William D. Trotter Co. E, 24th Arkansas Infantry

William D. Trotter enlisted in Co. E, 24th Arkansas Infantry, at Monticello, Arkansas, on June 16, 1862; age 36, born in North Carolina; and was elected captain on the same date. He was on a thirty-day furlough when Arkansas Post fell to the Yankees, so he escaped being captured. About February 8, 1863, the uncaptured elements of the 19th and 24th Regiments were consolidated into Hardy's Arkansas Infantry, and Trotter became captain of Company B. He was subsequently promoted to major. That's the last record I have, so I don't know if he was eventually promoted to colonel or not. Other contributors to this board may have more information on this.

FEW WORDS about the term "deserted". Many of these soldiers have the word "deserted" after their names.. We  would like you to know that this is from the Microfilm from the National Archives. These soldiers may have been separated from their Units in the heat of battle, joined up with other Units and continued to fight this war.. They may  have had families back home who were starving and no one to plant their crops or gardens... They may have gone home to visit awhile with loved ones and then return, only to find that there were so many miles between them and their original Unit that rejoining them was an impossibility, and so they joined with others to continue to fight in the war.

If you have any questions about the validity of the term "deserted" after your soldiers name, please do send for copies of the original records from the Arkansas History Commission. There is a form that can be downloaded for this purpose... This can be accessed on the main Civil War page at the bottom. Click on the address link and download and print a form.

24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA

Company E—“Drew County Grays”

The information on these  pages was researched and edited  and graciously   given to the Edward G. Gerdes

Arkansas Civil War page by Bryan R.   He can be reached and thanked at this Bryan Howerton

email address!  If you have questions regarding this unit, please talk to Bryan. "Bryan R. Howerton"

The “Drew County Grays” was organized at Monticello, Drew county, Arkansas, on June 16, 1862.  About 110

men served in this company, mostly men from Drew county, with a few from Ashley, Chicot and Desha counties.

Captain William D. Trotter commanded the Grays.  The company marched to White Sulphur Springs, near Pine

Bluff, where the 24th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized.  The Grays were assigned as

Company E.  The 24th Arkansas was assigned to the First Brigade of Colonel Robert R. Garland, headquartered at

Fort Hindman (Arkansas Post).  Part of the 24th Arkansas was stationed at Fort Hindman, and part was stationed

at St. Charles, Arkansas.  Arkansas Post was besieged by a combined Federal army/navy force in January 1863.

The garrison surrendered on January 11, 1863, and the troops were sent to the U.S. Military Prison at Camp

Douglas, Illinois.  They were exchanged at City Point, Virginia, on April 10, 1863, and spent the rest of the war east

of the Mississippi River in the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

That portion of the 24th Arkansas which was at St. Charles, and thus escaped capture, was consolidated with

portions of Dawson’s 19th Arkansas Infantry and Crawford’s Arkansas Battalion to form Hardy’s 19th

Arkansas Infantry.  Hardy’s regiment spent the rest of the war west of the Mississippi River in the Confederate

Army of the Trans-Mississippi.                                                                                     

                                Roster of the Drew County Grays

Trotter, William D Captain—Enlisted in Co. E, 24th Arkansas Infantry, at Monticello, Arkansas, June 16, 1862; appointed captain, June 16, 1862; granted 30-days leave of absence, December 6, 1862; no record after December 31, 1862; transferred to Co. B, 19th (Hardy’s) Arkansas Infantry; born in North Carolina in 1826; died in Arkansas in 1874; buried in Oakland Cemetery, Monticello, Arkansas; listed in Drew county 1860 census; occupation farmer.

HARDY'S ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT  CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA

Organized  in early 1863 by consolidating portions of the 19th (Dawson's) and the 24th Inf Regt and Crawford's

Infantry Battalion not captured at Arkansas Post, AR on 1 Jan 1863. Participated in the Red River Campaign -

Mar-May 1864 including the Battle at Jenkins Ferry  30 Apr 1864.

Co. A - from Crawford's Battalion Cos. A & B

Co. B - from 24th Arkansas Regiment Cos. B & E

Co. C - from 24th Arkansas Regiment Co. D

Co. D - from 24th Arkansas Regiment Co. F

Co. E - from 24th Arkansas Regiment Co. H

Co. F - from 24th Arkansas Regiment Cos. C & G

COMPANY B  HARDY'S ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA

TROTTER, W.D.Cpt Enl 16Jun1862 at Monticello, AR. Age 30 (Also shows Age 39) Born NC.

The 19th Arkansas in the Trans-Mississippi Department

     After the capture of most of the regiment at Arkansas Post, the remainder of the 19th consolidated its

remaining forces to assist in the defense of Arkansas. By consolidating the uncaptured portions of the 19th and the

24th Arkansas, a 700 man regiment was formed with Colonel Dawson in command. He was to command this

consolidated unit for most of the war. Dawson's regiment participated in the unsuccessful defense of Little Rock, and

withdrew with the rest of the Army to the vicinity of Arkadelphia. The unit was under the command of General

Tappan, in the division of Major General Sterling Price.

During the winter of 1863-64, which was abnormally cold, Colonel Dawson's health took a turn for the worse and he

was forced to resign his command. The regiment was taken over by Lt. Colonel Hardy, and was thereafter known as

Hardy's Regiment.

Shortly after the change of command, the unit saw its final major action during the Red River Campaign. Still serving

in the brigade of General Tappan, they were again serving in a division under the command of their old Arkansas

Post commander, General Thomas Churchill. Churchill attempted to turn the Federal left flank, but cut short his

approach march and instead hit the Federal line at an oblique. Making good initial headway, his attack was crushed by

a savage counterattack by Union General A.J. Smith. The Confederate attack collapsed and the army was driven from

the field.

Churchill's Division spent the winter in quarters at Minden, Louisiana By April 11, 1865 they had arrived at

Marshall, Texas. On April 29, meetings were held across the division to determine if the war should be continued.

The men decided to continue as long as any hope still existed. One month later, on May 26, 1865, the

Trans-Mississippi Department was surrendered by General Edmund Kirby Smith. The men signed their paroles in