Isaac
Moore, Jesse Cypert and several other far-sighted men began to
talk about the need for some kind of home guard in case of trouble.
Four main roads passed through the vicinity of Searcy, one being
the Military Road. This was built according to one of the two
acts that President Jackson had put through Congress. Its intended
use was to help to get troops to the West from their northern
stations and it branched to include a road to facilitate troop
movement to New Orleans in case of foreign invasion. Some citizens
began to see that this could be used for Union troops to move
south.
Jesse Cypert attended the Secession Convention and brought the
news back that Arkansas would secede from the Union. The Searcy
Home Guard Minute Men was organized May 30, 1861. These men were
destined to take part in the Battle of Whitney's Lane just one
year from the time of its formation, May 1862. It was composed
of from 10 to 20 men from each township who would be ready at
any time to protect this area. From each township a commander
was chosen.
The following names have been taken directly from the White County
records -Gray - J.W. Montgomery; Union - James Tidwell; Royal
Colony - B. G. Blassingame; Marshall - T. L. Ballew; Kentucky
- J.S. Armstrong; Des Arc - J.M. Parlin; Clay - James Jeffery;
Marion - E. Droke; Jackson - J. W. Parlin; Caldwell -
E. Sittle; Harrison - S.H. Andrews; Red River - W.H. Bradshaw;
Negro Hill - Tillison; Liberty - L.W. Bailey; Dogwood - D. Kirkland;
White River - Christain; Mingo - J. B. Goff.
Besides the Home Guard many White County residents enlisted in
a regiment designated at different times as
McRae's Regiment Arkansas Infantry
Glenn's Regiment Arkansas Infantry
Davie's Regiment Arkansas Infantry
2nd Regiment Trans-Mississippi Infantry
28th Regiment Arkansas Infantry
36th Regiment Arkansas Infantry
Judge Lewis S. Poe gave orders that script be issued for all accounts.
This was done through the General Commander's office. There
was a tax of one sixteenth of one per cent levied on all property.
This money was to go to the military with one thousand dollars
to the families of the volunteers.