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The 12th Arkansas Infantry Battalion (1862–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry battalion during the American Civil War. The unit was most often known as "Rapley's Sharpshooters".〔Howerton, Bryan R.; "RAPLEY’S SHARPSHOOTERS" Edward G. Gerdes Civil War Page, Accessed 28 November 2011, http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/rapley1.html〕 == Organization == On June 11, 1862, Major General Earl Van Dorn, commanding the Confederate Army of the West at Priceville, Mississippi, issued General Orders, No. 39, calling for the organization of a battalion of sharpshooters in each brigade of the army. In compliance with these orders, Colonel Thomas Pleasant Dockery, commanding the Second Brigade, ordered, on June 14: The quota of men from each of the regiments composing the Second Brigade was as follows:〔 *8th Arkansas Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Batt L. Jones, 29 men. *18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Colonel David W. Carroll, 43 men. *19th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Colonel Thomas Pleasant Dockery, 40 men. *20th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Colonel Henry Poston Johnson, 38 men. *21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Colonel Jordan Edgar Cravens, 50 men. The regimental commanders promptly provided the required number of volunteers. However, Lieutenant-Colonel Jones, of the 8th Arkansas Battalion, refused to comply. He had earlier been forced to relinquish an entire company to the 25th Arkansas Regiment, in order to bring that regiment up to its full complement of ten companies, and resented the fact that his now-understrength battalion must once again be forced to give up more men. Lieutenant Colonel Jones was promptly court-martialed on two charges—disobedience of orders and conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline—and cashiered from the army. The organization of the battalion of sharpshooters proceeded.〔 The 12th Arkansas Battalion (Sharpshooters) was formally organized on June 30, 1862, with four companies:〔 *Company A – composed of volunteers from the 18th Arkansas Regiment. *Company B – composed of volunteers from the 21st Arkansas Regiment. *Company C – composed of volunteers from the 20th Arkansas Regiment. *Company D – composed of volunteers from the 19th Arkansas Regiment. The volunteers from the 8th Arkansas Battalion were distributed among the four companies. The first commander of the sharpshooters was a Major C. L. Jackson, who assumed command on June 30 and was relieved of command on July 29. Nothing has yet been found to further identify this individual or explain why he was relieved. Few official records of the 12th Arkansas Battalion survive, apart from one muster roll and a few personal papers. William Field Rapley, an Arkansan serving in the Missouri State Guard, was appointed major of the battalion on July 29, and held the command to the end of the war. From this time forward, the battalion was known as “Rapley's Sharpshooters.”〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「12th Arkansas Infantry Battalion」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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