27th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)

Brief History
27th Infantry Regiment was formed during the late summer of 1862 with men from the northern section of the state. It was placed in Colonel R. H. Shaver's and General Tappan's Brigade, Trans-Mississippi Department, and in the spring of the 1864 united with the 38th Regiment. The unit fought at Prairie Grove, Bayou Fourche, and Jenkins' Ferry where the consolidated command reported 4 killed and 22 wounded. It was included in the surrender in June, 1865.

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 27th Arkansas Infantry was organized at Yellville, Arkansas, in July 1862. Depleted by disease, desertions and battle losses, the 27th Arkansas was often operationally consolidated with the 38th Arkansas Infantry.

Co. A —Marion County. Co. B (old) —Carroll County. Co. B (new) —Fulton County. Co. C (old) —Carroll County. Co. C (new) —Izard County. Co. D —Carroll County. Co. E —Marion County. Co. F —Searcy County. Co. G —Izard County. Co. H —Izard County. Co. I —Izard County. Co. K —Marion County.

© 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. Captain James R. Dowd organized a company of volunteers at Yellville, Marion county, Arkansas, May 22, 1861. They traveled to Camp Walker, Arkansas, where they were enrolled in State service as Company E, Fifth Regiment, Arkansas State Troops, July 11, 1861, under command of Colonel Thomas Pleasant Dockery. As part of Brigadier-General Nicholas Bartlett Pearce’s brigade, the Fifth Regiment took part in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, Missouri, August 10, 1861, where the regiment suffered casualites of three killed and eleven wounded. Of those, Dowd’s company suffered five wounded. All of the State troops were mustered out of service in late August and early September, 1861, releasing the volunteers to return to their homes and organize companies for Confederate service. Most of Dowd’s company subsequently enlisted in Confederate service. Several served in the Twenty-seventh Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA.

© 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.

Also Know As: McGehee’s Regiment. The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,690 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.


 * Allen, Desmond Walls. The Twenty-seventh Arkansas Confederate Infantry. (Conway, Arkansas : D.W. Allen, c1987),.