7th Arkansas infantry

[7tharkinf]

Was wondering if anyone knew of any good books or articles on the 7th Arkansas infantry any help would be appreciated.

[Stephen Lunsford]

Re: 7th Arkansas infantry

Here are some accounts of the 7th Arkansas at Murfreesboro and Jonesboro:

From page 97-98“No Better Place to Die,” by Peter Cozzens. On December 31, 1862 at 7:30am, at the Battle of Murfreesboro, the 7th Arkansas and Liddell's Brigade attacked and repulsed Baldwin's Federal brigade. Here is a small act of kindness that occurred after the bloodshed:

John Berry of the Seventh Arkansas recalled a brief but poignant encounter with a wounded Federal at the wood's edge. Stopping to place a piece of wood under the Yankee's shattered leg, Berry remarked that he was “nearly dead for water.” The grateful soldier offered Berry his canteen. He declined, reminding the Federal that he would need it for himself. But the soldier insisted, and so Berry took a few swallows of “the best water, it seemed, that I ever drank. If that man is still alive,” Berry later wrote in Confederate Veteran, “I should like to hear from him.”

From page 310-311“Echoes of Battle: The Atlanta Campaign,” Larry Strayer and Richard Baumgartner
On September 1, 1864, the combined 6th/7th Arkansas took part in the ill-fated attacks at the battle of Jonesboro, Georgia.

Private William A. Halliburton (pictured) 6th/7th Arkansas, was among the 615 officers and enlisted men of Govan's brigade to be captured on September 1 at Jonesboro. Private Stanford C. Harley, also of the 6th/7th, wrote a short time later, “We were stretched one yard apart, trying to cover the enemy's front. The second assault was made in seven columns with fixed bayonets, guns atrail, and without firing a gun they ran over us like a drove of Texas beeves, by sheer force of numbers. We killed and wounded a great many of them, but our line was too weak.” Halliburton was exchanged with Govan's entire brigade on September 19 and survived the war.
Here is Harley's account of the battle:

Private Stanard C. Harley, Company C, 6th/7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry:

We were in single rank, one yard apart, engaged in an effort to cover Sherman's front of six corps, which made our line very weak. Govan's brigade was the second from the right, occupying a curved back to keep Thomas from striking in the rear of our line. Lewis' Kentucky brigade was on our right, curving still further back.
I suppose it was about 3 o'clock when a brigade composed of the 17th New York Zouaves and the 15th and 16th U.S. Regulars charged our regiment, and we sent them back about as fast or a little faster than they came. Our regiment occupied a level piece of ground that dropped suddenly some six or eight feet in a right oblique direction from our front. The assaulting column fell back behind this low ground. The colonel of our regiment ordered two men from each company forward as videttes to see when the enemy was coming, which we felt for sure they would do soon.
A man named Elledge and I were sent forward from our company about 150 yards in front. I was shooting at a line to the left in a field, the rear rank holding the guns while the front rank was doing the mole-digging act—digging as hard as they could. I had my sights raised to 200 yards and had fired, maybe, a half dozen shots, and had my gun loaded and was ready to shoot again, when a column of troops came up over the bank to my right. They were about as near our line as I was, and it was a race to see who would get there first. As I had the greater incentive (self-preservation), I beat them back by a neck.
The 8th and 19th (consolidated) Arkansas were on our left with no enemy in their immediate front, as the assault was made from the right. This regiment was enfilading the left of our regiment, which was making it pretty hot for the assaulting column, especially the right.
There was a hickory tree immediately in my front about 10 feet away, about as large as an ordinary man's body. Behind the hickory tree I squirreled it. I saw a color bearer who was protected from the enfilading fire, but within my range. I brought my gun down, and as I lowered it I noticed that I had my sights raised to 200 yards, so I lowered my gun correspondingly and fired, and he fell—whether killed or not I never knew.
Elledge, who was sent out with me and who always called me “Stanley,” even though that was not my name, cried out: “There, Stanley, you got one!” As soon as I fired I squatted behind our little log works, got out another cartridge and looked up to insert it in my gun above me—and there were two Federal soldiers standing above me with fixed bayonets and cocked guns.
I was so frightened that I forgot that I had not loaded my gun, though I had started to do so. I jumped from under their bayonets, placed my gun near one's breast and snapped it, and did the rabbit act at a two-forty rate away from there. Five or six of us ran out, but only one was killed. It is miraculous how we escaped, under the circumstances. The only way I can account for it is that the greater part of the regiment surrendered, which occupied the attention of the men until we got, perhaps, 60 yards away through the thick saplings before they fired at us; and when they did there was a tremendous racket among the saplings around us, which had a wonderful effect on our locomotion.
Our pace was fast. All that kept us from flying was we didn't have out wings with us. We ran a short distance and met Gen. Maney's brigade coming as a reinforcement, and seeing our division commander, Gen. Pat Cleburne, we reported to him what had occurred and he told us to take our places with Gen. Granbury's brigade of Texans, which we did. And thus ended the battle of Jonesboro so far as we were concerned.