1st Arkansas Infantry (Union)

The 1st Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Infantry (1863–1865) was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although Arkansas joined the Confederate States of America in 1861, not all of its citizens supported secession. Arkansas formed some 48 infantry regiments to serve in the Confederate Army, but also formed another 11 regiments that served in the Union Army.

Because it was utterly impossible to form a Union unit in Arkansas in the first two years of the war, most Union supporters traveled elsewhere to join. However, by 1863 Union forces were knocking at the door of Arkansas, and many Arkansans still loyal to the Union flocked to them to join. The 1st Arkansas Infantry was organized at Fayetteville, Arkansas and mustered into Federal service on March 25, 1863.

Initially the regiment was attached to the Army of the Frontier, under Brigadier General John Schofield. They saw minor action in the area of Fayetteville, and later near Perryville, Arkansas, had minor skirmishes with Confederate forces under the command of Brigadier General William Lewis Cabell. They were then assigned scout duty in an area that included Mount Ida, Arkansas down to Caddo Gap, Arkansas. They were never engaged in any major combat actions, but took part in numerous skirmishes with Arkansas based Confederate forces. The regiment was mustered out on August 10, 1865.