The first 19th Arkansas Regiment—whose Compiled Service Records were catalogued by the U.S. War Department as the 19th (Dawson’s) Arkansas Infantry—could conceivably have been one of the best-known Arkansas regiments. It had everything going for it when the war started. To begin with, it had strong support among the population where it was recruited. Even though there was a certain degree of pro-Union sentiment in the mountains of southwest Arkansas, the region continued to supply huge numbers of recruits to the 19th Arkansas, and civilians kept up a steady supply of clothing, equipment and other supplies to the men. In fact, the 19th Arkansas started off as one of the largest (in terms of number of men), best clothed (their unique frock coats and Australian-style hats were unmistakable), and best equipped (though marginally armed) Arkansas regiments. Additionally, the regiment was blessed with some of the best company commanders in the business. The company officers were mostly men who had been active in the prewar militia, and many were veterans of the Arkansas State Troops and had seen combat close up and personal at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. The officers were highly literate, mostly professional men, and familiar with infantry drill and tactics. Many of the staff officers were former businessmen who were used to keeping up with records and reports. The privates of the regiment were also a pretty literate bunch of men who wrote home frequently, providing lots of insights to modern researchers. However, despite all its initial advantages, Dawson’s 19th Arkansas Regiment was badly used by higher commands, and was never allowed to realize its full potential.

The 19th Arkansas Regiment was organized at Nashville, Arkansas, on November 21, 1861, with seven companies from Hempstead, Pike, Polk and Sevier counties. Three additional companies from Hempstead, Scott and Sevier were later added, the last (Company K) on March 3, 1862. Charles L. Dawson, of Sevier County, was elected colonel at the regiment’s organization.

Still unsupplied with sufficient arms, the 19th Arkansas was present, but not engaged, at the Battle of Pea Ridge, where it was detailed to guard the army’s train. After the battle, the 19th Arkansas was stationed on the border for a few months, and was ordered to conduct a long, difficult and pointless march through the Indian Territory. The regiment was ravaged by disease during this period. Today, the graves of some of the soldiers of the 19th Arkansas can still be found in the Confederate Cemetery at Atoka, Oklahoma. Many other men were left behind sick at various places, and were never heard from again.

Returning to Arkansas, the regiment was reorganized for the war on August 13, 1862, and was issued new arms and equipment. Recruiting details from the 19th Arkansas had been busy in May and June, bringing a large number of new recruits back with them to Camp White Sulphur Springs, near Pine Bluff. The 19th Arkansas did not receive many of these recruits, however. Many of the new recruits died of disease before they were mustered into service, and were buried in untold numbers of unmarked graves at White Sulphur Springs. Others were shamelessly “shanghaied” and assigned to other units. The 24th Arkansas Regiment received a large number of men recruited by the 19th Arkansas, and Hart’s Arkansas Battery was reconstituted by the addition of many of the 19th Arkansas recruits. Note: I am indebted to Doyle Taylor for his tireless research into the activities that were taking place at Camp White Sulphur Springs at this time. His research has opened a window on what is now known to be a much larger and more sophisticated military establishment than was previously suspected.

Assigned to the garrison of Fort Hindman at Arkansas Post, a large part of the regiment was captured when the fort was surrendered on January 11, 1863. Some of the men were absent from Arkansas Post, and they were subsequently organized into a new regiment (Hardy’s), which will be discussed in a subsequent post. The men who were captured were sent to prisons in the North, and when exchanged in April were assigned to the Army of Tennessee, where they spent the rest of the war. Of the 633 men of the 19th Arkansas Regiment who were captured at Arkansas Post, 185 died of disease in prison, another 58 died in hospitals in Virginia after being released from prison, and 24 had taken the oath of allegiance; so the regiment entered upon its service east of the Mississippi River with only 306 men. As a result, the 19th Arkansas was field-consolidated with the survivors of the 24th Arkansas Regiment and Crawford’s Arkansas Battalion (also captured at Arkansas Post), under command of Lieut. Col. Augustus S. Hutchinson of the 19th Arkansas. After fighting gallantly at Chickamauga, the 19th Arkansas was field-consolidated with the 8th Arkansas Regiment.

The 19th Arkansas served in Cleburne’s division all through the Atlanta campaign, and was particularly distinguished in the action at Pickett’s Mill, after which General Cleburne cited the 8th and 19th Arkansas for its courage and tenacity. The regiment, in Govan’s Brigade, Cleburne’s Division, took part in Hood’s disastrous Tennessee campaign, culminating in the tragic battle of Franklin. Govan’s Brigade suffered 60 percent casualties in the hellish fighting around the Carter House, where the opposing sides ended up fighting hand-to-hand. In addition to the loss of so many Arkansas soldiers, General Cleburne was killed in the battle.

The 19th Arkansas continued to serve in the Army of Tennessee, resisting Sherman’s drive through the Carolinas, and fought its last engagement at the Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. In the army reorganization of April 9, 1865, the entire Arkansas brigade of Brigadier-General Govan was consolidated into a single regiment—the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Regiment. Of the 1,200 men who had served in the 19th Arkansas Regiment, only 49 remained at the surrender on April 26, 1865.

This brief narrative does not do justice to the 19th (Dawson’s) Arkansas Infantry, and is posted only to differentiate it from the other 19th Arkansas Regiments and hopefully help newcomers to the study of Arkansas Confederate regiments avoid the confusion over the conflicting unit designations.

Next up, Dockery’s 19th Arkansas Regiment, then Hardy’s Regiment.