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==Organization==
==Organization==
1st (Brooks') Cavalry Battalion was organized during the late fall of 1861 under the command of Major William H. Brooks. In January, 1862, it totalled 300 officers and men and was assigned to L. Hebert's Brigade in the western part of Arkansas. After fighting at the [[Battle of Pea Ridge]], the unit was ordered east of the Mississippi River and dismounted.
1st (Brooks') Cavalry Battalion was organized during the late fall of 1861 under the command of Major William H. Brooks. In January, 1862, it totalled 300 officers and men and was assigned to L. Hebert's Brigade in the western part of Arkansas. After fighting at the [[Battle of Pea Ridge]], the unit was ordered east of the Mississippi River and dismounted.
==Creation of the Sharpshooters==
On June 11, 1862, Major General [[Earl Van Dorn]], commanding the Confederate [[Army of the West (1862)|Army of the West]] at [[Priceville, Mississippi]], issued General Orders, No. 39, calling for the organization of a battalion of sharpshooters in each brigade of the army.<ref name="couchgenweb">Howerton, Bryan R.; "RAPLEY’S SHARPSHOOTERS" Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 28 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/rapley1.html</ref>

{{quotation|"These Battalions will be made up of chosen men, all of whom must be able-bodied, active and good rifle shots and of tried courage ... All of the officers of the Battalion will be carefully selected and thoroughly examined before being recommended to the President for promotion or appointment to the Battalion. It is desired to bring the effective strength of each Battalion up to seven hundred and fifty (750) rank and file, if possible, and no pains will be spared to make the Battalions the elite of the Army of the West. An opportunity is therefore now afforded to young men of spirit to enroll themselves in a corps which is unquestionably to become the most distinguished in our Army. It is hoped and expected that no man will offer or be accepted into this select corps who is not resolved to lead in every daring enterprise which may be undertaken. Brigade Commanders will commence enrolling the Sharpshooters at once. Every proper means will be taken to fill up the Battalions as soon as possible. The men and officers of each company will be from the same State. The Brigade ordnance officers will see that the Sharpshooters are equipped with long range guns, and if possible that the guns of each company are of uniform calibre.”<ref name="couchgenweb" />}}



1st (Stirman's) Battalion Sharpshooters, formerly Brooks' 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, was organized during the summer of 1862. In July Company H (Murphy's Company B) was added from Whitfield's Texas Cavalry Regiment. This Arkansas Company had been attached to the Texas unit by General McCulloch. Stirman's Battalion was assigned to Phiffer's Brigade for the Corinth Campaign. On August 1, 1862, Bridges' Battalion of Texas Sharpshooters was attached to Stirman's Battalion to make a 10 company Sharpshooter regiment. The unit was commanded by Colonel Ras.Stirman, Major Lafayette Boone and Lieutenant Colonel Henry W. Bridges. [1]
1st (Stirman's) Battalion Sharpshooters, formerly Brooks' 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, was organized during the summer of 1862. In July Company H (Murphy's Company B) was added from Whitfield's Texas Cavalry Regiment. This Arkansas Company had been attached to the Texas unit by General McCulloch. Stirman's Battalion was assigned to Phiffer's Brigade for the Corinth Campaign. On August 1, 1862, Bridges' Battalion of Texas Sharpshooters was attached to Stirman's Battalion to make a 10 company Sharpshooter regiment. The unit was commanded by Colonel Ras.Stirman, Major Lafayette Boone and Lieutenant Colonel Henry W. Bridges. [1]

Revision as of 15:12, 29 May 2015

1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's) (Confederate)
Arkansas state flag
Active1864 to 1865
CountryConfederate States of America
AllegianceCSA Dixie
BranchCavalry

The 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's) (1864-1865) was a Confederate Army cavalry battalion during the American Civil War. The unit was also known as Brooks 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, Stirman's, 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, Stirman's Sharpshooter Regiment, and finally simply as Stirman's Arkansas Cavalry Regiment.

Organization

1st (Brooks') Cavalry Battalion was organized during the late fall of 1861 under the command of Major William H. Brooks. In January, 1862, it totalled 300 officers and men and was assigned to L. Hebert's Brigade in the western part of Arkansas. After fighting at the Battle of Pea Ridge, the unit was ordered east of the Mississippi River and dismounted.

Creation of the Sharpshooters

On June 11, 1862, Major General Earl Van Dorn, commanding the Confederate Army of the West at Priceville, Mississippi, issued General Orders, No. 39, calling for the organization of a battalion of sharpshooters in each brigade of the army.[1]

"These Battalions will be made up of chosen men, all of whom must be able-bodied, active and good rifle shots and of tried courage ... All of the officers of the Battalion will be carefully selected and thoroughly examined before being recommended to the President for promotion or appointment to the Battalion. It is desired to bring the effective strength of each Battalion up to seven hundred and fifty (750) rank and file, if possible, and no pains will be spared to make the Battalions the elite of the Army of the West. An opportunity is therefore now afforded to young men of spirit to enroll themselves in a corps which is unquestionably to become the most distinguished in our Army. It is hoped and expected that no man will offer or be accepted into this select corps who is not resolved to lead in every daring enterprise which may be undertaken. Brigade Commanders will commence enrolling the Sharpshooters at once. Every proper means will be taken to fill up the Battalions as soon as possible. The men and officers of each company will be from the same State. The Brigade ordnance officers will see that the Sharpshooters are equipped with long range guns, and if possible that the guns of each company are of uniform calibre.”[1]


1st (Stirman's) Battalion Sharpshooters, formerly Brooks' 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, was organized during the summer of 1862. In July Company H (Murphy's Company B) was added from Whitfield's Texas Cavalry Regiment. This Arkansas Company had been attached to the Texas unit by General McCulloch. Stirman's Battalion was assigned to Phiffer's Brigade for the Corinth Campaign. On August 1, 1862, Bridges' Battalion of Texas Sharpshooters was attached to Stirman's Battalion to make a 10 company Sharpshooter regiment. The unit was commanded by Colonel Ras.Stirman, Major Lafayette Boone and Lieutenant Colonel Henry W. Bridges. [1]

The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the follwing counties:[2]

Company A, - from Marion County and Carroll County, commanded by Capt. John R. Conlee; formerly Co. A, 1st Arkansas Battalion. All enlistments were 3 Aug 1861.[2]
Company B, - from Marion County and Carroll County, commanded by Capt. John J. Clarke; formerly Co. B, 1st Arkansas Battalion. All enlistments were 3 Aug 1861.[2]
Company C, - from Van Buren County and Carroll County, Capt. Thomas B. Brantley; formerly Co. C, 1st Arkansas Battalion. Commanded by All enlistments were 11 Oct 1861.[2]
Company D, - from Fayetteville, Washington County, Commanded by Capt. Larkin P. Beavert; formerly Co. D, 1st Arkansas Battalion. All enlistments were 26 Oct 1861.[2]
Company E, - from Fayetteville, Washington County, Commanded by Capt. George C. Robards; formerly Co. E, 1st Arkansas Battalion. All enlistments were 9 Oct 1861.[2]
Company F, - from Russellville, Pope County, Commanded by Capt. John G. Spivey; formerly Co. D, Williamson's Arkansas Infantry Battalion. All enlistment were 15 Feb 1862.[2]
Company G, - from Pope County, Commanded by Capt. John G. Spivey; formerly Co. D, Williamson's Arkansas Infantry Battalion. All enlistments were 15 Feb 1862.[2]
Company H, - from Waldron, Scott County, Texas, Commanded by Capt. William H. Catterson; formerly Co. B, 27th Texas Cavalry. All enlistments were 19 Oct 1861.[2]
Company I, - from Dallas and Henderson Counties, Texas, Commanded by Capt. Henry W. Bridges; formerly Co. I, 6th Texas Cavalry Enlistments 6 Sept 1861.[2]
Company K, - from eight north Texas counties, Commanded by Capt. James C. Bates; formerly Co. H, 9th Texas Cavalry. Enlistments on 13 Oct 1861.[2]

The Field and Staff Officers were:[3]

Stirman, Erasmus I,Colonel.[3]
Bridges, Henry W, Lieutenant-Colonel.[3]
Boone, Lafayette, Major.[3]
Calhoun, William B, Captain, Assistant Quartermaster.[3]
McKissick, John H, Captain, Assistant Commissary of Subsistence.[3]
Marsh, J Frank, Captain, Assistant Surgeon.[3]
Taylor, Philip H, First Lieutenant, Adjutant.[3]

Battles

The regiment trained through the Battle of Iuka without entering that battle. On October 3, 1962, the regiment was on the left flank of Phiffer's Brigade for the Battle of Corinth. Trained as skirmishers and sharpshooters, they would normlly have spread out across the regimental front and preceeded the regiment into battle. It is not known how they fought on the 3rd but Lt Col Henry Bridges was wounded in the arm and had to be helped from the field. On the 4th they were aligned as an Infantry Regiment on the left flank, and fought into the heart of Corinth. Peter Cozzens in his book on the Battle of Corinth, stated that Colonel Stirman planted the regimental flag in front of the Tishomingo Hotel which was past General Rosecran's Headquarters. If this happened Stirman's unit had almost won the Battle. Lack of ammunition and men, soon caused Stirman to retreat. The next day, the regiment was the 4th unit to cross the Hatchie Bridge in Tennessee. Suddenly a Union blocking force opened up and cannon and rifle fire covered the area. The regiment reversed and raced across the bridge to assume firing positions. Along with the 6th Texas Cavalry Regiment (dismounted) they formed the base for a Confederate blocking force. Several units of Van Dorn's command had been lost, and many of Stirman's men had been killed or captured, but the regiment was a great factor in saving the day. Two weeks later the regiment was reduced to battalion size as the Texas units returned to their regiments. The unit was then attached to General M.E. Bgrann's command, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, and fought at Port Gibson and Vicksburg where it was captured on July 4, 1863. After being exchanged, it returned to Arkansas and became Stirman's Arkansas Cavalry Battalion.

Surrender

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Howerton, Bryan R.; "RAPLEY’S SHARPSHOOTERS" Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 28 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/rapley1.html
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bryan Howerton,12/11/2005,4:21 pm" Howerton, Bryan, "In Response To: Stirman's Sharpshooters ", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted, 12/11/2005, 4:21 pm " Accessed 28 May 2015, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?md=read;id=11402
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Bryan Howerton, "In Response To: Stirman's Sharpshooters ", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted, 12/11/2005, 8:58 am" Accessed 28 May 2015, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?md=read;id=11408

Bibliography

  • Bates, J. C., & Lowe, R. G. (1999). A Texas Cavalry officer's Civil War: The diary and letters of James C. Bates. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.

Category:Arkansas Civil War regiments Arkansas Category:Military units and formations in Arkansas Category:Military in Arkansas

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