May 27, 1846, Governor Thomas Drew issued a proclamation calling for volunteers to fight in the Mexican War. Volunteers from every strata of society sought to enlist. Archibald Yell, a former governor, and at the time a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, left Washington and enlisted in Solon Borland’s company in Little Rock as a private. Albert Pike, a prominent Little Rock lawyer and commander of the “Little Rock Guards” offered his company to the governor as cavalry willing to serve in Mexico.

Once companies were fully manned, they headed for the rendezvous point at Washington in Hempstead county. When the companies of the various counties came together there were twenty-two companies of cavalry and seven of infantry. From these, ten companies of cavalry were selected for service in the Arkansas Regiment of Mounted Volunteers. The companies were:

Company County
A Pope
B Pulaski
C Johnson
D Independence
E Pulaski
F Crawford
G Sevier
H Franklin
I Hot Springs & Saline
K Phillips

In addition to the Arkansas Regiment of Mounted Volunteers, the Arkansas Battalion of Infantry and Mounted Rifles was mustered into service at Fort Smith for duty on the western frontier, taking the place of federal troops involved in the War with Mexico. They saw service at Fort Smith, Fort Gibson and Fort Wayne. Those companies and the towns that raised them were:

Company A - Clarksville
Company B - Dover & Fort Smith
Company C - Smithville (Lawrence County)
Company D – Fort Smith
Company E – Dover

In addition to the Arkansas Regiment of Mounted Volunteers and the Arkansas Battalion of Infantry and Mounted Rifles, three additional Companies from Arkansas were raised and saw service with the 12th United States Infantry.