Some of the biographical sketches of General Cleburne I've seen over the years state that the Yell Rifles was organized in the summer of 1860, but I don't recall ever seeing a reference which documents that fact. It sounds right, though. "A Meteor Shining Brightly: Essays on Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne" seems to indicate that Cleburne was elected captain soon after the company's organization. In early April 1861 the company was reorganized and expanded in preparation for offering their services to the Arkansas State Troops.