After serving with distinction in the War of 1812, the elite Regiment of Riflemen established Fort Smith in 1817, where their mission was to promote peace between the Cherokee and Osage. The regiment merged with the 7th Infantry in 1822. One of the five oldest regiments still serving in the United States Army, the 7th Infantry had been commanded by Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans and continued the Army's peace keeping mission at Fort Smith from 1822 to 1824. Archeologists found more buttons from the Artillery Corps than from any other unit at this site, yet there are no records of the Artillery Corps being stationed at Fort Smith, raising the question of whether soldiers traded buttons or whether members of the Artillery Corps transferred into the 7th Infantry.