Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Arkansas
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1861
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| October | Three companies were organized at Hot Springs, El Dorado, and Pine Bluff and moved to Virginia to join with the First Arkansas Infantry Regiment. |
| October 29 | But when they arrived the 1st Arkansas had its full complement of companies. The three companies organized as a battalion under the command of Major William N. Bronaugh of Little Rock. The three companies were commanded by Captains Joseph Gregory, Henry H. Beavers, and John R. Lacey. The Battalion was assigned to French’s Brigade, Aquia District, Department of Northern Virginia and served on picket duty along the Potomac. |
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1862
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| April | Assigned to Whiting’s Brigade of Smith’s Division of the Army of Northern Virginia |
| May 31-June 1 |
Battle of Seven Pines |
| June 26 |
Battle of Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville)The Battalion, with 208 men, was in the first wave of an assault on formidable Union positions, crossing the open ground of a swamp backed up behind a beaver dam. By the end of the fight Major Bronaugh was mortally wounded with only 12 men with him around the colors. After stragglers and lightly wounded men rejoined the ranks the next day there were only 42 men. All the battalion officers and non-commissioned officers were dead or wounded so no report was written or official casualty list created, but it was established that twenty-seven men were killed and more than 100 wounded. |
| June 27 |
Battle of Gaines’ Mill |
| July 18 | The 139 survivors merged into Companies F and I of the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment. Most were discharged and returned to Arkansas due to wounds or sickness. Those who stayed experienced some of the heaviest fighting of the war at Gettysburg, Chickamauga, The Wilderness and Spotsylvania. Nevertheless, at Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, 14 men from the original Second Arkansas Battalion Infantry were still in the field. |