Office Military Board,
Little Rock, Mar 5, 1862.
I think this may explain why so many of the militia enrolled in new volunteer regiments following the spring musters of 1862....

To the Freemen of Arkansas:

Fellow-citizens: Again your authorities, charged with the duty of preserving and defending your State government, deem it imperatively necessary to call you to arms. Northern troops, formidable in numbers and preparation, are in the heart of your State, marching upon your capital, with the avowed purpose of perverting your government, plundering your people, eating your sub-' sistence, and erecting over your heads as a final consummation, a despotic ruler the measure of whose power will be the hatred he bears his subjects.....

....Then by authority and sanction of the Military Board whose duty it is to protect the State from invasion—whose right it is to call an army in the field when the confederate States "refuse or neglect" to protect the people, I call upon each and every man capable of bearing nrms to prepare at once to meet the enemy, though it is not contemplated that all will go—some must—a sufficient number must, to free the State and repel the tyrant The law is, "that every able-bodied free white male inhabitant between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, shall constitute the militia of the State. No person shall be called upon to perform militia duty who has not resided within the State two months, except in cases of invasion, in which case they are subject as other citizens, and subject to the same penalties." Further, the law provides: "Judges of the supreme and circuit courts, secretary, auditor and treasurer of the State, clerks of the supreme and circuit courts, postmasters, post-riders, ferrymen on public roads, all licensed preachers of the Gospel of every denomination, and justices of the peace, shall be exempt from performing military duty, except in cases of insurrection and invasion." Hence it will be seen, by the law above quoted, that all men found in the State, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, if physically able, may be called to the field now, the State being invaded.

....Correlative with these views, it is by the Military Board of the State of Arkansas deemed essential for the public safety, that four thousand five hundred men be called as volunteers from the militia of the State, to be organized into companies, battalions and regiments, as directed by ordinances of the State Convention, to serve for twelve months in State service unless sooner discharged. The companies not to contain less than sixty-four nor more than ninety-six men, exclusive of commissioned officers. Twenty companies of cavalry will bo received, and thirty companies of infantry, with the right, on the part of the authorities, to assign one or more of the infantry companies for artillery service. Each volunteer must furnish his own gun, which will be valued and paid for by the State, or a certain amount paid for it monthly by the government for its use, as the State may ultimately determine.

Companies organizing south of the Arkansas River will rendezvous at Little Rock, unless other instruction are given. Those organizing north of the river will be advised of the proper point to rendezvous by applying to the Military Board for orders. Transportation, subsistence, eta, eta, will be supplied upon application, for organized companies; no company will be esteemed organized until a descriptive list is filed with the Military Board, showing the requisite number of men; certificates of election for company officers should accompany the descriptive list Any commissioned officers of the State may hold and certify to company elections. Able-bodied men, sixteen years and upwards, may be received into service. If the requisite number of men is not made up by volunteering by the 25th of May, the deficiency rill be detailed or drafted from the militia brigades or regiments having the fewest men in service. Troops raised under this call will not be transferred to confederate service under any circumstances without their consent, and on no account, unless a confederate force, sufficient to prevent invasion, is sent into the State. These are raised exclusively for home protection. Horses, horse equipments and arms lost by the casualties of war, will be paid for by the State.

H. M. Rector,

Governor, and President of Military Board.

(The Rebellion record: a diary of American events, with documents ..., Volume 5 edited by Frank Moore, Page 11. Acccessed 3 May 2011, http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA11&dq=Arkansas+State+Military+board&ei=rg7ATb36IIb20gHvu9WOBQ&ct=result&id=1bB2AAAAMAAJ#v=onepage&q=Arkansas%20State%20Military%20board&f=false )