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==Surrender==
==Surrender==


The remnants of the battalion were surrendered with the Department of the Trans-Mississippi on May 26, 1865.
The remnants of the battalion were officially surrendered with the Department of the Trans-Mississippi on May 26, 1865.
Stirman and his battalion were camped at or near Arkadelphia when the war ended. They went to Fort Smith, where they turned over their arms to the Federal garrison there. This information is credited to a letter from Marshall Henry to his brother at Fayetteville. "We marched finely to Fort Smith. The feds seemed glad to see us."


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 15:01, 6 June 2015

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

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, 1st Regiment Arkansas Sharpshooters, 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. Many of the enlistements are form August to October 1861:

Company A, - from Marion County and Carroll County, commanded by Capt. John R. Conlee. All enlistments were 3 Aug 1861.[1]
Company B, - from Marion County and Carroll County, commanded by Capt. John J. Clarke. All enlistments were 3 Aug 1861.[1]
Company C, - the "Crawford County Rangers" from Van Buren County and Carroll County, Capt. Thomas B. Brantley. Commanded by All enlistments were 11 Oct 1861.[1]
Company D, - from Fayetteville, Washington County, Commanded by Capt. Larkin P. Beavert. All enlistments were 26 Oct 1861.[1]
Company E, - from Fayetteville, Washington County, Commanded by Capt. George C. Robards. All enlistments were 9 Oct 1861.[1]

Battles

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

General Van Dorn dismounted much of his Cavalry to meet the need for infantry troops in southwestern Tennessee at Shiloh. Brook’s 1st Battalion of Arkansas Cavalry, Company I, 6th Texas Cavalry, Company H, 9th Texas Cavalry and Company B, 27th Texas Cavalry were among those dismounted. These companies were the basis for a future Sharpshooter Regiment.[2]

The 1st Battalion, Arkansas Cavalry was recruited in Carroll, Marion, Pope, Scott, Van Buren, and Washington counties, Arkansas, from August to October 1861 with Company G recruited in February. The unit was blooded at Pea Ridge. Soon it was transferred east of the Mississippi and dismounted. Major William H. Brooks was in command. Brooks’ failing to win re-election created a scramble to see who would be elected. The fourth most eligible officer was Lieutenant Ras Stirman, but he came out on top.[2]

The designation, Sharpshooter Battalion, was a surprise, as was the addition of another company transferred in from Whitfield’s Regiment, Texas Cavalry on June 4th, 1862. This company was Murphy’s or Catterson’s Company B, Arkansas Cavalry. It was soon designated Company H.[2]

General Van Dorn of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederate States of America, issued Special Order # 114, June 15, 1862. It read, “As it is at present impracticable to organize a battalion of sharpshooters for each brigade as contemplated in General Order # 34 from the War Department - each division commander will designate one regiment from each brigade to act as sharpshooters. They will be particularly instructed … and carry long range arms.”[2]

General Maury’s Division sent out Special Order #59 dated August 1, 1862, stating, “Paragraph II, Major Bridges Battalion of Sharpshooters will at once be consolidated with Lieutenant Colonel Stirman’s Battalion of Arkansas Cavalry (dismounted) and the whole to be under the command of Lt Col Stirman as the regiment of Sharpshooters of Phifer’s Brigade.”[2]

Captain Bridges was the commander of Company I, 6th Texas Cavalry, from his election in September, 1861, until June, 1862. In June the company was detached, and Bridges was promoted to Major in command of a sharpshooter battalion. Company H, 9th Texas Cavalry, was a second company attached to his command and Company B, Whitfield’s Legion went straight to Stirman’s Battalion on 4 June 1862. On August 1, 1862, Bridges was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of Sharpshooters. At the same time his companies became part of Colonel Erasmus J. Stirman’s Regiment of Sharpshooters for Colonel Charles W. Phifer’s Brigade. Bridges became the Deputy Commander. At this time Col. Ras Stirman commanded a ten company regiment all dressed in grey as he described it in a letter to his sister, Rebecca, in camp, August 10, 1862, near Tupelo, Mississippi.[2]

The battalions were encamped at Camp Maury in May-July 1862. After that, they were probably at Camp Armstrong though this is not documented at this time. In September, they were at Camp Rodgers, Mississippi near Tupelo, Mississippi and camp Baldwin, Mississippi on 24 September probably near Holly Springs. The men trained as sharpshooters, skirmishers, and as infantry as they moved closer to Corinth.[2]

Early in September, Colonel Stirman led his regiment sharpshooters on a 60 mile circuitous route from Saltillo toward Iuka, Mississippi. They advanced with each company having a turn in front as skirmishers. At Iuka, they took up positions near the town, ready to fight. Captain James Bates of Company K (H/9th) says in his diary they could see the battle, which would have placed them on the northwest side of Iuka. Leading General Price’s Army, the 3rd Texas Cavalry and 1st Texas Legion ran into a full Union division northwest of Iuka. After fighting all day, General Price was ready to continue, but General Van Dorn directed that they break off the battle and join his force on the way to Corinth.[2]

Two weeks later the sharpshooters were probably spread as skirmishers across the front of Phifer’s Brigade when the Battle of Corinth began on October 3, 1863. They steadily pushed the Union forces back, and at dark were only 300 yards from the main lines. During the fight, they lost Lieutenant Colonel Bridges who received a severe wound to his right arm. He had to be helped from the field and sent to the hospital in Quitman. The regiment slept on their weapons ready to fight. If they had anything they ate, water was in short supply and ammunition was scrounged from those that had fallen.[2]

The sharpshooters were reformed into a line infantry regiment on the left flank of Phifer’s Brigade for the last day of battle, October 4th. The attack kicked off at 10:30 A.M., and the regiment quickly captured the four gun 10th Ohio Artillery Battery to its front. A seam existed between the 50th Illinois Brigade of DuBois’ Division and the 39th Ohio Brigade of Fuller’s Division of Union forces. The regiment, receiving fire from three directions, drove toward the center of the town. Their losses mounted, but the regiment gained the Tishomingo Hotel with Ras Stirman planting the regimental flag in front of the hotel. They had pushed General Rosecrans from his headquarters. Then came Union rallies, and the regiment weak from losses, low on ammunition and water, began to retreat. Ras Stirman and Major White were the last two to leave the hotel, located about a hundred yards behind Battery Robinett. The remnants of the regiment made it to the Confederate lines at dark.[2]

The following morning Stirman’s Sharpshooters were third in the line of march of the Confederate Army in retreat. They made the Hatchie Bridge at Davis’ farm, Tennessee, when cannon fire opened from their front and flank. Ahead, the First Texas Legion and Moore’s Brigade with Adam’s skirmishers and Dawson’s St Louis Battery of 4 guns, were being mauled by the Union blocking force. Many were captured or killed. The rest chose to scatter and swim the river or drown trying. Major Hawkins of the 1st Legion, was able to lead a small detachment back, but most of the Legion were captured or killed. The sharpshooters ran the gauntlet of the bridge and took up positions on the bluff above the river. The 6th Texas and Colonel Ross fought a delaying action allowing the remaining pieces of Moore’s Brigade to re-cross as did Hawkins’ troops. Most of a brigade and the Legion had been killed or captured.[2]

Now it was the Confederate turn. The sharpshooters, well positioned, were pouring fire into the attacking Union regiment that had crossed the bridge. Two more regiments crossed, but had no place to maneuver. If they moved, they were fired upon. Cabel’s Brigade came on line with artillery. This, added to the 6th Texas and the soldiers of Moore and Hawkins troops and the one cannon that Dawson was able to bring back, was enough to halt the Union force and to allow Van Dorn’s Army to find a new crossing and escape back into Mississippi.[2]

For some reason, the highly successful Stirman Sharpshooter Regiment was broken up. The two Texas companies returned to their home regiments. Soldiers were returning from parole, wounded were healing, and the return of horses from Texas, they were soon able to go on the Holly Springs Raid and make the move into Tennessee in 1863 as part of the Texas Brigade and Van Dorn’s Corps.[2]

Stirman’s Battalion was at Camp Donaldson, Mississippi, in January as dismounted cavalry. Company B, 27th Texas Cavalry, never returned to the Legion. It was originally an Arkansas company, so it stayed with Stirman’s Battalion as Company H. The Legion never replaced the company and went the rest of the war without a Company B. Stirman’s Battalion records at the National Archives are not complete for the period May through December of 1862. Many of the records for Companies A through G are lost from muster to January 1863. Thus their efforts at Corinth and Hatchie Bridge go unremembered. Their dead and wounded lost in history.[2]

Company I, 6th Texas Cavalry, continued to fight till January, 1865, when it was combined with Company K. Its officers resigned or transferred. Of its 102 men, six were killed in battle, twenty were wounded, five died of wounds, and twelve were made prisoners. Four deserted, twenty were discharged or dropped, and at parole in Jackson, Mississippi, 15 May 1865, thirteen were present and thirty-three were on leave or had deserted after returning from the Tennessee Campaign. Two were missing, and three had transferred to other units. Illness had caused eighteen deaths.[2]

Company H, 9th Texas, had a large desertion in August-September, 1863, when it lost thirty-seven men. Only three returned. The remainder of its company was placed in support of the regimental headquarters. Four had died in battle, and three had died of wounds. One had transferred, and six had no records after 1862. Additionally, fifteen had been discharged or dropped, and eleven died of illness. Ten men were paroled at Jackson, Mississippi, and three from northern prisons. Of 106 men, nineteen had deserted or were on leave in 1865 when no record was kept.[2]

Stirman’s Battalion, 1st Battalion Arkansas Cavalry (dismounted), continued to on fight as infantry and sharpshooters with distinguished service at Vicksburg. The battalion designated Bridge’s Arkansas Cavalry and listed in the Vicksburg Order of Battle was not the original Bridge’s Battalion and was likely not under Pemberton’s command, but instead, the ad hoc unit probably authorized by Stephen D. Lee. This was Henry W. Bridges, of the 6th Texas Cavalry, but without his Texas Cavalry companies, I/6th; H/9th. They were not in the Vicksburg siege area, and the companies may not have been from Arkansas.[2]

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.[3]

"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.”[3]

A sharpshooter battalion was not an organization of "snipers", as the word "sharpshooter" now implies. These organizations were skirmishers, scouts who operated in open, or "skirmish" order in front of the brigade or division line of battle to search out and find the enemy force, test its strength, and maintain contact so as to prevent surprise and guide the main battle line to the key spot on the field.[4]

General Earl Van Dorn seemed to be intent on forming sharpshooter battalions for the brigades of the Army of the West during this time period. Van Dorn issued special order #114 of June 15, 1862 as follows:[5]

"As it is at present impracticable to organize a battalion of sharpshooters for each brigade as contemplated in Gen Order #34 from the War Dept.-each division commander will designate one regiment from each brigade to act as sharpshooters. They will be particularly instructed...and carry long range arms." [5]

Special Order of Maury's Division dated 1 August 1862: "Par II Major Bridges battalion of sharpshooters will at once be consolidated with LtCol Stirman's battalion of Arkansas Cavalry [dismounted] and the whole to be under the command of LtCol Stirman as the regiment of sharpshooters for Phifer's brigade." [5]

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 Sharpshooter Regiment was created by combination of the following units:[1]

Company A, - from Marion County and Carroll County, commanded by Capt. John R. Conlee; formerly Co. A, 1st Arkansas Battalion.[1]
Company B, - from Marion County and Carroll County, commanded by Capt. John J. Clarke; formerly Co. B, 1st Arkansas Battalion.[1]
Company C, - from Van Buren County and Carroll County, Capt. Thomas B. Brantley; formerly Co. C, 1st Arkansas Battalion.[1]
Company D, - from Fayetteville, Washington County, Commanded by Capt. Larkin P. Beavert; formerly Co. D, 1st Arkansas Battalion.[1]
Company E, - from Fayetteville, Washington County, Commanded by Capt. George C. Robards; formerly Co. E, 1st Arkansas Battalion.[1]
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.[1]
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.[1]
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.[1]
Company I, - from Dallas and Henderson Counties, Texas, Commanded by Capt. Henry W. Bridges; formerly Co. I, 6th Texas Cavalry Enlistments 6 Sept 1861.[1]
Company K, - from eight north Texas counties, Commanded by Capt. James C. Bates; formerly Co. H, 9th Texas Cavalry. Enlistments on 13 Oct 1861.[1]

The Field and Staff Officers were:[6]

Stirman, Erasmus I,Colonel.[6]
Bridges, Henry W, Lieutenant-Colonel.[6]
Boone, Lafayette, Major.[6]
Calhoun, William B, Captain, Assistant Quartermaster.[6]
McKissick, John H, Captain, Assistant Commissary of Subsistence.[6]
Marsh, J Frank, Captain, Assistant Surgeon.[6]
Taylor, Philip H, First Lieutenant, Adjutant.[6]

The Sharpshooter 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

The remnants of the battalion were officially surrendered with the Department of the Trans-Mississippi on May 26, 1865. Stirman and his battalion were camped at or near Arkadelphia when the war ended. They went to Fort Smith, where they turned over their arms to the Federal garrison there. This information is credited to a letter from Marshall Henry to his brother at Fayetteville. "We marched finely to Fort Smith. The feds seemed glad to see us."

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Bill Nolan, "bridges' and Stirman's Sharpshooters", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 7/1/2011, 11:04 pm, Accessed 3 June 15, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?page=1;md=read;id=24266
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ Tom Ezell, ""Re: Sharpshooters", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, posted 4/26/2005, 9:48 am, Accessed 29 March 15, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?md=read;id=10088
  5. ^ a b c Danny Odom, ""Re: Sharpshooters", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, posted 4/26/2005, 9:48 am, Accessed 29 March 15, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?md=read;id=10121
  6. ^ 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.
  • Carr, P. M. (1986). In fine spirits: The Civil War letters of Ras Stirman with historical comments. Fayetteville, AR: Washington County Historical Society.
  • Cozzens, P. (1997). The darkest days of the war: The battles of Iuka & Corinth. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
  • Prier, Jay "Under the Black Flag: The Real War in Washington County", Master's thesis University of Arkansas.

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

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