The Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Commanders of the 39th Arkansas

Being a Hawthorne/Cocke follower, I too have wondered about the lack of info...but something did come across from the book on Steele's Retreat... It was stated that Chaplain Brown of the 29th Ark was given the task of policing up the wounded etc during the battle and that a splendid force was assigned him to assist. Could this have been the remnants of that regiment? Cocke was killed here, and I have a personal account of a LT of Company D that states he commanded the company at Jenkin's Ferry, but no real details. Chaplain Brown did not relish his assignment as he had done that job previously and stated he had his turn but someone else should have their turn from the brigade. Hawthorne told him that they both believed that they would not die until it was their time and that is why he chose him. BUt it never says who this "hand picked command" was made up of. This regiment was always in that same brigade since Helena but it was heavy in conscripts and the desertion rate was probably the highest inthat regiment than in any other Ark regiment during the war, so what its strength was is anyone's guess. Just a possibility, they would have been under fire out in Cooper's field trying to police up the wounded etc so they would have suffered casualties as well.

Messages In This Thread

Commanders of the 39th Arkansas
Re: Commanders of the 39th Arkansas
Re: Commanders of the 39th Arkansas