Arkansas 3rd Infantry Regiment

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Arkansas 3rd Infantry Regiment, assembled at Lynchburg, Virginia, in June, 1861, contained men from Ashley, Drew, Desha, Hot Spring, Union, and Dallas counties. Assigned to H.R. Jackson's command, the unit took part in Lee's Cheat Mountain Campaign, then moved to Winchester and served under T.J. Jackson. Later it was assigned to General J. G. Walker's, J. B. Robertson's, and J. Gregg's command and became part of the Texas Brigade. After fighting in the Seven Days' Battles the 2nd Arkansas Battalion merged into the regiment. It went on to participate in many conflicts of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Maryland Campaign to Cold Harbor , except when it was with Longstreet at Suffolk, Chickamauga, and Knoxville. The 3rd was active in the long Petersburg siege north of the James River and later the Appomattox Campaign. In December, 1861, it totalled 756 men, and reported 15 casualties at the Greenbrier River and 182 during the Maryland Campaign. Of the 479 engaged at Gettysburg, thirty-five percent were disabled. The regiment surrendered with 15 officers and 130 men. OFFICERS:

Col. Albert Rust

Col. Van. H. Manning

Lieut. Col. Robert S. Taylor (acting)

ASSIGNMENTS:
BATTLES:

Operations on Cheat Mountain, West Virginia, September 11–17, 1861.

Skirmish, Elkwater, West Virginia, September 11, 1861.

Skirmish, Point Mountain Turnpike, West Virginia, September 11–12, 1861.

Skirmish, Petersburg, West Virginia, September 12, 1861.

Engagement, Greenbrier River, Cheat Mountain, West Virginia, October 3–4, 1861.

Operations in the Valley District and against Romney, West Virginia, November 26, 1861, to February 21, 1862.

Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks), Virginia, May 31 to June 1, 1862.

Skirmish, Gill's Bluff, Virginia (Company F), June 20, 1862.

Seven Days Battles, Virginia, June 25 to July 1, 1862.

Engagement, Turkey Bridge (Malvern Cliff), Virginia, June 30, 1862.

Campaign in Northern Virginia (Second Bull Run Campaign), August 16 to September 2, 1862.

Maryland Campaign, September 3–19, 1862.

Siege, Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, September 13, 1862.

Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Maryland, September 16–17, 1862.

Action, Bolivar Heights, West Virginia, September 19, 1862.

Operations in Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties, Virginia, October 26 to November 10, 1862.

Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 12–15, 1862.

Siege, Suffolk, Virginia, April 11 to May 4, 1863.

Skirmish, Somerton Road, Virginia, April 15, 1863.

Skirmish, Somerton Road, Virginia, April 20, 1863.

Action, Edenton Road, Suffolk, Virginia, April 24, 1863.

Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 to August 1, 1863.

Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1–3, 1863.

Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 19–21, 1863.

Siege, Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 24 to November 1, 1863.

Campaign, Knoxville, Tennessee, November 4 to December 23, 1863.

Siege, Knoxville, Tennessee, November 17 to December 4, 1863.

Assault, Forts Saunders and Loudoun, Knoxville, Tennessee, November 29, 1863.

Operations about Dandridge, Tennessee, January 16 to January 17, 1864.

Operations about Dandridge, Tennessee, January 26–28, 1864.

Wilderness Campaign, May 4 to June 12, 1864.

Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia, May 5–7, 1864.

Battles of Spotsylvania Court House, Laurel Hill, Ny River and Fredericksburg Road, Virginia, May 8–21, 1864.

Assault of the Salient, Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, May 12, 1864.

Operations on the line of the North Anna River, Virginia, May 22–26, 1864.

Operations on the line of the Pamunkey River, Virginia, May 26–28, 1864.

Operations on the line of the Totopotomoy River, Virginia, May 28–31, 1864.

Battles about Cold Harbor, Virginia, June 1–12, 1864.

Assault, Petersburg, Virginia, June 15, 1864.

Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865.

Assault, Petersburg, Virginia, June 18, 1864.

Engagements at Deep Bottom (Darbytown), Strawberry Plains and New Market Road, Virginia, June 27–29, 1864.

Engagements at Deep Bottom, New Market Road and Darbytown Road, Virginia, August 13–20, 1864.

Engagement, Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Virginia, October 27–28, 1864.

Appomattox Campaign, March 28 to April 9, 1865.

Assault and capture, Petersburg Lines, Virginia, April 2, 1865.

Surrender, Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865.

ROSTERS: The roster of this regiment contains the names of 2373 men.

Company A — "The Arkansas Travelers", commanded by Captain W. H. Tebbs, organized at Portland, Ashley county. On September 25, 1862, forty-two members of disbanded Company L—also from Ashley county—were assigned to this company. During its four years of service, 147 men served in Company A. Only twenty of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company B — "The Berlin Beauregards", commanded by Captain Capers, organized at Berlin, Ashley county. During its four years of service, 110 men served in Company B, only eight of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company C — "The Confederate Stars", commanded by Captain Thomas M. Whittington, organized at Monticello, Drew county. During its four years of service, 154 men served in Company C, only thirteen of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company D — "The Selma Rifles", commanded by Captain R. S. Taylor, organized at Selma, Drew county. During its four years of service, 83 men served in Company D, only eight of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company E — "The Champagnolle Guards", commanded by Captain Thomas F. Nolan, organized at Champagnolle, Union county. On July 18, 1862, twenty-eight members of disbanded Company C, Second Arkansas Infantry Battalion, which was also from Union county, were assigned to this company. During its four years of service, 131 men served in Company E, only twenty of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company F — "The Hot Spring Hornets", commanded by Captain Daniel A. Newman, organized at Rockport, Hot Spring county. On July 18, 1862, thirty-three members of disbanded Company A, 2nd Arkansas Infantry Battalion, were assigned to this company; however, most of them were soon discharged for various wounds and illnesses. During its four years of service, 119 men served in Company F, only ten of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company G — "The Three Creeks Rifles", commanded by Captain, later Major Reedy, organized at Three Creeks, Union county. On July 18, 1862, eighteen members of disbanded Company C, 2nd Arkansas Infantry Battalion—also from Union county—were assigned to this company. During its four years of service, 127 men served in Company G, only 23 of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company H — "The Orphan Company", commanded by Captain Reed, a mixed Arkansas/Kentucky company. The fledgling company had only gathered 33 volunteers, only a third of that needed to constitute a full company. Two companies of Arkansas volunteers from Ashley county, passing through Nashville, Tennessee, on their way to Virginia to form the Third Arkansas Infantry, met Samuel V. Reid, of Kentucky, who had brought 30 of his fellow Kentuckians down to Tennessee, looking for a regiment to attach themselves to. It was proposed that the two groups of volunteers join forces to fit out a full company for the Third Arkansas. The commissioned and non-commissioned officer appointments would be equally divided among the two groups, with Reid becoming captain and Gibson becoming First Lieutenant. Accordingly, the Kentuckians enlisted at Nashville on June 10; the Arkansawyers enlisted at Tyro on June 15; and the new company traveled to Lynchburg, Virginia, where it was assigned to the Third Regiment, Arkansas Volunteers, as Company H, July 1861. Colonel Albert Rust, regimental commander, referred to the company as "my orphans", a name which the men adopted as "The Orphan Company". In keeping with its cosmopolitan nature, Company H also recruited quite a few Virginians during the war. During its four years of service, 116 men served in Company H, only nine of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company I — "The Tulip Rifles", commanded by Captain Alexander, organized at Tulip, Dallas county. On July 18, 1862, thirty members of disbanded Company B, Second Arkansas Infantry Battalion, were assigned to this company. Company I was the only company in the Third Arkansas that made significant use of conscripts to reinforce its ranks. In March 1863, thirty farmers and furloughed soldiers from other regiments were conscripted at Camden, Arkansas, and sent to the company in Virginia. During its four years of service, 150 men served in Company I. Only thirteen of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company K — "The Ashley Volunteers", commanded by Captain Wilson Wilkins organized at Hamburg, Ashley county. During its four years of service, 134 men served in Company A, only twenty-four of them remained when the company was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Company L — "The Rust Guards", commanded by Captain Joseph H. Bell organized at Latonia, Ashley county (later consolidated with Company A). On September 25, 1862, the company was disbanded. Forty-two of its members were transferred to company A—also from Ashley county. A total of seventy-three men were carried on the rolls of Company L during its existence. Only ten of them remained when the regiment was surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
REFERENCES: REF: Wikipedia
Crute - Units of the Confederate States Army
Sifakis - Compendium of the Confederate Armies