The 17th (Harrell's) Battalion Arkansas Cavalry was formed in large part from the remnants of Adams' Arkansas Regiment (3rd Regiment, Northwest Division, Trans-Mississippi Army), which was disbanded after the battle of Prairie Grove. The men of Adams' Regiment were ordered to report for duty in Harrell's Battalion. The sole existing battalion roster, dated March 3, 1863, lists the men ordered to report, but by no means all of them actually showed up. In fact, many of the men on the March 3, 1863, roster had already joined other Confederate regiments, or had enlisted in the U.S. Volunteers. Alexander D. McBroom apparently fell into this latter category.