31st Arkansas Infantry Regiment

31st Arkansas Infantry (Confederate)
Arkansas state flag
Active	1862–63
Country	CSA
Branch	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Engagements	American Civil War Siege of Corinth Kentucky Campaign Battle of Richmond Vicksburg Campaign Battle of Jackson Siege of Jackson Chickamauga Campaign Battle of Chickamauga
Disbanded	May 25, 1865

American Civil War

The 31st Arkansas Infantry (1862–1863) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War from the state of Arkansas. The 31st Arkansas 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 Mounted Rifles.

In the fall of 1861, the Confederacy was in need of more soldiers. Lieutenant Thomas H. McCray of the 5th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was sent back to Arkansas from Kentucky by General William Hardee to recruit one or more companies of "sharpshooters" from the north central part of the state including Conway, Independence, Jackson, Pope, Van Buren, and Yell Counties McCray began enlisting soldiers in early November, and by late November, had two companies totaling 150 men at Pocahontas, Arkansas as part of a brigade size force under the command of Colonel Solon Borland. McCray’s recruits were retained in Arkansas by Colonel Borland because he had received intelligence that the state was under the threat of invasion from Southeastern Missouri.

As early as mid December 1861, the 150 recruits under "Major McCray" were being referred to as McCray’s Battalion. By January 25, 1862, McCray had formerly organized a four-company battalion of 300 Arkansas volunteers and had been elected major. McCray continued to refer to his new command as a battalion of sharpshooters. On February 5, Major McCray reported that he had four more companies ready to join his unit and was requesting permission to organize a full regiment. McCray's desire to immediately increase his command to a regiment was delayed by bigger events in the war. On March 6–8, General Van Dorn had led his Army of the West to defeat at the Battle of Pea Ridge, in northwest Arkansas. In the wake of this defeat, Van Dorn was ordered to move his forces east of the Mississippi River in an attempt to unite the Army of the West with the Confederate Army of Mississippi to attack Grant at Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee. McCray had continued his recruiting efforts and by March 23, McCray's Battalion left Jacksonport on April 6 and marched overland to Des Arc. On April 15 the unit was reported with an aggregate strength of 346 men with 21 officers and 256 men fit for duty. By April 22 the unit had moved down the White River and up the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee, where several of the unit sick were left in the hospital. The unit received orders to move to Corinth Mississippi, but as late as April 27, several companies from the battalion were involved in an effort to destroy cotton stored near the river north of Memphis to prevent it from falling into Northern hands.