179 years ago today, on May 15, 1836, the Secretary of War made a request for troops from the Arkansas State Militia.

The first use of the Arkansas State Militia occurred in the same month that Arkansas was admitted to the union, June 1836. Several events contributed to the Federal Government's call for troops from Arkansas. The Second Seminole War began in Florida in 1836, at the same time, the Texas War of Independence was underway. Federal Government removed its regular army troops from forts and posts in the Indian Territory in order to supply troops for the fighting in Florida. Many of the remaining regular army troops were transferred to posts along the Sabine River, positioned to either prevent a Mexican invasion or to assist the Texas revolution as directed. President Jackson was granted funds by Congress to raise a volunteer force from Arkansas to help fill the void left by regular forces along the border with the Indian Territory. Secretary of War Lewis Cass issued a call for troops to Territorial Governor William Savin Fulton on May 15, 1836. Fulton responded by issuing a proclamation calling for 1,000 volunteers. The volunteers were to assemble into companies, elect officers and report to the Governor immediately. The Governor's proclamation was published in the same edition of the Arkansas Gazette that reported on the passage in Congress of the act which admitted Arkansas to the Union.

On June 28, 1836, 13 days after the state was admitted to the Union, General Edmund P. Gains (U.S. Army) called upon the Governor to furnish one regiment for the defense of the western frontier. Governor Fulton responded by revising his call for volunteers. The Governor's call specified that the volunteer companies raised north of the Arkansas River would rendezvous at Little Rock, while those raised south of the river would rendezvous at Washington in Hempstead County.
By August 18, 1836, Volunteer Companies from Conway, Pope and Pulaski counties had gathered in Little Rock. These three companies marched south for the rendezvous at Washington, Arkansas and were joined en route by a company from Saline County. These four companies made the rendezvous at Washington with the company raised from Hempstead County, bringing the total to five companies. Being short of the number of companies needed to form a Regiment, the unit was formed initially into a battalion, to be commanded by a lieutenant colonel. An election was held at Washington, Arkansas and Absalom Fowler, the former candidate for Governor, was elected lieutenant colonel of the battalion. The other officers were as follows:

Lieutenant Colonel Absalom Fowler
Adjutant Robertson Childress
Sergeant Major Samuel D. Blackburn
Quarter Master Allen Martin
Surgeon Dr. James Bird
Conway County Company
Captain Thomas Mathers
1st Lieutenant Alexander G. McFarland
2nd Lieutenant Peter Kuykendall
Saline County Company
Captain Robert Brazil
1st Lieutenant Jesse Spencer
2nd Lieutenant Johnson J. Joyner
Pulaski County Company
Captain John R. Cummins
1st Lieutenant William Badgett
2nd Lieutenant William W. White
Pope County Company
Captain Laban C. Howell
1st Lieutenant John R. H. Scott
2nd Lieutenant Samuel Hays
Hempstead County County
Captain Samuel Moore
1st Lieutenant Robert L. Davis
2nd Lieutenant Robert Cross
Sevier County County
Captain Charles Pettigrew
1st Lieutenant Robert Walker
2nd Lieutenant William Whitehead

On the march from Washington, Arkansas to Fort Towson, the battalion was joined by an additional company from Sevier County, bringing the total number of companies to six. The battalion reached Fort Towson on the Red River on September 14, 1836.
An additional Volunteer Company, raised in Randolph County, commanded by Captain John Kavanaught, stopped in Little Rock long enough to participate in the inauguration of the new state's first elected Governor, James S. Conway. Conway dispatched the company to join the volunteers at Fort Towson with an order directing that since the battalion would now have seven companies, in should be formed into a regiment and an election held for Colonel Commandant. This order was delivered to Lt. Col. Fowler on October 2, 1836 when the Randolph County company reached Camp Vose, near Fort Towson. Lt. Col. Fowler apparently did not believe that the Governor had the authority to order an election because the unit was now under the control of the regular army. Nonetheless, a new election was conducted for the office of Colonel Commandant, Adjutant and Lieutenant Colonel. In this second election, Captain Laban C. Howell defeated Fowler and was elected Colonel. Fowler had not run for the office of Lt. Col. and Charles Pettigrew was elected to this office. Fowler refused to recognize the election but placed Howell, as senior captain, in acting command while Fowler traveled to Little Rock to plead his case to his former political foe, Governor Conway. Conway attempted to solve the issue by finding that while Howell had been properly elected Colonel of the Regiment, Fowler was still the duly elected Lt. Col because Conway said he had not directed an election for that office. Lt. Col. Fowler returned to the regiment and continued to claim the right of command, at one point even having Colonel Howell, and several supporters whom Fowler labeled as "mutineers", placed under arrest. General Arbuckle, who was in overall command, had to intervene by threatening to arrest Fowler in order to compel him to release Howell. Both would write letters to the paper explaining their view and Fowler would eventually demand a Court of Inquiry in order to clear his name. Two additional companies joined the regiment, one from Lawrence County commanded by Captain Willis Phillips in late October and one from Independence County commanded by Captain Marcus W. Reinhardt in late November, bringing the regiment to its final strength of nine companies. The regiment was ordered into winter quarters at Fort Gibson.

Now secure in his command, Col Howell organized the regiment into the following lettered companies:
Company Enrolment Date County
A August 9, 1836 Conway
B August 12, 1836 Saline
C August 18, 1836 Pope
D August 31, 1836 Hempstead
E August 13, 1836 Pulaski
F September 3, 1836 Sevier
G September 5, 1836 Randolph
H November 24, 1836 Independence
I October 31, 1836 Lawrence

While their leaders quarreled the soldiers of the Arkansas Regiment of Mounted Gunman performed scout duty and patrolled the border until they were relieved in 1837 by federal troops. Twenty two members of the 1st Regiment of Arkansas Mounted Gunmen would die in service. Causes of death included accidents and disease, but none was due to hostile action. By February 7, 1837, General Arbuckle had discharged most of the Arkansas troops to return to their homes.