This might be outside of our normal area, but Reconstruction was caused by the war, so here it goes....

I am looking for information on the Neel Guards of Jefferson County

The all black Neel Guards were organized in Jefferson County in 1881. A Captain Sam Helzheim, of the Garland Greys was ordered to muster African American volunteers into this company. When Helzheim refused to enroll black men, Governor Churchill had Helzeim court martialed. He was convicted and sentenced to be suspended from his office for six months. Governor Churchill revoked the suspension Helzheim mustered the Neel Guards were mustered into state service in June 1881.

Barnes, Kenneth C., "Journey of Hope: The Back-To-Africa Movement in Arkansas in the Late 1800s,", Univ of North Carolina Press.2004

Henderson, Sharron, J., Arkansas Gazette Index, 1881, Page 65 Accessed 3 May 2012, http://library.atu.edu/adgi/AGI-1881.pdf