Re: Let's try this again!By:Jim Martin
Date: Thursday, 20 December 2001, 5:53 pm In Response To: Re: Let's try this again! (Bryan Howerton) So...
If one were to list the OOB for Churchill's Division at Jenkins' Ferry should it "officially" look like this?
Arkansas Division - Brig Gen Thomas James Churchill
Tappan's Brigade - Brig Gen James Camp Tappan
19th & 24th Ark Inf Regt - Lt Col W R Hardy
27th & 38th Ark Inf Regt - Col R G Shaver
33rd Ark Inf Regt - Col H L Grinstead
Hawthorne's Brigade - Col Alexander T Hawthorne
34th Ark Inf Regt - Col William H Brooks
35th Ark Inf Regt - Col Henry J McCord
37th Ark Inf Regt - Col Samuel S Bell
Polk's (39th) Ark Inf Regt - Col Cadwallader Polk
Gause's Brigade - Col Lucien C. Gause
26th Ark Inf Regt - Lt Col Iverson L Brooks
32nd Ark Inf Regt - Lt Col William Hicks
36th Ark Inf Regt - Col J M Davie
Re: Let's try this again!By:Allan
Date: Thursday, 20 December 2001, 10:26 pm In Response To: Re: Let's try this again! (A. Rushing) Concerning the OOB, Churchill also reports that Dockery's dismounted brigade was also a part of his division- though they were detached and fought across the creek.
As for Cocke's/Polk's regiment, if you have a list of casualties that is certainly proof that they were at Jenkins' Ferry. While checking my material, I came across some info that I missed earlier. General Price, commanding Churchill's and Price's divisions, makes the following statement in the final line of his report:
"The names of Grinsted, Cocke, Pettus, and Harris who fell while gallantly leading their regiments will be perpetuated with the memory of other heroes in the hearts of a grateful people."
The index gives the initials J.B. to this commander by the name of Cocke, leaving little doubt that it is Col. John B. Cocke. So not only was this regiment at Jenkins' Ferry, but their colonel was killed, at which time the regiment was taken over by Lt. Col. Polk.
My question is, do we know for sure that Cocke's regiment was attached to Hawthorn's brigade- or were they separated and engaged somewhere else along the line? Most of you are probably familiar with the fine account written by Dr. J.M. Brown of Hawthorn's brigade. He never mentions Cocke's regiment, while specifically naming the other three regiments and their alignment when attacking the Union position. Was this just an oversight? If so, it seems all the more strange due to the apparent fact that Colonel Cocke was killed during the battle. It just seems strange that he would forget about the only regimental commander in the brigade being killed, while vividly recounting so many other details of the battle. However, if Cocke's regiment was somewhere else on the battlefield, then that would explain why Dr. Brown failed to mention it. Can anyone else shed some light on this?