7th Arkansas Confederate Infantry Co. I / 79th New York Highlanders Co. I

7th Arkansas Confederate Infantry Co. I / 79th New York Highlanders Co. I

website: http://www.geocities.com/seventh_arkansas/

The Seventh Arkansas Infantry was organized by Col. Robert Glenn "Fightin' Bob" Shaver in Lawrence County at the village of Smithville on June 16, 1861. Less than a month later the regiment was mustered into Confederate service at Camp Shaver near Pocahontas, AR. At the time, Pocahontas was known as Bettis Bluff. During the first few months of the War, other units in the army dubbed the regiment the "Ragged Seventh" due to their ragged civilian clothing and rough appearance. But that all changed when the Seventh suffered massive casualties while tearing up the Yankees at Shiloh, thus earning a re-dubbing by General Hardee to the nickname of "Bloody Seventh." The Bloody Seventh was known as such for the remainder of the War.