22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment

22nd Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
Flag of the 22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Possibly Post-War)
Active	November 17, 1861–June 9, 1865
Disbanded	June 9, 1865
Country	Confederate States of America
Allegiance	CSA
Branch	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Engagements	American Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge Battle of Prairie Grove Battle of Helena Battle of Little Rock Red River Campaign Battle of Pleasant Hill Battle of Jenkins Ferry

American Civil War

The 22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War (1862–1865). This regiment was originally organized as the 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, reorganized after the battle of Pea Ridge as 1st Regiment, Northwest Division, Trans-Mississippi Department, or Rector's War Regiment, redisgnated as the 35th Arkansas in the summer of 1862, and reorganized and redesignated as the 22nd Arkansas following the Battle of Prairie Grove. The unit was also sometimes referred to as, King's Arkansas Infantry or McCord's Arkansas Infantry. This was the second regiment to be officially designated as the 22nd Arkansas. The first was mustered in at DeValls Bluff, Arkansas, on April 9, 1862, and later reorganized as the 20th Arkansas Infantry Regiment.

The core of what became the 22nd Arkansas Infantry was originally organized as the 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, which was organized at Fort Smith, Arkansas, November 17, 1861. The 17th Arkansas Infantry was originally composed of volunteer companies from Sebastian, Washington, Madison and Hempstead Counties,

The 17th Arkansas's first major action was the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862 where, from some accounts, Rector's regiment did not acquit itself well. A Missouri (Confederate) artillery battery allegedly found the regiment's colors lying on the field, and for a time refused to return the flag to Rector, saying that a regiment that would abandon its colors in battle had no right to carry them after the battle. On March 20, 1862, Colonel Rector tendered his resignation as Colonel of the 17th Arkansas Infantry, On May 20, 1862, the Lieutenant Colonel Griffith and the officers of the regiment who were with General Van Dorn east of the Mississippi demanded a court of inquiry to attempt to clear the Regiment's name.

Whatever the truth behind the 17th Arkansas's retreat and break up following the Battle of Pea Ridge, by early May 1862 Colonel Rector and portions of Companies A, B, C, and G were still in Arkansas and the balance of the regiment was at Corinth, Mississippi, with the Army of the West, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Griffith. A battalion-sized 17th Arkansas fought at the Battle of Corinth, and this portion of the regiment would go on to form the 11th/17th Consolidated Mounted Infantry.