- Joined
- Nov 8, 2018
- Location
- Palm Coast, Florida
Doing something similar to my thread on the 58th & 60th North Carolina, as these 2 units share quite the history together, even much more so. They served together throughout the entire war. Formed for their intended role of Mounted Infantry, they were dismounted and served as foot infantry for the rest of the war, retaining their name despite this. They fought at Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, under the Command of Benjamin McCulloch and James McIntosh (the latter the founding Colonel of the 2nd Regiment, killed at Pea Ridge); under the command of Brigadier Thomas Churchill (Founding colonel of 1st Regiment), transferred across the Mississippi to join Beauregard at the Siege of Corinth, the Kentucky Campaign and Battle of Richmond; under Brigadier McNair at Murfreesboro, part of the Vickburg relief force, Chickamauga; under Brigadier Daniel H. Reynolds (former Colonel of 1st Regiment) in the Meridian Campaign, Atlanta Campaign, Franklin-Nashville, and fought in North Carolina under Johnston when he surrendered his army.
1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles
Formed 18th June 1861 under Colonel Thomas J. Churchill. 2 Company commanders at this time were future Colonels Robert W. Harper and Daniel H. Reynolds (Reynolds would be promoted to Brigadier in 1864, leading McNair's old brigade, which it had been attached to since Corinth)
2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles
Formed in the Summer of 1861 (possibly same time as Churchill's regiment), under the command of Colonel James McIntosh (Later promoted to command brigade and killed at Pea Ridge). With the reorganization of the Confederate Army after Shiloh, Col. Harris Flanagin was promoted to Colonel, J. A. Williamson as Lt. Colonel, and James P. Eagle as Major. Colonel Flanagin would be made Governor of Arkansas and leave the regiment, leading to the promotion of Williamson to Colonel and Eagle to Lt. Colonel. Williamson lost a leg at Reseca, so a J. T. Smith was made Colonel. Smith was killed at Ezra Church, leading to Eagle's promotion to Colonel (Eagle would later become a governor of Arkansas).
After the battles at Franklin and Nashville, the brigade was less than regimental in strength. The remnants merged into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Rifles.
1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles
Formed 18th June 1861 under Colonel Thomas J. Churchill. 2 Company commanders at this time were future Colonels Robert W. Harper and Daniel H. Reynolds (Reynolds would be promoted to Brigadier in 1864, leading McNair's old brigade, which it had been attached to since Corinth)
2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles
Formed in the Summer of 1861 (possibly same time as Churchill's regiment), under the command of Colonel James McIntosh (Later promoted to command brigade and killed at Pea Ridge). With the reorganization of the Confederate Army after Shiloh, Col. Harris Flanagin was promoted to Colonel, J. A. Williamson as Lt. Colonel, and James P. Eagle as Major. Colonel Flanagin would be made Governor of Arkansas and leave the regiment, leading to the promotion of Williamson to Colonel and Eagle to Lt. Colonel. Williamson lost a leg at Reseca, so a J. T. Smith was made Colonel. Smith was killed at Ezra Church, leading to Eagle's promotion to Colonel (Eagle would later become a governor of Arkansas).
After the battles at Franklin and Nashville, the brigade was less than regimental in strength. The remnants merged into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Rifles.
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