As many of the Arkansans' enlistments were ending in May 1847, the army offered land for re-enlistments. This resulted in enough men to fill one company which was placed under the command of Captain Gaston Meares of Lafayette County for the rest of the war.

Former Acting Arkansas Governor Samuel Adams met the troops at Little Rock; his son, Sergeant John D. Adams, was among the arrivals. The elder Adams said to his son, "I'm told you all fought like hell at Buena Vista." The teenager laughed and replied, "We ran like hell at Buena Vista." The joke did little to ease bad feelings.

Many towns throughout the state hosted barbeques to welcome the returning Arkansans. These affairs were generally outside gatherings and often included processions, good food, dancing, some toasting (where they did not observe strict temperance), and speeches by leading community members. The speeches, generally reverent to the dead and praising those returned, were often followed by responses from officers or soldiers in attendance.