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David W. Thomas enlisted as a Private in Company H, 3rd Arkansas Infantry March 17, 1862 at Lynchburg, Virginia by Capt. Reid for the duration of the war, left sick at Culpeper C. H. November 10, 1862, still absent through April, 1863, paid April 30 by Richmond Q. M., returned to Company from hospital & furlough May 30, 1863, died July 2, 1863, Mrs Mary Thomas, consort of Pvt. Thomas, filed claim for his pay allowances and effects
M317: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas
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Regiment History
Third Arkansas regiment of infantry
The Third Arkansas regiment of infantry was organized
at Lynchburg, Va., in June, 1861. When Dr. W. H. Tebbs
and Van H. Manning, a lawyer at Hamburg, Ashley
county, early in 1861 organized two companies and
marched them to Vicksburg, and from there tendered
their services to the Confederate States at Montgomery,
Ala., the secretary of war refused to accept them. Their
officers then went to Montgomery, and by persistent en-
treaty succeeded at length in securing their admission
into the army "for the war. " Captain Manning was an
impetuous Southerner, as was Dr. Tebbs, and they had no
idea of being refused, but insisted until they obtained
marching orders for their little battalion. Manning
knew Hon. Albert Rust, then a member of Congress from
his district, obtained the assistance of his influence, and
as Rust decided to enter the service, Manning urged him
to return to his home at Champagnolle, raise eight more
companies and follow on to some rendezvous, where they
together could organize a regiment for the service "dur-
ing the war. " Rust did so and joined Manning at Lynch-
burg, where the regiment was organized, really the
"First" regiment from Arkansas, as regular troops of the
Confederacy, enlisted for the war. Upon the organization
the officers chosen were, Col. Albert Rust, Lieut.-
Col. Seth M. Barton, Maj. Van H. Manning, Adjt.
Henry A. Butler, Surgeon Joseph Brown, of Union
county. Company A, Capt. W. H. Tebbs, of Ashley
county; Company B, Captain Capers, of Ashley county;
Company C, Capt. T. M. Whittington, of Drew county;
Company D, Captain Douglas, of Desha county; Com-
pany E, Capt. R. S. Taylor, of Desha county; Company
F, Captain Thrasher, of Hot Spring county ; Company G,
Captain Ruddy, of Union county; Company H, Captain
Reed, of Desha county; Company I, Capt. J. H. Alex-
ander, of Dallas county; Company K, Capt. Wilson
Wilkins, of Ashley county. Colonels Rust and Barton
being promoted to brigadier-generals, Major Manning
became colonel, Capt. R. S. Taylor became lieutenant-col-
onel, and Capt. W. Wilkins major, subsequently succeeded
by Major Smith. The regiment was ordered to the
mountains of West Virginia, where it performed arduous
and discouraging service in the campaign on the Gauley
and Cheat rivers. It was followed by hard marching under
Stonewall Jackson, whom Colonel Rust described as an
impracticable old schoolmaster, who said grace before he
ate and prayed before going to bed. The regiment was
engaged in the battles of Greenbrier and Allegheny.
Under Stonewall Jackson at Winchester, in January,
1862, it marched to Bath and Romney, returned to Win-
chester, and was ordered thence to Fredericksburg, and
assigned to the brigade of Gen. T. H. Holmes. It was
engaged in the battle of White Oak Swamp, June 3, 1862;
in J. G. Walker's brigade, July 1, 1862, participated
in the battle of Malvern Hill, and was at Sharpsburg
September 17, 1862, where Colonel Manning was seriously
wounded. At Fredericksburg it was assigned to Hood's
Texas brigade, commanded by General Robertson, and
was recruited by consolidating with it Bronaugh's battal-
ion of five Arkansas companies. It was not engaged at
the battle of Chancellorsville, as it was with Longstreet at
that time at Suffolk. It participated in the battle of Gettys-
burg, in Longstreet's corps, and fought at Chickamauga,
September 19 and zo, 1863, where the gallant Major
Reedy was mortally wounded. From there it went with
Longstreet to Knoxville, and under General Gregg, of
Texas, was in the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864;
marching at double-quick several miles that morning to
save the Confederate line. In the engagement that day, its
colonel, Manning, was shot through the thigh, and being
captured was detained a prisoner of war until three months
after the surrender of Lee. Judge Joe Alexander, as a
private, lost an arm in that battle. The regiment, which
was one of the largest in the army by the accession of
Bronaugh's battalion, having on its roster about 1,500
men, was in the bloody battle of Cold Harbor, June r,
1864, where Texas and Arkansas soldiers exemplified a
valor which was never surpassed. It was at Deep Run,
August 6, 1864; at Petersburg during the siege by Grant;
at High Bridge and Farmville in 1865 ; was in the retreat
with Lee, and surrendered at Appomattox, where it
stacked only 300 guns out of the 1,500 it carried ten
months before. One of its noted achievements was the
repulse of a Maine regiment at Spottsylvania, after the
latter had repulsed the Fourth and Fifth Texas, which
were smaller regiments. Colonel Manning, after being
discharged from prison, settled in Mississippi, married,
and upon the overthrow of the carpet-bag government in
that State was elected representative in Congress.
Source: Confederate Military History, vol. XIV, p. 296
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Gettysburg after battle report:
Report of Col. Van H. Manning, Third Arkansas Infantry.
Near Hagerstown, Md.,
July 8, 1863.
Lieut.: I have the honor to report the part taken by this
command in the recent battle near Gettysburg, Pa.
About 4 o'clock on the evening of July 2, I was ordered to move
against the enemy, keeping my right well connected with the left of
the First Texas Regt., and hold my left on the Emmitsburg road,
then some 200 yards in my front and out of view.
Upon reaching this road, I discovered, from the direction the directing
regiment was taking, that I could not with the length of my line
carry out the latter order; hence I decided to keep my command on
a prolongation of the line formed by the troops on my right. After
marching in line of battle at a brisk gait (part of the way at a
double-quick) for about 1,000 yards, all the time exposed to a destructive
fire from artillery, we engaged the enemy at short range, strongly posted
behind a rock fence at the edge of woods. We drove him back with
but little loss for a distance of 150 yards, when I ascertained that I
was suffering from a fire to my left and rear. Thereupon I ordered
a change of front to the rear on first company, but the noise consequent
upon the heavy firing then going on swallowed up my command,
and I contented myself with the irregular drawing back of the
left wing, giving it an excellent fire, which pressed the enemy back
in a very short while, whereupon the whole line advanced, the enemy
fighting stubbornly, but retiring.
Soon I was again admonished that my left was seriously threatened,
when I ordered the command back 50 or 75 yards to meet this contingency.
He was again driven back, and I stretched out my front
twice its legitimate length, guarding well my left, and advanced to
the ledge of rocks from which we had previously been dislodged by
the enemy's movement upon my flank. I experienced some annoyance
from the exposure of this flank up to this moment, when Col.
[F. H.] Little, of the Eleventh Georgia Regt., joined to my left.
The Fifty-ninth Georgia Regt., coming also at this time, occupied
the line with my command. Some little time after this, I was
disabled by concussion and wound on my nose and forehead. The
command then devolved upon Lieut.-Col. Taylor, who will
report its operations subsequent to this time.
It would be invidious to make special mention of gallantry with
either officers or men when all did so well, fighting greatly superior
numbers and at great disadvantage. I might safely assume that the
bearing of the entire command was of the highest creditable character.
No guns or colors were captured, and but few (some 25) prisoners,
a number of whom were sent to the rear with wounded men.
Below I submit a list of killed, wounded, and missing.* The
wounded include only those disabled indefinitely. Quite a number
were temporarily disabled by slight wounds, but resumed their
duties in a few days; hence I make no mention of them in this report.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
VAN H. MANNING,
Col., Comdg. Third Arkansas Regt.
Lieut. [John W.] Kerr,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen., Robertson's Brigade.
Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 27. Part II. Reports. Serial No. 44
* Unfortunately the compilers of the Official Records did not incorporate these casualty lists