8th Arkansas Infantry Regiment The 8th Arkansas Infantry ( July 13 , 1861 – April 26 , 1865 ) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War from the state of Arkansas . It served throughout the war in the western theater , seeing action in the Kentucky , Tennessee and Georgia campaigns . Following its depletion in numbers the regiment was consolidated several times with other Arkansas regiments , finally merging in 1865 into the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment . Organization . The unit was enrolled in state service on July 13 , 1861 at Camp Price near Jacksonport , Arkansas . The unit was inducted into Confederate Service on September 10 , 1861 . The unit was originally composed of units from the following counties : The original regimental officers of the 8th Arkansas were : The regiment was armed with weapons which the state confiscated when the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock was seized by Arkanssas State Militia troops in February 1861 . Disposition of the weapons found in the Arsenal is somewhat sketchy , but from various records it can be surmised that the 5th , 6th , 7th , and 8th Arkansas Infantry Regiments , mustered in June , 1861 , were issued M1816 / M1822 . 69 caliber flintlocks . They retained these weapons until April , 1862 when they were able to exchange them for better weapons scavenged from the battlefield at Shiloh . Battles . The 8th Arkansas saw no action in the coming months , only taking part in a small raid into Missouri with General Hardee ' s Command . By October 1861 , the regiment , along with the rest of General Hardee ' s division had been sent to Columbus , Kentucky to become the Army of Central Kentucky . After the losses of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862 , Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston withdrew his forces into western Tennessee , northern Mississippi , and Alabama to reorganize . and then retreated through western Tennessee to northern Mississippi . On March 29 , 1862 , the Army of Central Kentucky was merged into the Army of Mississippi in preparation for the Battle of Shiloh . The 8th Arkansas was assigned to Brigadier General Sterling A . M . Wood ' s brigade of Major General William J . Hardee ' s Corps of the Army of Mississippi . When Brigadier General Woods was wounded during the battle , Colonel Patters assumed command of the Brigade . The regiment suffered heavy casualties on both days of the battle . Lieutenant Thomas Bateman was killed , and Lieutenants Perryman , Cates , Harris and Richardson were wounded . On April 26 , 1862 , the entire regiment totaled 272 men . In his after action report regarding the Battle of Shiloh , Colonel Patterson commented : In May 1862 the Confederate Army underwent an army - wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862 . All twelve - month regiments had to re - muster and enlist for two years or the duration of the war ; a new election of officers was ordered ; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home . Officers who did not choose to stand for re - election were also offered a discharge . The reorganization was accomplished among all the Arkansas regiments in and around Corinth , Mississippi , following the Battle of Shiloh . On May 7 , 1862 , the original members of the 8th Arkansas were consolidated into five companies and united with the 7th and 9th Arkansas Infantry Battalions . The reorganized regiment was composed of the following companies : Upon reorganization , John H . Kelly was elected Colonel ; Wilson , Lieutenant Colonel , and Capt . G . F . Baucum , Major . Lieutenant - 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 Liddell ' s brigade , of Cleburne ' s Division , and captured two stand of colors , which were taken by Private James Riddle , of Company C , and Corporal N . A . Horn , of Company E . Colonel Kelly was wounded the second day and borne off the field , and Lieutenant Colonel G . F . Baucum assumed command of the regiment . Lieutenants T . H . Beard , S . B . Cole , Colvin Ead and H . J . McCurdy , of the Eighth , were killed . Its casualties were 29 killed and 124 wounded at Murfreesboro . By the time of the Chickamauga Campaign in September 1863 , Colonel Daniel C . Govan had assumed command of Lindell ' s Brigade . The 8th Arkansas would continue to serve in Govan ' s Brigade until the end of the war . Its casualties were 14 killed , 92 wounded , and 65 missing at Chickamauga . Due to the casualties suffered at Chickamauga , the regiment was consolidated with the 19th Arkansas for the Chattanooga Campaign The regiment was in the battles of Missionary Ridge , Ringgold Gap under Lieutenant Colonel Alexander T . Hawthorn of the 19th Arkansas . The 8th / 19th Arkansas lost 16 men at Ringgold Gap , totaled 363 men and 265 arms in December , 1863 . When General Joseph E . Johnston assumed command of the Army of Tennessee to oppose General Sherman ' s Atlanta Campaign , Govan ' s Brigade was reorganized but the 8th and 19th regmained consolidated . The 8th / 19th Arkansas participated in the battles of Resaca , Kennesaw Mountain , Peachtree Creek , Ezra Church and Atlanta or Decatur Road . Its casualties were 97 disabled at the Battle of Atlanta . The regiment and it colors were captured , along with much of Govan ' s Brigade at the Battle of Jonesboro , Georgia on Sept . 1 , 1864 . Due to a special cartel between Union General Sherman and Confederate General John B . Hood , the unit was quickly paroled and exchanged for Union prisoner held at Andersonville Prison . The regiment re - entered service approximately a month later . The 8th / 19 Arkansas and the rest of Govan ' s Brigade were released and exchanged just in time to participated in General John B . Hood ' s disastrous Franklin - Nashville Campaign . The 8th / 19th was under the command of Major D . H . Hamiter at the Battle of Franklin . Govan ' s entire brigade numbered just 550 rifles and sustained 66 % casualties during the Battle of Franklin . The remnants of Govan ' s Brigade that survived the Tennessee Campaign remained with the Army of Tennessee through its final engagements in the 1865 Carolinas Campaign . The 8th Arkansas would be credited with participation in the following battles : Battle flags . There are four surviving examples of the battle flags of the 8th Arkansas Infantry : The flag of the 8th flag is an example of Hardee flags . This flag , probably issued in the summer of 1863 , bore the battle honors " SHILOH " , " PERRYVILLE " , and " MURFREESBORO " . Brigadier General John H . Kelly took this flag home and it remained in his family for many years . The flag is currently located at the Texas Civil War Museum , Fort Worth , TX . The Flag of the 8th and 19th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiments . This flag is an example of the 1864 issue of Hardee flags . This was produced and decorated specifically for the combined unit , displaying battle honors of each . The poorly dyed blue field , now faded to pea green , is typical of the 1864 flags . When it was captured at Jonesboro , Georgia , on 1 September 1864 , the flag was identified as that of an artillery battery . The honor of crossed cannon , as well as the unit ' s position supporting Key ' s Battery , caused the confused attribution . Hardee Battle flag pattern , Cleburne ' s Division 1864 issue . Cotton with black and white paint , 35 " x 34 1 / 2 " remaining . War Department Capture Number 206 . Currently located at the Old State House Museum , Little Rock Arkansas . Consolidation and surrender . The remnants of ten depleted Arkansas regiments , along with one mostly - Arkansas regiment , in the Army of Tennessee were consolidated into a single regiment at Smithfield , North Carolina , on April 9 , 1865 . The 1st Arkansas , was lumped together with the 2nd , 5th , 6th , 7th , 8th , 15th , 19th and 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment s and the 3rd Confederate Infantry Regiment as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry on April 9 , 1865 . On April 26 , 1865 the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment was present with the Army of Tennessee when it surrendered in Greensboro , North Carolina .