Men chose up sides for a variety of reasons. In some parts of the State, there was strong loyalist sentiment, and men who had been conscripted by the Confederate army often deserted at the first opportunity and joined the other side. Other men, later in the war, became disillusioned with the Confederacy, or "saw the writing on the wall," and joined the other side -- notably after such disasters as the attack on Helena.
And neither side had a monopoly on virtue or cruelty. One of the most tragic aspects of the war in Arkansas was the depredations against civilians by supporters of both sides. Refugees fled north to Missouri or south to Texas, depending on their sentiments, to escape the violence.