5th Arkansas Infantry Regiment


The 5th Arkansas Infantry, also called the Fighting Fifth was a Confederate Army infantry regiment organized in Arkansas to serve for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.
It served throughout the war in the western theater, seeing action in the Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia campaigns. Following its depletion in numbers the regiment was consolidated several times with other Arkansas regiments, finally merging in 1865 into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment. Another Arkansas unit also had the designation 5th Arkansas, the 5th Regiment, Arkansas State Troops which participated in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, but was never transferred to Confederate Service. There is no connection between the two units.

Organization

This regiment was organized for one year in state service at Gainesville in Greene County, Arkansas, on June 28, 1861, and was transferred to Confederate service on July 27, 1861, at Pocahontas, Arkansas. It was reorganized for the war at Corinth, Mississippi, on May 12, 1862. The field officers were David C. Cross, Lucius Featherston, Peter V. Green, and J. E. Murray; Lieutenant Colonels E. A. Howell and B. F. Sweeney; and Majors T. W. Ellsberry and Riddick Pope. The regiment would spend the duration of the war in the service of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, fighting in the western theater. The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties:
  • Company A, Commanded by Captain S.L. Miller, organized at Pineville, Poinsett County, Arkansas, on 15 July 1861.
  • Company B, the "Walker Grays", Commanded by Captain Lawrence R. Frisk, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on June 12, 1861.
  • Company C, the "Sweeney Riflemen", also known as the "Bevering Riflemen" Commanded by Captain Henry C. Fisher, organized at Warren, Arkansas, on May 14, 1862. This company had originally been organized on January 26, 1861, as a volunteer company in the 27th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, under the command of Captain Benjamin F. Sweeney.
  • Company D, Commanded by Captain W.G. Bohaning, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on July 13, 1861.
  • Company E, the "Gainesville Guards", Commanded by Captain W.C. Rayburn, organized at Gainesville, Arkansas, on June 26, 1861. This company had originally been organized on as a volunteer company in the 27th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, under the command of Captain Captain Flavius S. White.
  • Company F, the "Harrisburg Riflemen", Commanded by Captain G.F. Smith, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on June 12, 1861. This company had originally been organized on as a volunteer company in the 14th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, under the command of Captain G.F. Smith.
  • Company G, the "Brownsville Rifles", commanded by Captain Robert S. Gantt, organized at Brownsville, Arkansas, on May 31, 1861. This company had originally been organized on May 2, 1861, as a volunteer company in the 50th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, Prairie County.
  • Company H, commanded by Captain John L. Kuykendoll, organized at Gainesville, Arkansas, on September 28, 1861.
  • Company I, the "Austin Rifles", Commanded by Captain B.H. Cozart, organized at Brownsville, Arkansas, on June 14, 1861. This company had originally been organized on May 22, 1861, as a volunteer company in the 50th Regiment, Arkansas State Militia, Prairie County.
  • Company K, the "Arkansas Toothpicks", commanded by Captain Augustus B. Washington, organized at Wittsburg, Arkansas, on June 13, 1861.
  • Unlettered Company, Commanded by Captain Poindexter Dunn.
A letter from a member of the Brownsville Rifles to the Des Arc Citizen described the outcome of the election for regimental officers:
The regiment was armed with weapons which the state confiscated when the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock was seized by Arkansas State Militia troops in February 1861. Disposition of the weapons found in the Arsenal is somewhat sketchy, but from various records it can be surmised that the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Arkansas Infantry Regiments, mustered in June, 1861, were issued M1816/M1822.69 caliber flintlocks. They retained these weapons until April, 1862 when they were able to exchange them for better weapons scavenged from the battlefield at Shiloh.

Battles

The regiment moved with the rest of General Hardee's division to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where Hardee's Division became the Army of Central Kentucky. After the losses of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston withdrew his forces into western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and Alabama to reorganize. and then retreated through western Tennessee to northern Mississippi. In the reorganization of forces, the 5th Arkansas was assigned to Hindman's brigade, Army of Mississippi in March, 1862. At the time the Battle at Shiloh took place, the 5th Arkansas was on picket duty along the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, about 7 miles north and west of Corinth. Colonel David C. Cross pleaded with Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston to permit the 5th Arkansas to take part in the movement towards Shiloh, but Johnston replied that "the post of duty was the post of honor," and kept the 5th Arkansas on picket duty.
In early May 1862, Confederate forces underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862. All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for two additional years or the duration of the war; a new election of officers was ordered; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home. Officers who did not choose to stand for re-election were also offered a discharge. The reorganization was accomplished among all the Arkansas regiments in and around Corinth, Mississippi, following the Battle of Shiloh. When Corinth was evacuated on the approach of Halleck and Grant in May 1862, the regiment fell back with the Confederate army to Tupelo Mississippi, where it was reorganized. Captain L. P. Featherston was elected colonel, J. E. Murray, Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Peter Green, major; J. J. Winston was appointed adjutant.
When General Braxton Bragg led the Army of Mississippi on the Kentucky Campaign, the 5th Arkansas became engaged in the Battle of Perryville. While in Kentucky, John Edward Murray was made Lieutenant Colonel, upon the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel Sweeney.
The regiment was assigned to General Liddell's and Govan's Brigade, and consolidated with the 13th Arkansas from August 1863 to April 9, 1865. The regiment was organized with 722 officers and men and lost forty-two percent of the 336 at the Battle of Murfreesboro. The 5th/13th lost forty-five percent of the 450 engaged at the Battle of Chickamauga. Colonel L. Featherston was also killed on the first day of battle and was succeeded by Colonel Murray. The unit had 21 men disabled at the Battle of Ringgold Gap.
Colonel John E. Murray, was killed in action on July 22, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign. Colonel Peter V. Green succeeded Colonel Murray and remained in command until the close of the war. The consolidated 5th/13th totaled 321 men and 222 arms in December 1863, and reported 112 casualties at the Battle of Atlanta.
The regiment and the rest of Govan's Brigade participated in General John B. Hood's disastrous Franklin-Nashville Campaign. Due to the appalling losses suffered by Govan's Brigade during the Atlanta Campaign, the 1st/15th, 5th/13th and 2nd/24th Arkansas Regiments were consolidated into one regiment, which was commanded by Colonel Peter Green of the 5th/13th. The other officers of the consolidated regiment were Major Alexander T. Meek, of the 2nd/24th Arkansas, Captain Mordecai P. Garrett and Sergeant Major Thomas Benton Moncrief of the 15th Arkansas. The consolidated regiment fought under the colors of the consolidated 5th/13th Arkansas Regiment, because this was one of the only colors not captured when Govan's Brigade was overrun at the Battle of Jonesboro. The flag of the combined 5th/13th Arkansas was issued in March 1864 and was captured by Benjamin Newman of the 88th Illinois Infantry at the battle of Franklin. The consolidated regiment numbered just 300 rifles and sustained 66% casualties during the Battle of Franklin.
The remnants of Govan's Brigade that survived the Tennessee Campaign remained with the Army of Tennessee through its final engagements in the 1865 Carolinas campaign.
The unit is credited with the following engagements: