It almost immediately moved south to Arkansas to counter the Confederate guerrillas who were harassing Union sympathizers.

Confederate forces under Brigadier General William Lewis Cabell attacked the city on April 18, 1863.

[2] For the remainder of the war they would serve on duty against guerrillas or as escort for wagon supply trains.

They were primarily from Northwest Arkansas, and were assigned to occupy their home town and county for two and a half years.

After the war the First Arkansas commander, Colonel Marcus LaRue Harrison, stayed on in Fayetteville and became its post-war mayor for a time.