A correction to my previous posting -- my ancestors were in Freedom Township. Dallas (aka Panther aka Old Dallas) was the county seat at the time. Mena became a town in the 1890s when the railroad by-passed Dallas. I got the township name mainly from Census records but have also found my ancestors in AR Land Records from the 1850s.

There is a good Polk County site on argenweb.net. Also try www.menaar.com. You might also search surrounding counties. It may have been related to the Confederate retreat from Ft Smith in the area north of Waldron AR.

I hope you'll also post on the Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board. The 1862/63 date is too early in the war for a sizeable organized Union force to be in the area but it may have been Pins, renegades, or plain-ol' outlaws.