The roots of the first 18th Arkansas Regiment can be traced back to a unique organization known as Hindman’s Legion. Thomas Carmichael Hindman was widely known and respected in eastern Arkansas, a mover-and-shaker in Helena’s upper-crust. His name alone was a highly effective recruiting tool. He quickly raised a regiment of infantry—like Fagan’s 1st Arkansas and Rust’s 3rd Arkansas, his 2nd Arkansas Regiment did not go through the State military apparatus but was mustered directly into Confederate service, and, in fact was expected to march to Virginia with Fagan and Rust. However, circumstances kept him in Arkansas for the time being.

Hindman was so effective in raising volunteer companies that his regiment was doubled in size. A normal infantry regiment had ten companies, lettered A through K. Hindman’s companies were lettered A through T. (!) And he had a company of artillery to boot. Thus, this oversized regiment became known as Hindman’s Legion. This didn’t last long, however, and Hindman’s 2nd Arkansas Regiment was ordered to shed its extraneous companies, which were organized into the 1st Battalion Arkansas Infantry, under command of Col. John Sappington Marmaduke, composed of eight companies, as follows:

Co. A—Little Rock Grays, from Pulaski County, Arkansas.
Co. B—Young Guard, from Shelby County, Tennessee.
Co. C—Fletcher Rifles, from Mississippi County, Arkansas.
Co. D—Shamrock Guards, from Warren County, Mississippi.
Co. E—Linden Dead-Shots, from Randolph County, Arkansas.
Co. F—Chalk Bluff Rebels, from Greene County, Arkansas.
Co. G—Pine Bluff Artillery, from Jefferson County, Arkansas.
Co. H—Swamp Rangers, from Warren County, Mississippi.

In December 1861, the 1st Arkansas Battalion was increased to a regiment—18th (Marmaduke’s) Arkansas Infantry—with the addition of two companies from (mostly) Searcy County, Arkansas, and vicinity:

Co. I—Burrowville Mountain Guards.
Co. K—Rector Guards.

A large number of men in these last two companies were members of the “Chain Gang” of suspected pro-Union sympathizers who were rousted from their homes in north central Arkansas, and not-so-gently escorted under armed guard to Little Rock, where they were given the choice of prison or Confederate service.

The 18th Arkansas Regiment was so designated for only a little over a month, for on January 31, 1862, its designation was changed to the 3rd Confederate Infantry.

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ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL’S OFFICE,
Richmond, January 31, 1862.

XVIII. The designation of the hereinafter-named regiments (they being composed of companies from different States) are changed as follows: Col. John B. Villepigue’s Thirty-sixth Georgia to be known as the First Confederate Regiment; Col. J. D. Martin’s Twenty-fifth Mississippi to be known as the Second Confederate Regiment; Col. J. S. Marmaduke’s Eighteenth Arkansas to be known as the Third Confederate Regiment.

By command of the Secretary of War:
JNO. WITHERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

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At some point we should start a discussion thread on Confederate States regiments, as opposed to State volunteer regiments.

Colonel Marmaduke was appointed brigadier-general on November 15, 1862. Not long after his departure, the 3rd Confederate (formerly 18th Arkansas) Regiment was field-consolidated with the 5th Confederate Regiment (Col. James A. Smith) and rarely operated independently after that. In the army reorganization of April 9, 1865, the 3rd Confederate was consolidated with the remnants of other Arkansas regiments, and became Co. K, 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry. They were surrendered by General Joseph E. Johnston on April 26, 1865, in North Carolina.

Next, the second 18th Arkansas Regiment.