5th Regiment, Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)

Brief History
5th Infantry Regiment, recruited in the Pine Bluff area, was assembled at Gainesville, Arkansas, in July, 1861. It was consolidated with the 13th Arkansas Regiment in September, 1863. Only a remnant surrendered in April, 1865.

This regiment was organized for one year in state service at Gainesville, Greene Co, AR on 28Jun1861 and was transferred to Confederate service 27Jul1861 at Pocahontas, AR. Reorganized 12May1862 at Corinth, MS. Was field consolidated with the 13th Inf Regt from Aug1863 to 9Apr1865. Consolidated with the 1st, 2d, 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 19th(Dawsons), and 24th Inf Regiments and the 3rd Confederate Inf Regt Consolidated at Smithfield, NC on 9Apr1865 and became the 1st Consolidated AR Inf Regt.

The Sevier County Stars was organized in Sevier County, completing their organization on May 16, 1861, at Ultima Thule, Arkansas, with 82 men on the company roster. They marched to Camp Walker, near Harmony Springs, Benton county, Arkansas, where they entered State service as Company H, Fifth Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. Following the battle of Wilson’s Creek (or Oak Hill, as it is generally known in the South) the Arkansas State Troops were mustered out of service by September 19, 1861. The vast majority of the Sevier County Stars promptly enlisted in Colonel Charles L. Dawson’s 19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA. Companies E and F of the Nineteenth were predominately composed of veterans of the Sevier County Stars. Some of the men enlisted in Co. G, 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles, and it is believed that a few ended up in one of the Texas Mounted Rifles regiments.

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..

The Davis Blues was organized in Hempstead and present-day Howard counties, completing their organization on June 18, 1861, at Nashville, Arkansas, with 95 men on the company roster. They marched to Camp Walker, near Harmony Springs, Benton county, Arkansas, where they entered State service as Company F, Fifth Regiment, Arkansas State Troops.

© 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. The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,070 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.