17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment ( Lemoyne ' s ) The 17th ( Lemoyne ' s ) Arkansas Infantry ( 1862 – 1865 ) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War . The regiment did not yet have the required 10 companies when it was ordered east of the Mississippi River with the rest of General Earl Van Dorn ' s Army of the West . Due to its understrength size the unit was also known as the 17th Arknsas Infantry Battalion . The unit was eventually consolidated with remnants of McCraver ' s 14th Arkansas Infantry Battalion and the consolidated unit was re - designated as the 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment . The 21st Arkansas fought in all of the engagements of the Vicksburg campaign , and ended up surrounded and besieged at Vicksburg and surrendered with the rest of Pemberton ' s command . After being paroled and exchanged back to Arkansas , the regiment was consolidated with the remnants of several other Arkansas regiments to become 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment ( Trans - Mississippi ) . Another Arkansas Infantry Regiment , first commanded by Colonel Frank A . Rector and later commanded by Colonel John Griffith was also designated as the 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment ( Griffith ' s ) . Organization . The Seventeenth Arkansas regiment was organized from six companies from Conway , Johnson , Pope and Yell counties on January 3 , 1862 , at Fairfield , Yell county . The regiment recruited only two more before it was ordered east of the Mississippi River by General Earl Van Dorn . The field and staff officers were : The unit was composed of volunteer companies from the following counties : Battles . The 17th Arkansas was ordered to Jacksonport . Records exist of soldiers from this unit being injured when the steamer " Cambridge " sank on February 23 , 1862 , while transporting Lemoyne ' s regiment across the White River between Grand Glaize and Augusta . The Company G of Yell County and Company H of Prairie County were added on February 15 , 1862 . The regiment was ordered to accompany General Van Dorn to Mississippi , and a return of troops shows Lemoyne ' s regiment , now listed as the 17th Arkansas Battalion at Corinth in early May 1862 . During the reorganization of the army at Corinth , the 17th Arkansas was consolidated with McCarver ' s 14th Arkansas , and redesignated as the 21st Arkansas Regiment . The existing 21st Arkansas was redesignated as the 15th ( Northwest ) Arkansas Infantry . The 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment was assigned to the Army of the West under General Price in north Mississippi and participated with credit in the battle of Corinth . The 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment took part in the Battle of Big Black River Bridge , May 17 , 1863 , and endured the Siege of Vicksburg until the capitulation of Pemberton , July 4 , 1863 . Colonel Cravens was captured at the Big Black and , with the other officers , was sent a prisoner to Johnson ' s Island . Colonel Cravens became circuit judge and representative in Congress ; Colonel Pitman , circuit judge and State senator ; Capt . B . B . Chisom , secretary of State ; F . J . Spurlin , private , who lost a leg , was many years treasurer of Garland county ; Col . O . P . Lyles became representative in Congress . Consolidation and Surrender . In September 1864 , 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment was consolidated with the remnants of 14th Arkansas Infantry Regiment ( Powers ' ) , 15th ( Northwest ) Arkansas Infantry Regiment , and the 16th Arkansas Infantry Regiment in the Army of the Trans - Mississippi , and designated as the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment ( Trans - Mississippi ) under the command of Colonel Jordan E . Cravens . The 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry ( Trans - Mississippi ) Regiment was surrendered by General Kirby Smith with the remainder of the Department of the Trans - Mississippi on May 26 , 1865 .