Arkansas in the Civil War

United States   U.S. Military    U.S. Civil War    Arkansas    Military Records    Arkansas in the Civil War



Introduction
In 1861, Arkansas was still rural with a small population. It seceded from the Union on 6 May 1861. Soldiers from Arkansas served in both the Confederate and Union armies, however most served in the Confederate forces in about 48 infantry regiments as well as cavalry, artillery and other units.

Arkansas Military Units
Most units were numbered, however, many were named. See the table below for lists of the regiments, battalions, batteries, and other units.

The information in the lists of Arkansas Military Units comes from the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors web site. That web site also can be searched by the name of a soldier. Arkansas Units by Number or by Name  'Confed. Units 1st-6th 7th-23rd 24th-63rd A-E F-M N-Z Arkansas Units by Type of Unit  Confed. Units' Infantry Cavalry Artillery Militia State Troops Other

Arkansas Units by Regiments, Battalions, and Companies <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; float: left; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 30px; color: black; padding-top: 5px; height: 40px; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-align: center"> <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; float: left; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 60px; color: black; padding-top: 5px; height: 40px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); text-align: center">'Confed. Units' <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; float: left; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 60px; padding-top: 5px; height: 40px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); text-align: center">Regiments <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; float: left; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 60px; padding-top: 5px; height: 40px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); text-align: center">Battalions <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; float: left; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 65px; padding-top: 5px; height: 40px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); text-align: center">Companies <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; float: left; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 4px; width: 60px; padding-top: 5px; height: 40px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); text-align: center">Unkown Sizes

Records and Resources
Indexes and the compiled military service records are available at the Family History Library and the National Archives.

Arkansas pension records for Confederate veterans are located at the Arkansas History Commission. A searchable index to Confederate pension records is posted by the Arkansas History Commission. The Family History Library holds microfilm copies of Arkansas Confederate pension records, 1901-1929, on 121 films. The pensions are alphabetically arranged. (Family History Library Films beginning with ) Copies of individual pension records may be ordered from the Arkansas History Commission. Pension records for Union veterans are available only at the National Archives. The Family History Library has an index of Union pensioners.

In 1911 a special census was taken of Confederate veterans. Returns are available for 40 of the 75 counties. Abstracts of the questionnaires have been published in Bobbie J. McLane and Capitola H. Gazner,Arkansas 1911 Census of Confederate Veterans, Three Volumes. (N.p.: Arkansas Ancestors, 1977-1981. (Family History Library book ; fiche .) An index has been published by the same authors (Family History Library  index.) All of these censuses are at the Arkansas Historical Commission, and most are on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Civil War Pension Index Cards - A free Internet index to pension applications of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on FamilySearch Record Search. Each card gives the soldier’s name, application and certificate numbers, state of enlistment, and might include rank and death information. Other wars, of that time period, may be included.

Southern Claims Commission. If a Union sympathizer in Arkansas claimed a loss during the Civil War due to Union military confiscation, he could apply to the Southern Claims Commission for reimbursement. Only a few applied per county, but their neighbors were called as witnesses and asked dozens of questions. Hundreds of the residents of all kinds in a county may be mentioned in answers to Commission questions, and their wartime activities described. To learn how to find records mentioning these neighbors in Arkansas counties during the Civil War see the Southern Claims Commission.