferson Davis in the summer of 1862 created the Transmississippi District, made up of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Major General E. Kirby Smith was placed in command, with headquarters at Shreveport, Louisiana. Major General Thomas C. Hindman, a resident of Helena and a forceful commander, was named to command the forces in Arkansas. Facing the immediate threat of Federal occupation, General Hindman insisted that the state Military Board transfer all remaining state troops to Confederate service. Rector, having won the battle with Richmond and facing staggering costs in maintaining a state army, was in no position to refuse. On June 2, 1862 Rector issued a proclamation noting that it was “essential that but one military organization shall exist within the Trans-Mississippi Department” and transferred all state forces to Confederate command

Hindman wasted absolutely no time in trying to correct the complicated situation in Arkansas. The general at once began to raise a new army. Relying upon a recently adopted Confederate conscription law, he drafted large numbers of men. With Federal troops only thirty- five miles from Little Rock, Hindman was forced to take drastic measures. While on his way to Little Rock he had “impressed” one million dollars from Memphis banks. At Helena he raided the stores, confiscating supplies ranging from medicine to ammunition, all of which he loaded on impressed steamboats. These actions, although of doubtful legality, continued once Hindman reached Arkansas. Professor Michael Dougan has written that Hindman took “stores of all kinds” from citizens, even going so far as to raid the State Library to obtain paper for making cartridges. Finally, he burned thousands of bales of cotton to prevent their falling into enemy hands.

Hindman came under considerable criticism as he proceeded with his unorthodox work. This was especially true when he established martial law in the state and restricted personal travel. Finally, the pint-sized general from Helena attempted to address the growing problem of disorderly conduct within the army. When a small mutiny involving sixty men intent upon marching off enmasse was uncovered, Hindman ordered nine of the men shot without trials.

Besides attempting to organize a strong force of regular Confederate troops, General Hindman used the conscription laws to create “home guard” units. The Confederate conscription statues required that boys of seventeen years and men between forty-five and fifty serve in home guard units, similar to the traditional militia. On June 17, 1862 Hindman issued General Orders Number Seventeen, providing that “for the more effectual annoyance of the enemy...all citizens of this district, who are not subject to conscription, are called upon to organize themselves into independent companies.” In the thoroughness that typified Hindman, he even suggested the types of operations which the home guards should carry-out:

Their duty will be to cut off Federal pickets, scouts, foraging parties, and trains, and to kill pilots and others on gun-boats and transports, attacking them day and night, and using the greatest vigor in their movements. Although the home guard units were similar to the militia, the Federals accused Hindman of legalizing bushwhacking. It is true that many of the men who joined the home guards merely used the organization as an excuse to pillage isolated farms and villages. Northwest Arkansas, in particular, suffered at the hands of these guerilla bands.

The home guards proved to be popular with Confederate sympathizers in Arkansas. The primary reason for this popularity was the fact that these units could not be sent out of the state without the consent of state authorities. While some of these groups did engage in informal guerrilla activities, others were well organized and competently commanded.

In September 1863 Little Rock was captured by Union forces and the Confederate state government fled to Washington, located in Southwest Arkansas. From that point, effective Confederate control was limited to the southwest corner of the state. However, home guard units and guerrilla bands did continue to mount frequent raids. For all practical purposes, though, Arkansas had been captured and was ready for a new unionist government.

That new loyal government was led by Isaac Murphy. Murphy had gained fame, and no small degree of hatred, by his firm refusal to vote for secession during the state secession convention. In early 1864 a convention was held in Little Rock to draft a unionist state constitution. On March 14 the document was approved by the available voters; Isaac Murphy was shortly thereafter elected governor.

Among Murphys first acts was to call for the formation of a loyal state militia. With bushwhacking running rampant in the state, it is no wonder that Governor Murphy would create a militia force. On May 31, 1864 the legislature adopted Act Number Nineteen, which provided for the creation of “a loyal State militia.” This legislation stipulated that “none but loyal and trustworthy men shall be permitted to bear arms in said organization.” So that the legal militia could be easily separated from the guerrilla forces, the act required each militiaman to “wear, as a mark of distinction, and for the purpose of being recognized at a distance, a band of red cloth [three] inches in width, to be worn on their hats, or in the most conspicouns [sic] manner....” Governor Murphy was authorized by the legislature to solicit ten thousand stands of arms from the Federal authorities to supply the militia force. Apparently Albert W. Bishop, a lieutenant colonel in the 1st Arkansas (Union) Cavalry, became Murphy's adjutant general.

Using United States Army officers to oversee recruitment, the new militia slowly took shape. Recruitment was most effective in strong unionist areas, especially northwest Arkansas, and in areas where a large Federal garrison could provide assistance. By the end of September 1864 militia drills were being held at Little Rock and Fort Smith as well as other points. In Little Rock authorities ordered businesses to close during the three-hour weekly drills in order to encourage full attendance.

The rural areas of Northwest Arkansas, which experienced continual depredations by guerrilla forces, witnessed the formation of paramilitary organizations akin to, but different from, the Militia. Portions of the area had been stripped of productive farms, given the roaming bands of bushwhackers and Federal troops who frequently impressed food and supplies. Thus, a large percentage of the population faced starvation. As early as 1863, well before the formation of the Murphy government in Little Rock, Colonel M. LaRue Harrison, a Unionist commander and the man after whom the city of Harrison would be named, formed what came to be known as “Farm Colonies.” These colonies would serve both a military and agricultural purpose. The colonies organized Militia companies composed entirely of farmers, which would be expected to cultivate the land and protect it also.

Although Brigadier General Cyrus Bussey, the Federal commander at occupied Fort Smith, was skeptical of the plan, he authorized the formation of colonies wherever local conditions seemed promising. Eventually, companies were located throughout Sebastian, Crawford, and Washington counties, with a few in Benton County. The colonies were similar to the militia in that they held military formations and drills, built fortifications, and operated under the supervision of a “commander.”

 Besides providing protection for the local inhabitants, the colonies provided Arkansans with an organized military network which would later prove beneficial in re-establishing the regular militia during Reconstruction.

=Mobilizing the State

The Sucession Convention set about writing a new consitiution for the state and ordering it military affairs. A military board was created to handle the manning, arming and equipping troops. The military board was composed of Governor Rector, Christopher C. Danley of Little Rock, and Benjamin C. Totten of Prairie County. Mr. Danley of Little Rock was soon replaced by Samuel W. Williams, who was replaced in turn by L.D. Hill of Perry County. N.B. Pierce and James Yell were appointed as Brigadier Generals.

The Sucession Convention also adopted an ordinance provding for the organization of an "Army of Arkansas". The Army was to consist of two divisions, the 1st Division in the western portion of the state and the 2nd Division in the Eastern portion of the state. Each Divison was to be commanded by a rigadier general. The ordinance required each regiment to consist of not less that 6 companies and not more than 10. Each Company was to consist of not less than 64 men and not more than 96 men and four officers. The officers were to be elected by the men of the regiment.

The Convention went on to elect James Yell of Jefferson County as Major General and Nicholas Bartlett Pearce and Thomas H. Bradley of Crittenden County as Brigadier Generals.

Effort to mobilize the state's forces were subject to the Military Boards own competing interest. The board recognized the need to quickly mobize troops to defend the state, but wished to avoid as much of the cost for the mobilization as possible. Addtionally the Military Board feared that troops raised to defend the state would be diverted into the eastern theater of operatins. This concern quickly proved valid. The board made a decision not to mobilize the exisiting Arkansas State Militia. Some of the Volenteer Companies which converged on Little Rock before the siezure of the Arsnel were infact Miliia units and at other times militia commanders lead their companies to enlist in forming confederate units. The board, fearing the loss of units to the Confederate army initially attempted to keep the militia units separate from the new State Troop Regiments which were forming for the Army of Arkansas. The militia units would maintian a separate idenity from the State Troops and Confederate troops until the Spring of 1862 when most former militia units conducted final musters and then enlisted in new Confederate units.

The board immediately dispacted Christopher C. Danley of Little Rock to Richmond to open negioations with the new Confederate government for the transfer of State Troops to the Confederate government. The Board immediately issued a call for 10,000 troops. The Volenteer and Militia companies which had converged on the state capitiol for the siezure of the Federal Arsnel were organizd into Regiments.

COL Patrick Cleburne, Commander, 1st Arkansas State Troops, 15th Arkansas, Confederate States Army

The First Regiment of the Arkansas Militia was commanded by Colonel Patrick R. Cleburne was one of the first regiments created from the initial wave of volunteeing units. The new regiment was mustered into the Confederate Army as the 15th Arkansas Infantry. There were three Arkansas Infantry regiments named the "Fifteenth", the first being the aforementioned 1st Arkansas Militia Regiment commanded by COL Cleburne, which was mustered in at Mound City on May 14, 1861. The unit recognized by the Confederate Army as the First Arkansas Infantry was commanded by COL James F. Fagan. COL Fagan had served as a Lieutenant with the Arkansas Regiment of Mounted Volunteers, Company C, during the War with Mexico. This regiment was not composed of the former state militia troops but was recruited directly for Confederate service. The new 15th Arkansas moved into camp with the 2nd Division of the Army of Arkansas, under the field command of Major General yell, in Pocahontas.

Order of Battle, Provisional Army of Arkansas

Brigadier General Thomas Bradely who initially commanded the eastern or 2nd Division was quickly relieved of command after a dispute with COL Cleburne. MG Yell assumed command of the Eastern Division and had the following units under his direct command:

1st Arkansas State Troops, 15th Arkansas Confederate States Army

State Militia Unit hold final muster

Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, most of men of military age enlisted in volunteer companies for Confederate service, while the old men and boys enrolled in home guard companies. The old prewar militia companies became essentially irrelevant, and all were disbanded by 1862. Some of the old militia regiments held one last muster, however, in the Spring of 1862.

The 21st Regiment Arkansas Militia—the White County Militia—held its last muster on March 7-9, 1862, location not stated. Shortly after this muster, most of its members enlisted in the 36th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA.

The 5th Regiment Arkansas Militia held its last muster during February 21 to March 17, 1862, location not stated. A Colonel Smith (identity unknown) was in command of the regiment during this muster. The muster rolls of only two companies, “E” and “I”, have survived.

7th Regiment Arkansas Militia, Franklin County Militia The regiment mustered at Ozark for its annual inspection and drill in February and March of 1862, after which it was deactivated, and its members enlisted in regular Confederate regiments. Most of the members of the Franklin County Militia enlisted in Co. I, 34th Arkansas Infantry. Later in the war, several of the militiamen enlisted in Union regiments.

The 10th Regiment Arkansas Militia—the Johnson County Militia—was part of the old prewar State militia organization, assigned to the Third Brigade, Provisional Army of Arkansas. The 10th Militia held its last annual muster at Clarksville, Arkansas, during the period February 20 to March 19, under command of Colonel John W. May, with 525 men present. Within a few months, most of these militiamen enlisted in various Confederate regiments, particuarly the 26th Arkansas Infantry and the 4th Arkansas Cavalry.

13th ARKANSAS MILITIAI ndications are that the unit was formed in the Little Rock Area and consisted of lettered companies A through G

The 15th Regiment Arkansas Militia—the Pope County Militia—held its last muster on March 10-11, 1862, location not stated. The regimental officers were Colonel John L. Williamson; Lieutenant-Colonel George M. P. Williamson; and Major E. M. Roach. Shortly after this muster, most of its members enlisted in the 35th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA.

The 45th Regiment Arkansas Militia was part of the old prewar State militia organization. It was the militia regiment of Searcy and present-day Stone counties. It is also the only militia regiment known to have been called up during the war for a specific mission. Confederate and State authorities became increasingly concerned about a shadowy organization in north-central Arkansas known as the Peace Society. Although there is much debate about whether or not the Peace Society actually existed as a formal organization, and whether or not it was subversive in any way, the authorities were convinced that its members were Union sympathizers at best, or active anti-Confederate subversives at worst. In any event, the decision was made at Little Rock to round up suspected Peace Society members in Searcy and Van Buren counties, and the Searcy County militia—the 45th Regiment—was called up to to do it.

The regiment mustered on November 26, 1861, at Burrowville (now Marshall), and spent the next few weeks identifying and apprehending suspected Peace Society members throughout the mountains of north-central Arkansas. Finally, in mid-December, the regiment “escorted” their prisoners to Little Rock, where most of them were forced into Confederate service. Companies I and K of Marmaduke’s 18th Arkansas (later 3rd Confederate) regiment were composed primarily of men rounded up by the 45th Militia.

Their mission completed, the regiment returned to Searcy County and mustered out on December 20, 1861. The next spring, most of them enlisted in the 27th and 32nd Arkansas regiments.

51st ARKANSAS MILITIA REGIMENT The names appear on a payroll dated 29 May 1862 to cover the period 4-14Mar1862. Most of these men were from Sebastian Co, AR.

The 58th Regiment Arkansas Militia was part of the old prewar Arkansas State Militia organization, and constituted the militia unit for the area of southern Franklin County which is now in Logan County. It mustered for annual inspection and drill during the period February 22 to March 21, 1862, probably at Roseville. Shortly after the 1862 muster, a large number of the men enlisted in regular Confederate regiments, most in the 35th Arkansas Infantry. Later in the war, many of the men enlisted in Union regiments. Period of Service: February 22 to March 21, 1862. Colonel John M. Council, commanding.

62ND ARKANSAS MILITIA. The records of this unit were contained in a payroll submitted 20 Aug 1862 for the period 22 Feb 1862 to 1Mar1862. The records are contained on NARA Microfilm Roll #242 and indicate that the unit was formed in Johnson County, AR

Several Arkansas Confederate units went on to win acclaim, particularly the 1st Arkansas Infantry which served in the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and the 3rd Arkansas Infantry which served in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. However most of these war time regiments had no connection to the peace time militia organizations in the state of Arkansas before or after the Civil War, so when the veterans of the Third Arkansas laid down their rifles at Appomattox Court House in April 1865, their history and traditions past out of existence with them. Again this is in contrast to other southern states whose current National Guard units are awarded the campaign participate credits for their units participation in the various campaigns and engagements while in Confederate service. For more information on the Civil War in Arkansas, see the following Wikipedia Articles:

• Arkansas in the American Civil War
• List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
• List of Arkansas Union Civil War units

References

What became of the Militia

COL Patrick Cleburne, Commander, 1st Arkansas State Troops, 15th Arkansas, Confederate States Army

Much confusion has existed over what became of the Arkansas Militia units during the civil war. Current Arkansas National Guard units do not trace their Lineage and Honors to any of the units that participated in the Civil War. This is due in part to the lack of organization and record keeping at the state level both before and after the war, and in part due to confusion over which unit is which. The First Regiment of the Arkansas Militia was commanded by Colonel Patrick R. Cleburne and was mustered into the Confederate Army as the 15th Arkansas Infantry. To add to the confusion of what became of the Arkansas Militia units in the Civil war, there were three Arkansas Infantry regiments named the "Fifteenth", the first being the aforementioned 1st Arkansas Militia Regiment commanded by COL Cleburne, which was mustered in at Mound City on May 14, 1861. The unit recognized by the Confederate Army as the First Arkansas Infantry was commanded by COL James F. Fagan. COL Fagan had served as a Lieutenant with the Arkansas Regiment of Mounted Volunteers, Company C, during the War with Mexico. This regiment was not composed of the former state militia troops but was recruited directly for Confederate service, probably in September 1861 when General W.J. Hardee was sent to Arkansas to arrange for the transfer of all Arkansas Troops to the Confederate Government. General Hardee raised a First Arkansas Infantry and an First Arkansas Cavalry. In some cases, state militia units were raised, but were only enlisted for a short period of service (90 days), and were sent home again without being accepted in to Confederate Service, only to be called out again later and enlisted into Confederate Service under a different unit designation.

Several Arkansas Confederate units went on to win acclaim, particularly the 1st Arkansas Infantry which served in the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and the 3rd Arkansas Infantry which served in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. However most of these war time regiments had no connection to the peace time militia organizations in the state of Arkansas before or after the Civil War, so when the veterans of the Third Arkansas laid down their rifles at Appomattox Court House in April 1865, their history and traditions past out of existence with them. Again this is in contrast to other southern states whose current National Guard units are awarded the campaign participate credits for their units participation in the various campaigns and engagements while in Confederate service. For more information on the Civil War in Arkansas, see the following Wikipedia Articles:

• Arkansas in the American Civil War
• List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
• List of Arkansas Union Civil War units