Arkansas in the American Civil War

Arkansas
Flag of Arkansas
Flag of the Confederate
States (May 18, 1861)
[a]
State seal of Arkansas
Seal (1861 design)

The Confederate States of America
Map of the Confederate States
Capital1861–1863  Little Rock
1863–1865  Washington
Largest cityLittle Rock
Admitted to the ConfederacyMay 18, 1861 (9th)
Population
  • 435,450 total
  •  • 324,335 (74.48%) free
  •  • 111,115 (25.52%) slave
Forces supplied
Major garrisons/armoriesFort Smith
Little Rock Arsenal
Governor1861–1862  Henry M. Rector
1862  Thomas Fletcher (acting)
1862–1865  Harris Flanagin Surrendered
Senators
RepresentativesList
Restored to the UnionJune 22, 1868

During the American Civil War, Arkansas was a Confederate state, though it had initially voted to remain in the Union. Following the capture of Fort Sumter in April 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for troops from every Union state to put down the rebellion, and Arkansas and several other states seceded. For the rest of the civil war, Arkansas played a major role in controlling the Mississippi River, a major waterway.

Arkansas raised 48 infantry regiments, 20 artillery batteries, and over 20 cavalry regiments for the Confederacy, mostly serving in the Western Theater, though the Third Arkansas served with distinction in the Army of Northern Virginia. Major-General Patrick Cleburne was the state's most notable military leader. The state also supplied four infantry regiments, four cavalry regiments and one artillery battery of white troops for the Union and six infantry regiments and one artillery battery of "U.S. Colored Troops."

Numerous skirmishes as well as several significant battles were fought in Arkansas, including the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern in March 1862, a decisive one for the Trans-Mississippi Theater which ensured Union control of northern Arkansas. The state capitol at Little Rock was captured in 1863. By the end of the war, programs such as the draft, high taxes, and martial law had led to a decline in enthusiasm for the Confederate cause. Arkansas was officially readmitted to the Union in 1868.


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  1. ^ "American Civil War Research Database".
  2. ^ Gladstone, William A., United States Colored Troops, p. 120