This company was formed by the consolidation of Companies D and F, 7th Battalion Arkansas Infantry
M317: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas
The Eighth Arkansas regiment was originally organized
at Jacksonport, in the summer of 186i, under command
of Col. William K. Patterson, Lieutenant-Colonel Crouch
and Maj. John Price, with Surgeon L. H. Dickson, Asst.
Surgeon Gee, Quartermaster Tom Watson. Colonel
Patterson was a lawyer of ability of northeast Arkansas.
The regiment was transferred to Mississippi in the con-
centration of troops there under Gen. Albert Sidney
Johnston, and marched in Shaver's brigade, under Cle-
burne as division commander, to meet the advance of
Grant at Shiloh. It took part in that engagement, under
command of Colonel Patterson, and lost heavily both days.
Lieut. Thomas Bateman was killed, and Lieutenants
Perryman, Cates, Harris and Richardson were wounded.
Major Kelly commanded four companies, A, B, C and
D, 122 men, of whom 62 were killed or wounded. Major
Kelly seemed to have a charmed life. Upon reorganiza-
tion, John H. Kelly was elected colonel; Wilson, lieu-
tenant-colonel, and Capt. G. F. Baucum, major. Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Wilson resigned, and Anderson Watkins
was elected major. Upon the promotion of Colonel Kelly
to brigadier-general, Baucum became colonel, and
Anderson Watkins, lieutenant-colonel. The regiment
took part in the battle of Murfreesboro, as part of Lid-
dell's brigade, and captured two stand of colors, which
were taken by Private James Riddle, of Company C, and
Corp. N. A. Horn, of Company E. Colonel Kelly was
wounded the second day and borne off the field, when
Lieut. -Col. G. F. Baucum commanded the regiment.
Lieuts. T. H. Beard, S. B. Cole, Colvin Bad and H. J.
McCurdy, of the Eighth, were killed. The regiment was
in the battles of Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Missionary
Ridge, Ringgold Gap (consolidated with the Eighth and
Nineteenth, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hutchison), Re-
saca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Ezra Church
and Atlanta or Decatur Road. The Eighth formed
part of Cleburne's division, and participated in all the
battles of that hard fighting officer, up to his death at
Franklin, and surrendered with the army under Joseph
E. Johnston at Greensboro, N. C., April 26, 1865.
Source: Confederate Military History, vol. XIV, p. 303