Keep in mind that these companies of the 1st Arkansas were "enlisted" on May 1st, 1861 before Arkansas seceded on May 6th.

The groundworks for this organization started well before that date. So I believe that maybe Roane, MacGregor and Thompson may have seen the handwriting on the wall, so to speak, and spread out to different parts of the state were southern feelings were the highest, to cover a wider area than just around Little Rock, to recruit as many men as possible, as fast as possible.