The 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment or Josey's Arkansas Infantry Regiment (also known as "Polk's regiment" or "Cleburne's regiment") was an infantry formation in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was organized in May 1861 under the command of Colonel Patrick Cleburne. 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. There were two other regiments which also received the designation of "15th Arkansas". The 21st (McRae's) Arkansas Infantry was redesignated 15th Arkansas in February 1863, but to avoid confusion, was normally referred to as the "Northwest regiment". This second "15th Arkansas" was surrendered at Vicksburg in July 1863. A third regiment, under command of Colonels Gee and later Johnson, also received the designation 15th Arkansas Infantry. This last regiment surrendered at Port Hudson, Louisiana, in July 1863.

Organization

The 1st Regiment, Arkansas State Troops, was organized mainly from existing volunteer militia companies several of which had participated in the seizure of the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock.

Organized from State Militia Units Ten Volunteer Companies were enrolled in State service on May 14, 1861, at Camp Rector, near Mound City, above Memphis on the Mississippi River. Seven of the original ten companies had initially been organized under the state militia laws. Captain Patrick R. Cleburne, of the Yell Rifles, was elected Colonel of the regiment. As the very first regiment of the line authorized by the Arkansas State Military Board in the Civil War, they bore the title of 1st Regiment, Arkansas State Troops. The regiment was formally organized with the following Volunteer Companies:

Company NameCounty Militia RegimentCommanderOrganization DateCompany A"Harris Guards"Monroe35th Militia RegimentCapt. James T. HarrisMay 27, 1861Company B"Jefferson Guards"Jefferson24th Militia RegimentCapt. Charles H. CarltonSeptember 24, 1860Company C"Yell Guards"JeffersonNoneCapt. Francis M. McNallyCompany D"Rector Guards"Prairie50th Militia RegimentCapt. George W. GlennFebruary 12, 1861Company E"Napoleon Grays"Desha6th Militia RegimentCapt. Henry E. GreenFebruary 28, 1861Company F"Yell Riflemen"Phillips12th Militia RegimentCapt. Patrick R. CleburneJanuary 29, 1861Company G"Hindman Guards"WhiteNoneCapt. Henry B. BlakemoreApril 18, 1861Company H"Phillips Guards"Phillips12th Militia RegimentCapt. George OteySeptember 17, 1860Company I"Tyronza Rebels"MississippiNoneCapt. Robert L. HardingJune 3, 1861Company K"Monroe Blues"Monroe35th Militia RegimentCapt. Gaston K. BaldwinMay 16, 1861

When Captain Cleburne was appointed colonel of the new regiment, Captain Edward H. Cowley was elected to succeed him in command of the Yell Rifles, Company F.

Transferred to Confederate Service

The regiment moved via steamboat from Camp Rector down the Mississippi and back up the White River to Pocahontas, Arkansas, where they were sworn into Confederate service. Under the command of Colonel Patrick Cleburne, the unit was transferred from state service to Confederate service on July 23, 1861, at Pitman's Ferry, AR and was initially designated as the 1st Arkansas Infantry; This transfer was not binding on the men, who could opt out if they so desired. The men of Company C (Yell Guards) and Company G (Hindman Guards) declined to transfer to the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, so the men were honorably discharged and their companies were disbanded.

After July 1861, the 1st/15th Arkansas had only eight companies, making it, in effect, a "heavy" battalion, rather than a full regiment, but the unit was kept on the army rolls as a regiment throughout the war. The following companies were transferred into Confederate Service:

Company A – Harris Guards. Company B – Yell Rifles. Company C – Napoleon Grays. Company D – Tyronza Rebels. Company E – Monroe Blues. Company F – Phillips Guards. Company G – Rector Guards. Company H – Jefferson Guards.

Re-designated as the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment The Regiment conducted its initial training at Pitman's Ferry and was assigned to a division commanded by Confederate General William Hardee's Division. They made a short excursion or raid into southeast Missouri in September, and in October, moved with the rest of Hardee's command across the river into Kentucky, becoming Hardee's Division, Army of Central Kentucky. At the time the regiment was moved across the Mississippi River, it contained 506 men. By January 1862 the Confederate War Department had discovered that there was already a "1st Arkansas Infantry" enrolled in Confederate service. Col James Fleming Fagan's regiment was accepted and enrolled in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States at Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 19, 1861, as the 1st Regiment Arkansas Volunteers. When the Confederate War Department realized that it had two "First Arkansas" regiments, it arbitrarily assigned what their records showed was the next available designation, "the 15th Arkansas Regiment" and ordered Cleburne's regiment to adopt this designation. The regiment was redesignated as the 15th Arkansas Infantry on December 31, 1861. Unfortunately the Arkansas State Military Board had already authorized the use of this designation for Col. James M. Gee's regiment. Effectively the Confederate Army went from having two 1st Arkansas Regiments to having two 15th Arkansas Regiments; however, these designations stuck for the rest of the war. Thus, by January 1862 Cleburne's 1st Arkansas Regiment was reorganized for the war as the 15th Arkansas Regiment, as follows:

Company A – Harris Guards. Company B – Jefferson Guards. Company C – Yell Rifles. Company D – Napoleon Grays. Company E – Tyronza Rebels. Company F – Monroe Blues. Company G – Phillips Guards. Company H – Rector Guards.

Commanders Colonel Cleburne was appointed Brigadier General in March 1862, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel Archibald K. Patton. After the battle of Shiloh, Colonel Lucius E. Polk took command. Colonel Polk was appointed Brigadier General in December 1862, and was succeeded by Colonel John E. Josey. The U.S. War Department cataloged the regiment's Compiled Service Records as the 15th (Josey's) Arkansas Infantry.

Battles General Hardee took the 7th Arkansas Battalion with him when he transferred his command to Kentucky and organized the Confederate Army of Central Kentucky and Colonel Cleburne was placed in command of a new brigade which included his 15th Arkansas, the 6th Mississippi, and the 23rd, 24th and 35th Tennessee Regiments.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 7., Book, 1882; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154610/m1/858/?q=Army of Mississippi : accessed June 27, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. 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. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald K. Patton, the 15th Arkansas saw its first combat at the Battle of Shiloh, April 6–7, 1862, where it suffered heavy casualties in driving back Sherman's division of Union troops.

In early May 1862 the Confederate forces 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 additional 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.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 10, In Two Parts. Part 2, Correspondence, etc., Book, 1884; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154614/m1/500/?q=Army of Mississippi : accessed June 17, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. 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.

After reorganizing at Corinth, the regiment participated with Cleburne's Brigade in the Confederate Army of the Mississippi during the Battles of Richmond and Perryville, Kentucky, in October 1862. Due to heavy losses suffered by the 13th Arkansas during the Battle of Shiloh, the 13th and the 15th Arkansas were consolidated during the Kentucky Campaign. The consolidated regiment was commanded by Colonel Lucius Eugene Polk of the 15th Arkansas. The regiment lost 2 killed and 19 wounded at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky. When the Army of Mississippi was reorganized and redesignated the Army of Tennessee, the regiment was assigned to first Polk's then Liddell's and finally to Govan's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. During the Battle of Murfreesboro the 13th/15th Arkansas was further consolidated with the 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment and the consolidated regiment was commanded by Colonel John W. Colquitt.United States. War Dept. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 20, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1887; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154629 : accessed February 06, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries, Denton, Texas. The 13th/15th reported 68 casualties at Murfreesborough.

In September 1863 the 15th was field consolidated with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment and during December 1863 the 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was added to the field consolidation. During December, 1863, the 2nd/15th/24th totaled 295 men and 202 arms. The unit served with the army from the Battle of Chickamauga and the Battles for Chattanooga, and throughout the Atlanta campaign.Cleburne's Pickett's Mill Battle Report, O.R.– SERIES 1–VOLUME XXXVIII/3, May I-September 8, 1864. – THE ATLANTA (GEORGIA) CAMPAIGN, No. 608.–Report of Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne, C. S. Army, commanding division, of operations May 7–27, republished at Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, accessed 15 February 2012, http://www.gastateparks.org/item/121726?ran=612032762 . 2012-02-18.