2nd Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)

Brief History

 * The 2nd Arkansas Infantry was organized at Helena, Arkansas, in June 1861, largely through the efforts of Thomas Carmichael Hindman, who had recently resigned from the United States Congress following the secession of Arkansas from the Union. Initially organized with ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas, the 2nd Arkansas Infantry was briefly expanded to a 22-company organization called the “Hindman Legion” – consisting of the 2nd Regiment Arkansas Infantry, 1st (Marmaduke’s) Battalion Arkansas Infantry, 6th (Phifer’s) Battalion Arkansas Cavalry, and the Warren Light Artillery (Swett’s Mississippi Battery). The Legion was subsequently broken up, and the component units resumed their original organization. As a result of losses in the Battle of Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862), Companies C and E were disbanded and consolidated with other companies. A new Company C was recruited as Marianna, and a new Company E was formed from members of the 11th Arkansas Infantry who had escaped capture at the fall of Island No. 10 The 2nd Arkansas Infantry was part of Cleburne’s Division in the Confederate Army of Tennessee for much of the war. Two of the regiment’s officers, Thomas C. Hindman and Daniel C. Govan, were promoted to general. In March 1865, the severely depleted regiment was consolidated with the remnants of other Arkansas regiments to form the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry. The survivors of the 2nd Arkansas Infantry surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 26, 1865. –.


 * © 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.


 * 2nd Infantry Regiment, assembled during the summer of 1861, contained men from Hempstead, Washington, Sebastian, and Crawford counties In September, 1863, the 2nd was united with the 15th (Cleburne's-Polk's-Josey's) Regiment, and in December, the 24th joined the consolidated unit. It ended the war in North Carolina. Few surrendered in April, 1865.


 * 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. 2001 -copyright -The above information may be used for non-commercial historical and genealogical purposes only and with the consent of the page owner may be copied for the same purposes so long as this notice remains a part of the copied material.

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.

The 2nd Arkansas Infantry was organized at Helena, Arkansas, in June 1861 with ten companies from eastern and central Arkansas.

2nd Infantry Regiment, assembled during the summer of 1861, contained men from Hempstead, Washington, Sebastian, and Crawford counties

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

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,464 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.