19th and 24th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment

19th (Hardy's) Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
Arkansas state flag
Active	1863–May 26, 1865
Country	Confederate States of America
Allegiance	Arkansas
Branch	Confederate States Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Engagements	American Civil War Little Rock Campaign Red River Campaign Battle of Pleasant Hill Battle of Jenkins Ferry
Disbanded	May 26, 1865

American Civil War

The 19th and 24th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment (1863–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was assembled from the portions of Dawson's 19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and the 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, that were not present when the garrison of Arkansas Post surrendered. The unit is most often referred to as Hardy's Arkansas Infantry Regiment, but by the late stages of the war, the unit was simply referred to simply as Hardy's 19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. The portions of the 19th Arkansas and the 24th Arkansas which did surrender with the garrison of Arkansas Post were ultimately released east of the Mississippi River and were also briefly designated as the 19th and 24th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment, in Govan's Brigade of the Army of Tennessee, but that consolidation ended after the Battle of Chickamauga. The 19th and 24th Consolidated Arkansas Infantry Regiment served in the Department of the Trans-Mississippi from its formation in February 1863 until the close of the war.

Hardy's Regiment was organized around February 1863 by consolidating the portions of the 19th (Dawson's) and 24th Arkansas and Crawford's Arkansas Infantry Battalion that were not captured at the Battle of Arkansas Post on January 11, 1863. Detachments from these organizations were on duty at other locations the time Union force began the attack on Fort Hindman at Arkansas Post.

It would seem at the time of the attack on Arkansas Post the 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and Crawford's Arkansas Infantry Battalion were stationed at St. Charles preparing to place two 8inch 32 pounder smooth bore columbiad guns from the CSS Ponchartrain in battery there. When the news of the battle at Arkansas Post reached them, Colonel Portlock and approximately 147 men from the two units made a forced march from St. Charles to Arkansas Post but arrived just in time to be surrendered with the garrison.