Alexander Houk enlisted on August 28, 1862, at Washington County, Arkansas, and was mustered in as a corporal in Company L, 1st Arkansas Cavalry on October 2, 1862, at Springfield, Missouri.

The 1st Arkansas Cavalry (U.S.) is the best known regiment of “Mountain Feds” to serve in the Ozarks. Recruited among Union refugees in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri, the regiment was organized by Marcus La Rue Harrison.

The 1st Arkansas Cavalry fought in the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas on December 7, 1862, but their poor performance there left commanders wondering if Southerners would actually fight for the Union. The 1st Arkansas was stationed at Fayetteville after the battle. On April 18, 1863, Confederate forces under General William Cabell launched a surprise attack on the garrison, but the Arkansans managed to beat back the Confederate assaults.

The 1st Arkansas was stationed at Fayetteville for most of the war, where they served primarily as an anti-guerrilla force. In this capacity, they fought countless small, bitter skirmishes with bushwhackers throughout the region. The regiment excelled at this kind of warfare because they knew the countryside and eagerly fought guerrillas whom they blamed for terrorizing Union families. Discipline problems plagued the 1st Arkansas, however, as soldiers often left, with or without permission, to check on their relatives at home. Nevertheless, the 1st Arkansas became one of the best counter-guerrilla forces in the Ozarks and contributed greatly to Union military operations in Missouri and Arkansas.

Houk received a disability discharge on December 5, 1864, because of failing eye sight. He died on March 16, 1923, in Springfield, Missouri.

Carte-de-Visite by Unknown Photographer.

Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 11096