Arkansas History Commission

Arkansas History Commission
1 Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201

website: http://www.ark-ives.com/

One of the oldest existing state agencies, the Arkansas History Commission was created by the General Assembly in 1905. Inspired and guided during its early years by John Hugh Reynolds, the Commission is the official archives of the state, responsible for collecting and preserving the source materials of the history of Arkansas.

Dallas T. Herndon, the first director, was employed in 1911 and served for forty-two years. During most of his tenure the offices and archives were located in the present State Capitol. In 1951, when the Old State House was restored, the History Commission was moved into a part of the west wing of that building. Under Herndon's successor, Ted R. Worley, a three-story annex was added to the west wing. Dr. John L. Ferguson became director of the History Commission in 1960 and served through April 2005. Dr. Wendy Richter became director in May 2005.

The agency continues the tradition of organizing and maintaining the state and local history of Arkansas by collecting manuscript materials, census records, military records, family histories, and various county, state and federal records. The History Commission, which in 1971 became part of the Department of Parks and Tourism, moved into its present quarters in the One Capitol Mall Building in 1979. The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives became a branch of the Arkansas History Commission in 2005.

As the Commission has grown, so has its patronage, serving over 14,000 persons annually in recent years. The history of Arkansas can be researched through manuscripts, books, microfilm, newspapers, maps, and photographs.

The History Commission is composed of seven members appointed by the Governor with the approval of the State Senate. Members serve seven-year terms staggered so that one expires each January. Members may be appointed for additional terms.

Arkansas Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page

Arkansas Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Home Page

website: http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/

Informational directory about Arkansans who served during the American Civil War, both Confederate and Union connections.

1st Arkansas Infantry Company D Reenactors

1st Arkansas Infantry Company D Reenactors

website: http://www.1starkansas.org/

The 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Company D (Clan McGregor) is a living history organization based in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Our membership is composed of a wide variety of people who promote the local history of Jefferson County and that of Arkansas, in general. We principally portray a unit of Confederate infantry serving in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. For historical continuity, we have chosen as our namesake a unit of the Confederate Army of Tennessee known as Company D, 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry, and the Clan McGregor of Pine Bluff. In addition to our Confederate impression, we also portray, from time to time, a unit of Federal infantry serving west of the Mississippi River.

The Capital Guards - Company A 6th Arkansas Infantry

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

website: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Base/6595/

The 6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was mustered and organized at Little Rock, Arkansas on June 10, 1861 with the election of Col. Richard Lyon as Colonel, A.T. Hawthorn as Lt. Col., and D.L. Kilgore as Major. C.A. Bridewell was appointed adjutant and John F. Ritchie as adjutant. Company commanders were Co.A, the "Capital Guards" of Little Rock, Cpt. Gordon N. Peay; Co. B, the "Dallas Volunteer Rifles" of Calhoun county, Cpt. P.H. Echols; Co. C, the "Dallas Rifles", Cpt. F.J. Cameron; Co. D, the "Ouachita Voyageurs" of Ouachita county, Cpt. J.W. Kingswell; Co. E, the "Dixie Grays" of Arkansas county, Cpt. Sam G. Smith; Co. F, the "Lafayette Guards"of Lafayette county, Cpt. Sam H. Dill; Co. G, the "Columbia Guards" of Magnolia county, Cpt. J.W. Austin; Co. H, the "City Guards"of Camden, Cpt. S.H. Southerland; Co. I, the "Lisbon Invincibles" of Union county, Cpt. Sam Turner; and Co. K, the "Ouachita Grays" of Ouachita county, Cpt. Hope T. Hodnett.

The regiment was initially armed mostly with flintlock M1816/M1822 .69 cal. smoothbore muskets seized from the Little Rock arsenal in February, 1861. Co. A, the right flank company, was armed with a mixture of M1841 "Mississippi rifles" and .69 cal. smoothbores, as there weren't enough of the rifles to go around.....

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.

The Southern Memorial Association of Washington County, Arkansas

The Southern Memorial Association of Washington County, Arkansas

website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~arsma/

"Let the women of the South organize memorial associations, for it is the women who must see that those who gave their lives for the greatest cause the world has ever known, must live forever in the hearts of the Southern people."

This was the appeal that Father Abram Joseph Ryan made in the spring of the year 1866. Father Ryan was a Catholic priest, journalist, and poet, and had served as a Chaplain in the Confederate army.

Following in this spirit, about 40 Fayetteville ladies met on Monday June 10, 1872, at the Methodist Church South, to begin the task of securing a piece of land which would be the permanent resting place for Confederate dead. Just one year later on Tuesday June 10, 1873, the ladies dedicated the Confederate Cemetery and the first graves were decorated. The largest crowd ever assembled in the county, since the burial of Col. Archibald Yell, gathered that day to attend the first annual Southern Memorial Day service.

Today, the Confederate Cemetery located at the top of East Rock Street, is still privately owned and maintained by the Southern Memorial Association of Washington County, Arkansas, holding to the same purpose and devotion as the ladies of 1872.

The Southern Memorial Association is the oldest continuous women's organization in Washington County. It is possibly the oldest women's organization that has remained in continous operation in the entire State of Arkansas.

Please feel welcome to contact any of the officers with suggestions or concerns you may have about the Southern Memorial Association or the Confederate Cemetery. The officers wish to serve the purposes of the association in a dignified and orderly manner so that we all can be proud of this historic Confederate Cemetery.

Arkansas Division Sons of Confederate Veterans

Arkansas Division Sons of Confederate Veterans

website: http://www.arkansas-scv.org/

Following the War Between the States, the surviving Confederate soldiers came together to form an organization known as the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) with the purpose of preserving the southern heritage. The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is the heir to this legacy.

Formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and nonpolitical organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 periods preserved for future generations.

Today, programs are ongoing at the national, state, and local level. In Arkansas, we take particular interest in the preservation and marking of Confederate soldier's graves, support of historical re-enactment efforts, education of our young people and attendance at regular meetings to discuss the military and political history of the period.

The SCV rejects any person, group whose actions tarnishes, or brings dishonor upon the Confederate soldier or his reason for fighting. This particularly applies to those groups and persons using our cherished flag as symbols for their own dishonorable purposes, and those who would rewrite the history.

The Civil War in Arkansas

The Civil War in Arkansas

website: http://www.civilwarbuff.org/

The Civil War in Arkansas website includes a searchable database so you can find out what happened in various counties during the war in Arkansas, Civil War stories about ancestors of current Arkansans, information about several groups in Arkansas dedicated to recording, reenacting and studying our Civil War heritage, and an interactive message board in which you can share all you know (or would like to know) about the Civil War in Arkansas.

This site, the first to be devoted to information about the Civil War in Arkansas, made its debut on Memorial Day, May 26, 1997 and is a result of the combined efforts of Aristotle Internet Access and the Civil War Roundtable of Arkansas.