3rd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)

Brief History

 * 3rd Infantry Regiment, assembled at Lynchburg, Virginia, in June, 1861, contained men from Ashley, Drew, Desha, Hot Spring, Union, and Dallas counties. The regiment surrendered with 15 officers and 130 men.


 * The Hempstead Rifles was raised in Hempstead county, and completed its organization on May 4, 1861, at Washington, Arkansas, with the election of John R. Gratiot, captain; Daniel W. Jones, first lieutenant; Benjamin P. Jett, Jr., second lieutenant; and George Taylor, third lieutenant. The Rifles carried 102 men on the rolls. The company marched to northwest Arkansas, where they were assigned to a regiment on July 15, 1861, at Camp Walker, near Harmony Springs, Benton county, Arkansas. According to the regimental numbering plan of the State Military Board, the regiment was officially designated as the Second Regiment, Arkansas State Troops (Infantry). However, Brigadier-General Nicholas Bartlett Pearce, commanding the Arkansas State Brigade, generally did things his own way, and assigned his regiments sequential numbers based upon date of enlistment. Therefore, the regiment is usually referred to in most contemporary records as the Third Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. Source:


 * © 2001 by EDWARD G. GERDES all rights reserved. This information may be used by libraries and genealogical societies, however, commercial use of this information is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright notice must appear with the information..

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin

 * Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.


 * 3rd Infantry Regiment, assembled at Lynchburg, Virginia, in June, 1861, contained men from Ashley, Drew, Desha, Hot Spring, Union, and Dallas counties.


 * The Hempstead Rifles was raised in Hempstead county, and completed its organization on May 4, 1861.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,373 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Arkansas in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Arkansas in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Tennessee, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.