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The 31st Arkansas Infantry (1862–1863) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War from the state of Arkansas. The 31st Arkansas 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 Mounted Rifles. == Organization == In the fall of 1861, the Confederacy was in need of more soldiers. Lieutenant Thomas H. McCray of the 5th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was sent back to Arkansas from Kentucky by General William Hardee to recruit one or more companies of "sharpshooters" from the north central part of the state including Conway, Independence, Jackson, Pope, Van Buren, and Yell Counties〔Odom, Danny "Re: 31st Arkansas Infantry" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Boar, Posted 24 June 2012, Accessed 26 June 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=26674〕 McCray began enlisting soldiers in early November, and by late November, had two companies totaling 150 men at Pocahontas, Arkansas as part of a brigade size force under the command of Colonel Solon Borland.〔 McCray’s recruits were retained in Arkansas by Colonel Borland because he had received intelligence that the state was under the threat of invasion from Southeastern Missouri.〔THE WAR OF THE REBELLION: A COMPILATION OF THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES. Ser. I, Vol. 8, Ch. XVIII–Confederate Correspondence. CHAPTER XVIII. OPERATIONS IN MISSOURI, ARKANSAS. KANSAS, AND THE INDIAN TERRITORY. November 19, 1861 – April 10, 1862., page 686, Accessed May 6, 2010, http://www.simmonsgames.com/research/authors/USWarDept/ORA/OR-S1-V08-C018C.html〕 As early as mid December 1861, the 150 recruits under "Major McCray" were being referred to as McCray’s Battalion. By January 25, 1862, McCray had formerly organized a four-company battalion of 300 Arkansas volunteers and had been elected Major. McCray continued to refer to his new command as a Battalion of Sharpshooters.〔 On February 5, Major McCray reported that he had four more companies ready to join his unit and was requesting permission to organize a full regiment. McCray's desire to immediately increase his command to a regiment was delayed by bigger events in the war. On March 6–8, General Van Dorn had led his Army of the West to defeat at the Battle of Pea Ridge, in northwest Arkansas. In the wake of this defeat, Van Dorn was ordered to move his forces east of the Mississippi River in an attempt to unite the Army of the West with the Confederate Army of Mississippi to attack Grant at Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee. McCray had continued his recruiting efforts and by March 23, McCray's Battalion left Jacksonport on April 6 and marched overland to Des Arc.〔 On April 15 the unit was reported with an aggregate strength of 346 men with 21 officers and 256 men fit for duty. By April 22 the unit had moved down the White River and up the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee, where several of the unit sick were left in the hospital. The unit received orders to move to Corinth Mississippi, but as late as April 27, several companies from the battalion were involved in an effort to destroy cotton stored near the river north of Memphis to prevent it from falling into Northern hands.〔Odom, Danny "" Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 23 June 2012, Accessed 24 June 2012, http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/arcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=26657〕 On April 28 General Van Dorn issued Special Order Number 68, Army of the West, from Memphis, which directed McCray to conduct an election in his battalion for Lieutenant Colonel.〔 On the next day, General Van Dorn announced the re-organization of the Army of the West in General Order Number 17, in which McCray's Battalion of Arkansas Volunteers was listed as belonging to Brigadier General J. L. Hogg's Brigade of Major General McCown's Division.〔United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 10, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence, etc., Book, 1884; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154614/m1/490/?q=McCray : accessed June 24, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.〕 The election for Lieutenant Colonel occurred on May 1 and by May 5 McCray was being addressed as Lieutenant Colonel in official correspondence.〔 Changes were occurring rapidly in the Confederate forces near Corinth in May. In early May 1862 the Confederate forces underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862.〔UPTON, EMORY, Bvt. Maj. Gen., United States Army; "THE MILITARY POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES" WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1912, Page 471, Congressional edition, Volume 6164, Google Books, Accessed 4 November 2011, http://books.google.com/books?id=2-tGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA471&lpg=PA471&dq=Confederate+conscription+law+reorganization+regiment&source=bl&ots=7ptDBF0n2D&sig=-K_6PQoHglmh_SOzuobv_JyNWUw&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Confederate%20conscription%20law%20reorganization%20regiment&f=false〕 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.〔United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 10, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence, etc., Book, 1884; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154614/m1/500/?q=Army of Mississippi : accessed June 17, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas.〕 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.〔 On May 25, 1862, a tenth company reassigned from Williamson's Arkansas Infantry Battalion was added to McCray’s Battalion which was stationed at Camp Churchill Clark, near Corinth, and the battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry Regiment on May 27, 1862. McCray was elected colonel of the regiment.〔 The unit would continue to occasionally be referred to as a sharpshooter regiment, but evidence suggest that the unit was trained and employed as a standard infantry regiment.〔 The unit was made up of volunteer companies from the following companies:〔 Company A was organized at Jacksonport, Arkansas, on November 2, 1861, Captain James M. Morgan commanding. The company marched to Pocahontas, Arkansas, where it appears to have served for a time as an unattached company in the garrison commanded by Colonel Solon Borland. When McCray’s Battalion was organized on January 25, 1862, the Jacksonport company was assigned as Company A. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 104 men are known to have served with Company A. Nearly one-fourth of them died of disease during the war; and only three of them were still with the colors at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Private Jonathan Pool, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company B known as the "Quitman Sharpshooters", was organized at Quitman, Arkansas, on October 30, 1861, Captain Jesse E. Martin commanding. When McCray’s Battalion was organized on January 25, 1862, the Quitman Sharpshooters was assigned as Company B. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 85 men are known to have served with Company B. Nearly a third of them died of disease during the war; and only three of them were still with the colors at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Sergeant J. Greene Read, was posthumously awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company C was organized at Springfield, Arkansas, on January 8, 1862, Captain Samuel H. Nichols commanding. When McCray’s Battalion was organized on January 25, 1862, the Springfield company was assigned as Company C. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 77 men are known to have served with Company C. Nearly a third of them died of disease during the war; none of them were left at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Private James N. Garvin, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company D was organized at Clinton, Arkansas, on January 22, 1862, Captain Robert S. Hill commanding. When McCray’s Battalion was organized on January 25, 1862, the Clinton company was assigned as Company D. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 107 men are known to have served with Company D. Nearly a fourth of them died of disease during the war; only one of them was left at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Private William H. Huie, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company E organized at Dover, Arkansas, on February 1, 1862, Captain J. W. Rittenberry commanding. The Dover company was assigned to McCray’s Battalion as Company E. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 69 men are known to have served with Company E. Nearly a fourth of them died of disease during the war; none of them were left at the surrender in April 1865.〔 Company F was organized at Clinton, Arkansas, on March 3, 1862, Captain P. H. Britton commanding. The company was assigned to McCray’s Battalion as Company F. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 43 men are known to have served with Company F. Nearly a fifth of them died of disease during the war; only three of them were left at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Sergeant John N. Cannon, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company G was organized at Point Remove, Conway County, Arkansas, on March 5, 1862, Captain T. J. Nunnelly commanding. The company was assigned to McCray’s Battalion as Company G. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 50 men are known to have served with Company G. Over a fourth of them died of disease during the war; only two of them were left at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Sergeant James W. Carter, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company H was organized at Bayou de View, Jackson County, Arkansas, on March 1, 1862, Captain John N. Barnes commanding. The company was assigned to McCray’s Battalion as Company H. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 53 men are known to have served with Company H. Nearly a third of them died of disease during the war; only two of them were left at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Private Francis M. Arnold, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company I was organized at Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, on March 23, 1862, Captain Ebenezer H. Howser commanding. The company was assigned to McCray’s Battalion as Company I. The company retained this designation when McCray’s Battalion was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 43 men are known to have served with Company I. Nearly forty percent of them died of disease during the war; only one of them was left at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Sergeant George W. Williams, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 Company K was organized at Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas, on February 28, 1862, Captain John A. Jacoway commanding. The company was assigned to Williamson’s Battalion Arkansas Infantry as Company G. Williamson’s Battalion was broken up on May 25, 1862, with its component companies being distributed among four other Arkansas units in Mississippi. The Dardanelle company was assigned to McCray’s Battalion, which was reorganized as the 31st Arkansas Infantry on May 27, 1862. A total of 62 men are known to have served with Company K. This company had the smallest number of deaths in the regiment during the war, less than twenty percent dying of disease, but had a higher desertion rate than the other companies; only one man was left at the surrender in April 1865. One member, Private James E. Coker, was awarded the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Chickamauga.〔 The unit was commanded by Colonels Thomas H. McCray and Henry G. Bunn; Lieutenant Colonels J. L. Hays, John A. Jacoway, and James F. Johnson; and Majors J. W. Clark, Davis G. Daugherty, and James M. Morgan.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「31st Arkansas Infantry Regiment」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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