Arkansas Units at Port Hudson

 

1st/8th Arkansas Infantry Battalion

The 8th Arkansas Battalion was sometimes referred to as the 1st Arkansas Battalion, and was also known as Jones's Battalion.  This unit marched into Port Hudson on November 1, 1862 and was placed under the command of General William Beall, who would be responsible for defending the Confederate center.

(From the National Park Service Civil War Soldier's and Sailor's System web site)

8th Infantry Battalion [also designated the 1st and also called 2nd Battalion] was organized at Little Rock, Arkansas, in March, 1862.  The unit was active at Iuka, Farmington, and Corinth, then was assigned to Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.  On July 9, 1863, it was captured in the fight at Port Hudson.  After being exchanged, the men claimed their organization but were united with the 18th (Carroll's-Daly's-Crockett's) Arkansas Regiment.  It was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel B. L. Jones and Major John Miller.

9th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 9th Arkansas Infantry Regiment arrived at Port Hudson on March 3, 1863 as part of Rust's Brigade.  It was soon ordered elsewhere and departed on April 5, 1863.  The 9th therefore missed the siege period and as a result, there are very few entries in the service records of soldiers from this regiment which mention Port Hudson, even though the entire regiment was probably present for this short, one month perod.

(From the National Park Service Civil War Soldier's and Sailor's System web site)

9th Infantry Regiment was organized at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in July 1861, and was known as the "Parson's Regiment" because it contained forty-two ministers. Its companies were recruited in Jefferson, Union, Drew, Bradley, and Ashley counties. The 9th fought at Belmont, moved east of the Mississippi River, then took an active part in the conflicts at Shiloh, Corinth, and Coffeeville. It served under Generals Rust, Buford, and Beall in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, and saw action at Champion's Hill, Jackson, and Port Hudson where it was captured on July 9, 1863. After being exchanged and assigned to General D. H. Reynold's Brigade, the unit participated in the campaigns of the Army of Tennessee from Kennesaw Mountain to Bentonville. It reported 17 killed and 115 wounded at Shiloh and 16 casualties at Coffeeville. Many were disabled at Nashville and Bentonville, and on April 26, 1865, the regiment surrendered. The field officers were Colonels John M. Bradley and Isaac L. Dunlop; Lieutenant Colonels W. Y. McCammon, R. W. Millsap, and Jefferson W. Rogers; and Majors John C. Bratton and William J. Wallace.

NOTE:  The 9th Regiment left Port Hudson prior to the siege and was not captured on July 9, 1863 as stated above.

10th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 10th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was present at Port Hudson when General Franklin Gardner took command in December, 1862, and it was assigned to General William Beall defending the center of the Confederate lines.  When Gardner reorganized his forces in May, 1863, he placed the 10th Arkansas under the command of Colonel I.G.W. Steedman defending the Confederate left, where they fought until the surrender.

(From the National Park Service Civil War Soldier's and Sailor's System web site)

10th Infantry Regiment was organized in July, 1861, at Springfield, Arkansas.   Its members were drawn from the counties of Cleburne, Van Buren, Conway, and Perry.  The regiment moved to Union City, Tennessee, where 150 men died from the effects of measles.  Later it was involved in the conflicts at Shiloh and Baton Rouge, and in October, 1862, contained 249 effectives.  Attached to Buford's and Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, the 10th was part of the garrison that surrendered at Port Hudson on July 9, 1863.  After being exchanged, the men returned to Arkansas and were reorganized as the 10th or Witt's Cavalry Regiment.  The unit skirmished in Arkansas and on May 28, 1865, requested from the Federals terms under which it could surrender.  Its commanders were Colonels T. D. Merrick and A. R. Witt, Lieutenant Colonels S. S. Ford and Luther R. Venable, and Majors C. M. Cargile and Obed. Patty.

11th and 17th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 11th Arkansas Regiment arrived at Port Hudson on October 28, 1862, and the 17th Arkansas Regiment sometime later.  The two units were combined in March, 1863 to form the 11th and 17th Consolidated Mounted Infantry, under the command of Colonel John Griffith.  A detachment of the 11th and 17th served as infantry within the Port Hudson garrison during the battle and siege period, defending the center of the Confederate lines under command of General William Beall.  However the majority were part of Colonel John Logan's cavalry command, which operated primarily around Clinton, LA, in support of Port Hudson.  Since Logan's command did not surrender with the garrison (although some were captured nearby), most of his men will not appear on the list of soldiers who were present at Port Hudson.

(From the National Park Service Civil War Soldier's and Sailor's System web site)

11th Infantry Regiment, organized during July, 1861, in Saline County, Arkansas, contained men from Yell, Ouachita, Saline, and Sebastian counties.  The unit was active at Memphis and Fort Pillow, then, assigned to the Western Department, was captured on Apirl 8, 1862, at Island No. 10.  After being exchanged and reorganized as mounted infantry, it moved to lower Mississippi.  The 11th served under the command of Generals W. Adams, Mabry, and Ross, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, and in April, 1864, was consolidated with the 17th (Rector's) Arkansas Regiment.  It skirmished in Louisiana, fought in several small engagements in Mississippi, and was included in the surrender on May 4, 1865.  The field officers were Colonels J. L. Logan and J. M. Smith, Lieutenant Colonels M. S. Miller and McDuff Vance, and Major James T. Poe.

17th (Rector's) Infantry Regiment was organized at Fort Smith, Arkansas, during the fall of 1861.  Many of the men were raised in Sebastian, Hempstead, Yell, and Saline counties.  The 17th fought at Elkhorn Tavern, lost sixteen percent of the 109 engaged at Iuka, and reported 20 casualties at Corinth.  It was then placed in Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, and captured at Port Hudson on July 9, 1863.  After the exchange and its reorganization as mounted infantry, the unit was attached to General W. Adams, Mabry's, and Ross' Brigade, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana.  In April, 1864, it was consolidated with the 11th Arkansas Regiment and skirmished in several actions in Louisiana and Mississippi.  The unit was included in the surrender on May 4, 1865.  Its field officers were Colonels John Griffith and Frank A. Rector, Lieutenant Colonel Josephus Dotson, and Majors B. P. Jeff and Walter H. Matheson.

12th Arkansas Infantry Regiment

The 12th Arkansas Infantry Regiment arrived at Port Hudson sometime between October, 1862 and March, 1863.  The unit was under the command of General William Beall defending the center of the Confederate line.  During the Union assault of May 27, 1863, the 12th repulsed the troops under General Neal Dow at Slaughter's Field.

(From the National Park Service Civil War Soldier's and Sailor's System web site)

12th Infantry Regiment was organized during the summer of 1861 by E. W. Gantt. Many of the men were recruited in Dallas County. It served in the Western Department, and later at Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The 12th had the unfortunate distinction of being captured in three engagements: Fort Donelson, Island No. 10 , and Port Hudson . After being exchanged at Fort Donelson, the men were almost immediately exchanged and the regiment was reorganized. But after the fight at Island No. 10, many of its members refused to return to the command and its ranks were filled with about 500 new recruits. Following the capitulation of Port Hudson, the men were exchanged, but the officers were sent to Johnson's Island. No attempt was made to reorganize the regiment. The field officers were Colonels Edward W. Gantt and T. J. Reid, Jr., Lieutenant Colonels W.D.S. Cook and E.C. Jordan, and Major J. S. Walker.

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