HISTORICAL NOTES:
At the beginning of the war, the Arkansas Succession Convention created the Provisional Army of Arkansas. The Provisional Army was to consist of two divisions: the 1st Division in the western part of the state was to be commanded by Brigadier General Pearce, and the 2nd Division in the eastern half of the state, commanded by Major General James Yell. The intent of the Secession Convention was to transfer these state troop regiments into Confederate service as quickly as possible, to avoid the cost of paying for a large state army. The troops of the eastern division were transferred to the command of Brigadier General Hardee in July 1861, but the troops of the western division under Brigadier General Pearce were not transferred to Confederate service before they became engaged in the Battle of Wilson's Creek. Regimental strength at Wilson's Creek: 500 men.
The unit's designation as the 3rd Regiment, Arkansas State Troops has its origins in the confusion caused by Brigadier General Nicholas B. Pearce's failure to comply with the numbering system for regiments adopted by the State Military Board. The State Military Board authorized a 1st and 3rd Arkansas Regiment of State Troops. The 1st Regiment was commanded by Colonel Patrick R. Cleburne and was organized a Mound City, in the 2nd or Eastern Division of the Army of Arkansas. The State Military Board had authorized a 3rd Regiment of State Troops as a cavalry regiment under Colonel DeRosey Carroll, and ordered it to join the 1st Division" of the Army of Arkansas commanded by General Nicholas B. Pearce in northwest Arkansas. The free-spirited General Pearce ignored the unit designations authorized by the State Military Board, and assigned his own designations, based on when each regiment showed up in camp to muster. The first units to arrive at the designate assembly point were naturally the mounted units which became Carroll's regiment, so the 3rd Regiment Arkansas State Troops was re-designated the 1st Regiment. The officially sanctioned 2nd Regiment Arkansas State Troops, under Colonel John R. Gratiot, arrived at the assembly point third, and was immediately renamed the 3rd Regiment. Thus, all accounts of the State Troops in northwest Arkansas, including the battle of Wilson's Creek, refer to Gratiot's regiment as the 3rd Arkansas.
This designation also leads to confusion with the other, more famous, 3rd Arkansas, commanded by Colonels Albert C. Rust and Van H. Manning. The Rust/Manning "3rd Arkansas", was not a regiment that was ever officially authorized by the Arkansas State Military Board. By the time that several volunteer companies in South Arkansas had recruited and organized, the State had already reached its original goal of eight regiments, so the services of these new companies were declined on the thought that war would not last long. These companies decided to go to Virginia and volunteer their services there. This group of regiments moved to Lynchburg, Virginia and organized themselves into a regiment, and elected Albert Rust as their colonel. They were mustered into service by the Confederate War Department as the 3rd Regiment Arkansas Volunteers. There are those to this very day who insist that Rust's 3rd Arkansas was the same unit that fought at Wilson's Creek, despite unimpeachable documentation showing that Rust's unit was camped on the Greenbrier River in Virginia at the time of the battle.
The regiment was organized on July 15, 1861. Many of the companies that joined the regiment had been organized as volunteer militia companies prior to secession. One of these companies, the Frontier Guards, of Crawford County had participated in the seizure of the Federal Arsenal at Fort Smith by Borland's Militia Battalion on April 23, 1861.
OFFICERS:
Col. Jonathan R. Gratiot; Lt. Col David Provence; Maj. H. Ward
ASSIGNMENTS: BATTLES:
Wilson's Creek
ROSTERS:
The roster of this regiment contains the names of 132 men.
Company A - the "Fort Smith Rifles", of Sebastian County, commanded by Captain James H. Sparks. This unit was originally organized as a volunteer company in the 51st Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, on January 12, 1860.
Company B - the "Hempstead Rifles", of Hempstead County, commanded by Captain John R. Gratiot., William Hart was promoted to Captain when John R. Gratiot was elected Colonel of the Regiment. This unit was originally organized as a volunteer company in the 8th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, on January 12, 1860.
Company C - the "Pike Guards", of Washington County, commanded by Captain Samuel R. Bell. This company was originally organized on May 29, 1861, as a volunteer company of light infantry in the 20th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia.
Company D - the "Cane Hill Rifles", of Washington County, commanded by Captain Pleasant W. Buchanan.
Company E - of Sebastian County, commanded by John Griffith.
Company F - the "Crawford Artillery", of Crawford County, commanded by Captain James T. Stewart.
Company G - the "Van Buren Frontier Guards", of Crawford County, commanded by Captain Hugh T. Brown. This unit was originally organized as a volunteer company in the 5th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia on January 12, 1861.
Company H - the "Johnson Guards", of Johnson County, commanded by Captain Alfred D. King. This company was originally organized on November 27, 1860, as an Independent Company Cavalry company of in the 10th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia of Johnson County.
Company I - of Sebastian County, commanded by Captain William C. Corcoran
Company K, the "Crawford Guards", of Crawford County, commanded by Captain Joel H. Foster
HISTORICAL NOTES: