Crawford's Arkansas Infantry Battalion

Crawford's Arkansas Infantry Battalion (Confederate)
Arkansas state flag
Active	1862 to 1863
Country	Confederate States of America
Allegiance	CSA
Branch	Infantry
Engagements	Battle of Arkansas Post

The Crawford's Arkansas Infantry Battalion (1862–1863) was a Confederate Army infantry battalion during the American Civil War.

The unit was organized with two companies in the spring of 1862 and was mustered into Confederate service on June 23, 1862. The unit was composed of the following companies:

On August 11, 1862, Lieutenant Colonel William A Crawford, who was from Benton in Saline County, and who originally commanded Company E, 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment, was ordered to report to Colonel Robert G. Shaver to assume command of the "extra companies of the 19th Arkansas and the 33rd Arkansas. Colonel Shaver was acting as post commander of Pine Bluff and commander of the Camp of Instruction at Sulphur Springs, just outside Pine Bluff. The 19th and the 33rd had each been formed as "heavy regiments", with more men in each company than the seventy-five dictated by regulations and with more companies than the standard ten companies for an infantry regiment. It was apparently the intent of General Hindman that Crawford's new command would eventually be increased to regimental strength, but this did not occur before the Battle of Arkansas Post.

Lieutenant Colonel Crawford had been wounded during the battle Shiloh, in April 1862. When the 1st Arkansas was reorganized near Corinth following the battle of Shiloh, Crawford replaced Lieutenant Colonel Thompson, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on May 18, 1862. Crawford apparently led the 1st Arkansas during the Battle of Farmington, but he resigned his position on July 21, 1862, and by August 1862 he was back in Arkansas organizing an infantry battalion from recruits and conscripts at Sulphur Springs. On September 28, 1862, his battalion was order to Clarendon Arkansas with the rest of the troops from Sulphur Springs.

The battalion's only engagement was the Battle of Arkansas Post, Arkansas January 9–11, 1863. Crawford's Battalion was part of the 5,000 soldiers commanded by Confederate Brigadier General Thomas J. Churchill at Fort Hindman. The new year of 1863 brought a Federal invasion force of some 33,000 men and three ironclad gunboats, all under the overall command of Major General John A. McClernand, to Arkansas Post. On January 4, the Federal force attacked Fort Hindman from two directions. At 1:00 pm on January 11, 1863, the Federal ironclads Louisville, DeKalb, and Cincinnati on the Arkansas River commenced shelling the Confederate defenders, silencing Fort Hindman's cannons by around 4:00 pm. During the bombardment, the Arkansas soldiers fought off two attempts by the 3rd Missouri and 31st Iowa Infantries to turn the Confederate flank. Federal Brigadier General Alvin P. Hovey then directed two 12-pounder Napoleon cannons to shell the Arkansas positions; after two salvoes, white flags were displayed from the Confederate earthworks near the fort. Confusion ensued since some of the Southern defenders under Colonel James Deshler and adjacent to the 19th Arkansas Infantry kept firing their muskets despite the white flags. Negotiations then ensued between Confederate and Union commanders with Major General William Tecumseh Sherman asking Colonel Deshler "What does this mean? You are a regular officer, and ought to know better!" Deshler angrily replied that he had received no orders to surrender, but was then convinced by Confederate Brigadier General Churchill to have his men stack arms. Union casualties were reported as 134 killed, 989 wounded, and 29 missing; incomplete returns of Confederate losses indicated 60 killed and 80 wounded. However, 4,791 Confederate soldiers, including much of Crawford's Infantry Battalion, were captured.