Arkansas Black Civil War History
Black Union Regiments from Arkansas
Early Regiments Organized
1st Battery Light Artillery (African Descent) ----This unit was organized at Pine Bluff, Arkansas June 4, 1864. Garrison duty at Pine Bluff, Ark. 7th Army Corps, Dept of Arkansas till December 1864. designation changed to Battery "H" 2nd U.S. Colored Light Artillery, December 13, 1864. (see below)
1st Regiment Infantry (African Descent)----This unit was organized in Arkansas at large May 1, 1863. Attached to Post of Goodrich Landing, District of Northeast Louisiana, Dept. Tennessee, to January, 1864. 1st Colored Brigade, District of Vicksburg, Miss., to May, 1864. SERVICE--Moved to Lake Providence, La., May 8-10, 1863, thence to Goodrich Landing and Post duty there until January, 1864. Skirmish at Mound Plantation June 24, 1863. Lake Providence and Mound Plantation June 28. Action at Goodrich Landing June 29. Duty at Haines Bluff, District of Vicksburg, until May, 1864. Designation of Regiment changed to 46th U.S. Colored Troops May 11, 1864.
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2nd Regiment Infantry (African Descent)--This regiment was organized in Arkansas at large September 4, 1863. Attached to District Eastern Arkansas, Dept. Arkansas, to January, 1864. District Eastern Arkansas, 7th Army Corps, Dept. Arkansas, January, 1864. Post of Little Rock, Ark., 7th Corps, to March, 1864. SERVICE.--Post and Garrison duty at Helena, Ark., until January, 1864. Repulse of Holmes' attack on Helena July 4, 1863 (before muster in). Ordered to Little Rock, Ark., January, 1864, and Post duty there until March. Designation of Regiment changed to 54th U. S. Colored Troops March 11, 1864.
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3rd Regiment Infantry (African Descent)---This regiment was organized in St. Louis, Mo., August 12, 1863. Attached to District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. Arkansas, to January, 1864. Little Rock, Ark., 7th Army Corps, Dept. Ark., to March, 1864. SERVICE--Ordered to Helena, Ark., and Post duty there and at Little Rock until March, 1864. Expedition from Helena up White River February 4-8, 1864, and up St. Francis River February 13-14. Designation of Regiment changed to 56th U.S. Colored Troops March 11, 1864
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4th Regiment Infantry (African Descent)--This regiment was organized at Devall's Bluff, Little Rock and Helena, Ark., December 2, 1863. Attached to District of Eastern Arkansas, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to March, 1864, and on duty at Helena. Designation of Regiment changed to 57th U.S. Colored Troops March 11, 1864
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5th Regiment Infantry (African Descent) (See 112th United States Colored Troops)
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6th Regiment Infantry (African Descent) (See 113th United States Colored Troops)
United States Colored Troops
Arkansas
Battery H. 2nd Regiment Light Artillery - Organized from the 1st Arkansas Battery of African Descent, on December 13, 1864. Attached to the Post of Pine Bluff, Arkansas., 7th Corp, Department of Arkansas to September 1865. SERVICE---Garrison duty at Pine Bluff, ARk, entire term. Expedition to Mount Elba, Arkansas and skirmish at Saline River, January 22,-February 4, 1865. Mustered out September 15, 1865.
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11th U.S. Colored Infantry (Old) - Organized at Fort Smith, Arkansas December 19, 1863 to March 3, 1864. Attached to 2nd Brigade, District of the Frontier, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to January, 1865. Colored Brigade, 7th Corps, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 7th Corps, to April, 1865. SERVICE--Post and garrison duty at Fort Smith, Ark., until November, 1864. Action at Fort Smith August 24. Moved to Little Rock, Ark., November, 1864. Action at Boggs' Mill January 24, 1865. Duty at Little Rock and at Lewisburg, Ark., until April, 1865. Consolidated with 112th and 113th to form new 113th U.S. Colored Troop April 22, 1865. More information on the history of the 11th US Colored Infantry (Old) can be found here. Names of the soldiers that enlisted in the 11th can be found here. Several headstones of soldiers that served in the 11th have been located and documented here.
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46th Regiment Infantry--This unit was organized from 1st Arkansas Infantry, African Descent, May 11, 1864. Attached to Post of Milliken's Bend, La., District of Vicksburg, Miss., to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division. U.S. Colored Troops, District of Vicksburg, Miss.. until January, 1865. 2nd Brigade, Post and Defenses of Memphis, Tenn., District West Tennessee, to February, 1865. New Orleans, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to May, 1865. Dept. of Texas, to January, 1866. SERVICE--Post and garrison duty at Milliken's Bend, La., and at Haines' Bluff, Miss., until January, 1865. Actions at Mound Plantation. Miss., June 24 and 29, 1864. Ordered to Memphis, Tenn., January, 1865, and garrison duty there until February, 1865. Ordered to New Orleans, La., February 23, and duty there until May 4. Ordered to Brazos Santiago, Texas, May 4. Duty at Clarksville and Brownsville on the Rio Grande, Texas, until January, 1866. Mustered out January 30, 1866.
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54th U.S. Colored Infantry-Organized March 11, 1864, from 2nd Arkansas Infantry (African Descent). Attached to 2nd Brigade Frontier Division, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 7th Corps, to August, 1865. Dept. of Arkansas to December, 1866. SERVICE--Duty at Helena, Ark., until May, 1864. Ordered to Fort Smith, Ark., and duty there until January, 1865. Actions at Fort Gibson September 16, 1864. Cabin Creek September 19. Cow Creek, Kansas, November 14 and 28. Ordered to Little Rock January, 1865. Action on Arkansas River January 18. Duty at Little Rock and at various points in Dept. of Arkansas until December, 1866. Mustered out August 8 to December 31, 1866.
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56th U.S. Colored Infantry--Organized March 11, 1864, from 3rd Alabama Infantry (African Descent). Attached to District of Eastern Arkansas, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to August, 1865. Dept. of Arkansas to September, 1866. SERVICE-- Post and garrison duty at Helena, Ark., until February, 1865. Action at Indian Bay April 13, 1864. Muffleton Lodge June 29. Operations in Arkansas July 1-31. Wallace's Ferry, Big Creek, July 26. Expedition from Helena up White River August 29-September 3. Expedition from Helena to Friar's Point, Miss., February 19-22, 1865. Duty at Helena and other points in Arkansas until September, 1866. Mustered out September 15, 1866. Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 21 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 647 Enlisted men by disease. Total 674.
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57th U.S. Colored Infantry--Organized March 11, 1864, from 4th Arkansas Infantry (African Descent). Attached to District of Eastern Arkansas, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to May, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 7th Corps, to January, 1865. Colored Brigade, 7th Corps, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 7th Corps, to August, 1865. Dept. of Arkansas to December, 1866. SERVICE Garrison duty at Helena and Little Rock, Ark., until August, 1864. (A detachment on Steele's Camden Expedition March 23-May 3, 1864, as bridge train guard.) Skirmish near Little Rock April 26, 1864. Operations against Shelby north of Arkansas River May 13-31. Skirmishes near Little Rock May 24 and 28. March to Brownsville, Ark., August 23, and to Duvall's Bluff August 29. Duty there and at Little Rock until June, 1865; then at various points in the Dept. of Arkansas guarding property and on post duty until December, 1866. Companies "A" and "D" mustered out October 18-19, 1866. Regiment mustered out December 31, 1866.
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69th U.S. Colored Infantry--Organized at Pine Bluff, Duvall's Bluff and Helena, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn., December 14, 1864, to March 17, 1865. On duty at these points in Dept. of Arkansas and District of West Tennessee until September, 1865. Discontinued September 20, 1865.
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112 U.S. Colored Infantry--Organized at Little Rock, Ark., from 5th Arkansas Colored Infantry April 23 to November 8, 1864. Attached to 1st Division, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, June, 1864, to January, 1865. Colored Brigade, 7th Corps, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 7th Corps, to April, 1865. Post and garrison duty at Little Rock, Ark., entire term. Transferred to 113th United States Colored Troops (New) April 1, 1865.
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113th U.S. Colored Infantry (Old) Organized June 25, 1864, from 6th Arkansas Colored Infantry. Attached to 1st Division, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to January, 1865. Colored Brigade, 7th Corps, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 7th Corps, to April, 1865. SERVICE---Post and garrison duty at Little Rock, Ark., entire term. Consolidated with 11th United States Colored Troops (Old) and 112th United States Colored Troops to form 113th United States Colored Troops (New) April 1, 1865.
113th U.S. Colored Infantry (New)--Organized April 1, 1864, by consolidation of 11th United States Colored Troops (Old), 112th United States Colored Troops and 113th United States Colored Troops (Old). Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to August, 1865, and Dept. of Arkansas to April, 1866. Duty in Dept. of Arkansas. Mustered out April 9, 1866.