. STORiEsyv^ States SlLVEI\,BUI\DETT & COMPANY Class Book rrf 4 1 a. Copyright^! COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. STORIES OF THE STATES MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY BY JOHN HUGH REYNOLDS, A. M. PRESIDENT, HENDRIX COLLEGE, EDITOR PUBLICATIONS OF ARKANSAS HISTOBICAt ASSOCIATION, VOLS. I-IV, AUTHOR " CIVIL GOVERNMENT OP ARKANSAS" AND JOINT AUTHOR "HISTORY OP THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS*' SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO ATLANTA DALLAS Copyright, 1905, 1911, 1918, by SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY JUN II 1918 ©CI.A4993U1 PREFACE. The author wishes to see the children of Ar- kansas as familiar with the leading men of their own State as they are with the great men of the Nation. In presenting this little book to the pub- lic, he does so in the hope that it may contribute something toward this end. The book follows largely the biographical plan, grouping the facts of each phase of our history about some character eminent in its development. This method, compared with the chronological method, has the advantage not only of being more vivid, but of stimulating in boys and girls an am- bition to excel and a legitimate state pride. The latter cannot be too much emphasized. It takes form not only in a broad patriotism, but also in the study of local history and in the erection of appropriate memorials and monuments. It is hoped that these chapters may tend to increase in Arkansas this civic spirit. Several distinguished names have been omitted, because the author was compelled at times to choose between two or more men who were types of the same phase of the State's history. The book is designed for use either as a text- book or as a supplementary reader. The ques- 4 PREFACE. tions at the end of each chapter not only review the chapter, but also suggest thought and investi- gation on the part of the pupil. Many of the stories may serve as a basis for exercises in re- production. The style is such that the book may be used in the fourth or fifth grade, perhaps even in the third, so that children who leave school early may have a knowledge of those facts in our State's history which it is a discredit for any citizen not to know. The map on page 17 is used by courtesy of the N. D. Thompson Publishing Company, and that on page 59 is from Hempstead's School His- tory of Arkansas, by permission of the University Publishing Company. Miss Lina X. Reed of Fayetteville, an experi- enced teacher, gave the manuscript a careful and critical reading. The library of every teacher, as well as of every school, should have some or all of the following books on Arkansas history: Hempstead's School History of Arkansas, University Publishing Co., New Orleans; Shinn's School History of Arkan- sas, B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., Richmond; Hallum's Biographical History of Arkansas, Fred W. Allsopp, Little Rock; Hempstead's Pictorial History of Arkansas, N. D. Thompson Publishing Co., St. Louis; Pope's Early Days in Arkansas, Fred W. Allsopp, Little Rock. CONTENTS. CHAPTER pagb I. Hernando de Soto , . . .11 II. Father Marquette . . . .21 III. Henri de Tonti, the Father of Ar- kansas .29 IV. The Great Purchase . . .38 V. Frederick Notrebe, a Type of the Old French Settler . . . .49 VI. The First Arkansan . . . 55-- — VII. The Pioneer Boatman . . .64 VIII. Frontier Life . . . . .73 IX. Robert Crittenden, Arkansas' First Great Statesman . . . .80 X. James Miller, Arkansas' First Gov- ernor ...... 89 XI. Benjamin Johnson, Arkansas' First Great Jurist . . . .96 XII. Men With Chips on Their Shoulders 105 XIII. William E. Woodruff, Arkansas' First Editor .... 112 XIV. John Pope 121 XV. Ambrose II. Sevier . . . .128 XVI. David Walker . 138 CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAOH XVII. Arkansas Schools .... 144 XVIII. The Pioneer Preacher . . . 153 XIX. Wild-Cat Banking in Arkansas . 161 XX. The Conway Family . . .167 XXI. The Old Plantation System . . 177 XXII. The Regulators .... 184 XXIII. Elias Rector 192 XXIV. Albert Pike 198 XXV. Archibald Yell .... 205 XXVI. Chester Ashley .... 213 XXVII. Robert Ward Johnson . . .220 XXVIII. Arkansans to Arms . . . 229 XXIX. Distinguished Arkansas Soldiers . 237 XXX. Patrick Cleburne, the "Stonewall Jackson of the West" . . 244 XXXI. The "Carpet-Bagger" . . . 252 XXXII. Elisha Baxter . . . .260 XXXIII. Augustus H. Garland . . .268 XXXIV. The Arkansas Traveler . . .276 Appendix. ........ 286 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. PAGE Map of 'Arkansas (col- ored) . . . Frontispiece The Capitol at Little Rock 10 Hernando de Soto . . 12 Lands Which Columbus Had Discovered ... 13 The Long March of de Soto (Map) .... 14 De Soto Discovers the Mississippi .... 15 Indians at the Hot Springs to Be Healed . 16 De Soto's Route Through Arkansas (Map) . . 17 Lowering de Soto's Body into the River ... 19 Making a Home in the New World .... 22 Indian Peace-Pipe ... 24 Marquette Entertained by the Arkansas Indians . 25 Marquette's Grave . . 26 Robert Cavelier de La Salle 30 The French Forts from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico (Map) 31 Louis XIV 33 Arkansas Post ... 34 Bienville, Governor of Louisiana 35 French Fleet on the Lou- isiana Coast .... 39 Napoleon Bonaparte . . 40 Thomas Jefferson (Por- trait and Autograph) . 42 PAGE Robert R. Livingston (Portrait and Auto- graph) 43 James Monroe (Portrait and Autograph) . . 44 Map Showing Growth of the United States West of the Missis- sippi ... 45 Arkansas Timber Exhibit at the Louisiana Pur- chase Exposition, St. Louis, 1904 .... 47 Along the Stream of the Arkansas 50 Dress of Frederick No- trebe's Day .... 51 French Traders Nearing an Indian Village . . 53 Indian Spying before the Attack 56 Indian Pottery .... 57 Saracen Rescuing the Stolen Children ... 61 Fulton's Steamboat, "The Clermont" .... 65 Pioneers Traveling by Flatboat 66 Cordelling a Steamer Up- stream ... .67 Poling a Raft on the Mis- sissippi 69 The Landing at Van Buren 71 An Old-Time Plow . . 74 Ox-Wagons of the South- west 76 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. PACE Mr. Rorer Carrying Home the Ox-Yoke .... 77 Robert Crittenden . . 81 A Pioneer Mail-Carrier Crossing the Plain . . 83 Big Rock and Fort Roots 85 Arkansas in 1828 (Map) 86 James Miller .... 90 A Pioneer Village in a Clearing 91 Pioneers Pushing on to the West 93 Benjamin Johnson . . 97 A Fort of Kentucky Pio- neers 98 The "Baptist Meeting- House" at Little Rock 101 Judge Johnson's Home at Little Rock .... 103 End of a Duel in the Early Days of the Ter- ritory . ' 105 The Quarrel at the Card Table 107 William Woodruff Enter- ing Arkansas . . . 113 Headlines of the First Issue of the 'Arkansas Gazette" 116 William E. Woodruff, Founder of the "Ar- kansas Gazette" . . 117 A Modern Linotype Ma- chine for Type-setting 118 The College of William and Mary, Williams- burg, Va 122 The Henderliter Place: Scene of Meeting of Last Territorial Legis- lature 123 Arkansas' First State House 126 Indians Plundering Cattle on a Frontier Planta- tion 129 PAGB Ambrose H. Sevier . . 130 The National Capital, as It Looked When Mr. Sevier Was Congress- man 132 A Session of the National House of Representa- tives, When Mr. Sevier Was Member from Ar- kansas 134 Monument to Ambrose H. Sevier . . . .136 David Walker .... 140 Witness Addressing the Jury out of Court . . 141 An Old Log Schoolhouse . 145 An Up-to-Date School- house 147 Peabody High School at Little Rock .... 149 The University of Arkan- sas at Fayetteville . . 150 Old Salem Camp Ground, Saline County . . . 156 Reverend J. W. Moore . 157 Doctor Andrew Hunter . 159 The Stamp for Impress- ing the State Seal . . 162 Old State Bank Building at Little Rock . . .163 Warrant, or Note, Issued by Arkansas during the War 165 Henry W. Conway . . 169 James S. Conway . . . 170 Elias N. Conway . . . 171 Mending a Crevasse in the Levee of the Missis- sippi 173 An Early Railroad Train 174 Cotton Pickers before the War 178 An Overseer's House on an Old Plantation . . 179 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. Planter's House on the Mississippi before the War 180 Cotton Ready for Market: A Scene of the Old South 182 Apple Orchard Where Once Herds of Buffalo Grazed . . . . . 185 A Forest of Primeval Pines' 187 A Band of Regulators and Their Captive . . .189 Elias Rector . . . .192 Travel by Stagecoach . 193 A Seminole Chief . . . 195 Albert Pike .... 199 Albert Pike's Residence at Little Rock . . .201 Albert Pike Consistory at Little Rock . . . .203 The Battle of New Or- leans 206 Archibald Yell . . . .208 Map of the Mexican War. 209 With General Taylor at Buena Vista . . . .210 Campus of Williams Col- lege at Williamstown, Mass 214 The Old Ashley Mansion at Little Rock . . .215 Coat of Arms of the Ash- ley Family .... 216 Chester Ashley . . .218 Robert W. Johnson . . 221 The United States in 1850 (Map) 223 Abraham Lincoln . . . 224 Jefferson Davis . . .225 Tomb of R. W. Johnson at Little Rock . . .226 Flag of the Confederacy . 229 Flag of the Union . - -30 A Confederate Soldier . 231 A Union Soldier . . .232 Confederate Money . . 233 Sterling Price .... 238 Earl Van Dorn . . . 238 A Confederate Cavalry Camp 239 Thomas C. Hindman . . 240 Thomas J. Churchill . . 241 Patrick Cleburne . . . 245 Map Showing Battle- grounds of the West . 246 Chattanooga and Vicinity (Map) 247 Cleburne's Defense of Ringgold Gap . . .249 A Deserted Plantation after the War . . .253 President Johnson . . 254 Isaac Murphy, Union Gov- ernor of Arkansas . . 256 Powell Clayton . . .258 Ghostly Punishment by the Ku Klux Klans . 261 Elisha Baxter . . . .262 Joseph Brooks .... 264 "Lady Baxter" . . .265 Augustus H. Garland . 269 Washington County Court- House at Fayetteville 271 President Cleveland . . 273 Cypress Swamp in Chicot County 276 A Modern Farmhouse . 277 Irrigated Rice Farm at Lonoke 279 View of Hot Springs . . 280 Government Lock and Dam at Batesville . . 281 Saw Mill at Danville . 282 School for the Blind . . 283 Institute for Deaf Mutes . 28 1 Map Showing Indian Land Cessions .... 296A CHAPTER I. HERNANDO DE SOTO. 1496-1542. The discovery of the New World by Columbus opened up a wide field for adventure. To the people of the Old World, America became a fairy land of fabulous wealth. Stories were told of rich mines of silver and gold, of jewels and precious stones, and of a wonderful fountain whose waters could give youth to old age. The opportunity for gaining wealth or for winning fame fired the soul of many a youth in the Old World. Men of broken fortunes or of lost reputation came flock- ing to America ; but many of these fortune-seekers were sorely disappointed. However, While they failed in ob- taining wealth, they did a much better thing: they ex- plored the land and made known its marvelous re- sources. These Europeans first made settlements along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and from there they spread to the 12 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. interior of the country. This is why Arkansas was not settled until long after colonies were established in Vir- ginia and the Carolinas. The first white man to touch Arkansas soil was one of these adventurous fortune-seekers from the Old World — the brave and chivalrous Hernando de Soto (her-nan'- do de so'-to). In Eu- rope the people were divided into two classes. The laborers, the farmers, and the merchants composed the lower class and were called common people ; the officials, the clergy, and the landlords composed the upper class and were called nobles. Though a poor boy, hernando de soto. D e g oto belonged to the nobility. He obtained a good education at one of the universities of Spain ; and when a young man, he joined an expedition into Peru, where he gained both fame and fortune. He explored the coasts of Central America and, with a small band of Spaniards, commanded by Pizarro (pi-za'-ro), went to the heart of the empire of HERNANDO DE SOTO. 13 the Ineas (ing'-kaz), seized the capital, and captured the governor. Then he returned to Spain. But the stories of the gold and the fountain of youth in Florida made him restless and eager to explore this new land. So he fitted out his own expedition. The king of Spain gave him the title of Governor of Cuba and Florida. He sailed first to Cuba, the island which Columbus had LANDS WHICH COLUMBUS HAD DISCOVERED. {Marked in white on the map.) discovered, and on which already seven towns had been built. Though rich and full of honors, De Soto was still young and ambitious. He rebuilt and fortified Havana, which had been burned by pirates, and then started for Florida. Many had been eager to join this famous leader. So when he set out, it was with a band of six hundred brave companions. In the spring of 1539, he landed at Tampa Bay on the western coast of Florida. He spent two years wandering over the territory now oc- 14 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. cupied by Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. In May, 1541, he came to a river so broad and so full that he called it, in Spanish, the Rio Grande (re'-6 gran'-da) ; that is, the great river. The natives called it Meschacebe (mes'-cha-ee'-be), father of waters, which we write Missis- sippi. On the shore of this river, De Soto built rude bar- ges and crossed to the Arkansas side, near the mouth of the White River. The next year, the last year of his life, the great cap- tain spent in trav- eling over what is now Arkansas. This territory was then a vast wilder- ness, inhabited by wild animals and equally wild savages. De Soto w r ent up the Mississippi beyond the mouth of the St. Francis River, passing on the way some Indian vil- lages. For the most part, the red men treated him kindly ; but he, like most men of his time, was cruel. He looked upon the Indians as he did upon beasts of burden ; captured them when he could, reduced them to slavery, and compelled them to carry his baggage. Such treat- ment was a great humiliation to the proud Indian war- THE LONG MARCH OF DE SOTO. HERNANDO DE SOTO. 15 riors, and in revenge they often inflicted severe suffering upon the Spaniards. Some of these simple-minded people, it is said, thought De Soto a divine being and brought him two blind men to be healed. But as he wished them to know the true God, he erected a cross, told them the story of Christ, and directed them to worship Him. Leaving the St. Francis country, De Soto journeyed southwest until he came to the Arkansas River. Tradi- -3 i±- w/ I jv.& A ffSnM^Kj fit fttAll|fc' Wfc* ''" ^^^^^n%» ■ W%Sff^SMtt • ?.-. v /A. #»> *»,£ ^Sv^^&^^SO! ^^%£r?/' j DE SOTO DISCOVERS THE MISSISSIPPI. tion tells us that he was defeated in a great battle with the natives near where Jacksonport now stands, and that he was compelled to turn north. At any rate, he learned 16 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. here that mountains lay to the northwest. As gold was one of the great objects of his travels, he turned his steps toward what is now northwest Arkansas, hoping to find the precious metal there. For many days he traveled over swamps, through dense forests matted with vines, and across mountain streams. Disappointed in not finding gold, he turned south, passed over the Boston Mountains, crossed the Arkansas River near Dardanelle (dar'-da-neT) Rock, and came into the land of the Cayas (ca'-yas). Here, we are told, INDIANS AT THE HOT SPRINGS, TO BE HEALED. De Soto fell seriously ill, and a friendly Indian chief brought him to a "lake of very hot water," where he was healed. At last, as he thought, he had found the won- HERNANDO DE SOTO. 17 derful fountain. This lake was doubtless the now fa- mous Hot Springs. In the Ouachita (wash'-i-ta') River, near the springs, De Soto and his companions found salt. This the Indians along the stream sold to their neighbors. It was mixed with sand in the bed of the river, but the savages had devised a simple method for separating it from the sand. They gathered it up, sand and all, and threw it into baskets; under these, they placed vessels and then poured wa- ter into the baskets. The water filtered through the sand, carrying the salt with it into the vessels be- low. Then the vessels were put upon a fire, and the water evapor- ated, leaving the salt. The winter of 1541, De Soto spent in an Indian village on the Ouachita River. It was a severe winter ; and his band, already reduced in numbers, suffered greatly. DE SOTO'S ROUTE THROUGH ARKANSAS. 18 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. Here it was that De Soto lost his faithful interpreter, Juan Ortiz (hoo-an' or-teth'). When De Soto first ar- rived in Florida, he could not speak the Indian language, nor could the savages understand Spanish. Hence he needed an interpreter. Ortiz was a Spaniard who had come to Florida long before De Soto. He had joined a tribe of Indians, had adopted their dress and mode of living, and had learned to speak their language. So DeSoto engaged him as his interpreter. Now that Ortiz was dead, De Soto had much trouble in dealing with the Indians. Up to this time De Soto had found no gold ; so, dis- heartened, in the spring he resumed his journey south. He followed the Ouachita to the Red River and then went down this stream to the Mississippi. On this jour- ney he was greatly exposed and for days had to wade through swamps and swollen streams. These hardships brought on a fever, from which he died. De Soto's followers were now without a leader. They knew that the Indians thought De Soto immortal. If they should learn of his death, they would lose their fear of the Spaniards and destroy them. So, secretly, at night, De Soto's companions prepared to bury him. On the shore of the Mississippi, they wrapped the body of their captain in a mantle, weighted it down with sand, and placed it in a boat. Very quietly they rowed out into the middle of the stream; and there, in the dark HERNANDO DE SOTO. 19 and the silence of midnight, they lowered the body of Spain's great explorer into the waters of the river he had discovered. De Soto's death completely demoralized his followers, LOWERING DE SOTO'S BODY INTO THE RIVER. and they at once determined to seek the Spanish settle- ments in Mexico. So they made some rnde vessels, in which they passed down the Mississippi and finally reached Mexico — a small remnant of the proud company that had landed at Tampa Bay. Test Questions. What led to the discovery and settlement of America? What part of our country was first explored and settled? In what direction did most of the explorers travel? Who first explored Arkansas? Prom what country did he come? What do you know of his life before he came to North America? What is meant by "the empire of the Incas"? To what part of North 20 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. America did De Soto first come? Why? In what year? Trace his travels for the next three years. In what century was this? What would have been De Soto's description ot the region we call Arkansas? Of his travels through Arkansas? What is meant by "the land of the Cayas"? Where and how did the Indians get their salt? How did De Soto treat the Indians? What did they think about him? How did he talk with the Indians? What brought che expedition to an end? How did this occur? Where is De Soto's grave? What became of his followers? Of what use te the world was De Soto's ex- pedition? Map Questions. Map showing Lands Discovered by Columbus, p. 13, and, Map of Western Hemisphere. — Locate Spain, Peru, Central America, Mexico, Cuba. Map showing Route of De Solo, p. 14, and Map of United States. — Locate Tampa Bay. Trace De Soto's journey overland. What states now occupy this region? Map showing De Soto's Travels in Arkansas, p. 17. — Trace the White River, the Red River, the St. Francis, the Arkansas, the Ouachita, the Mississippi. Locate Jacksonport, the Boston Mountains, Dar- danelle Rock, the land of the Cayas, the Hot Springs. CHAPTER II. FATHER MARQUETTE. 1637-1675. It was one hundred and thirty years after De Soto's death before another white man touched the soil of Arkansas. And yet the nations of Europe had not been idle. Each was struggling to get possession of as much of the New World as possible. But America is so large that it took centuries to colonize it. Spain had weak settlements in Florida and Mexico; but the Spaniards spent too much time in hunting gold and silver to succeed in colonizing. They did not like the hard work of opening fields, cultivating the soil, and building towns. The English were more successful, be- cause they had come to make the West their home and therefore could not afford to waste their time in gold hunting. They had established flourishing colonies along the Atlantic coast. Both Spain and England founded their colonies close to the sea. France too wished to own land in America, and she had already occupied Canada with fur-trading stations and missionary out- posts. The fur-trader had come to make his fortune; 22 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. the soldier, to extend the empire of his king; and the Jesuit missionary, to plant the cross of Christ. Spain had profited little by the explorations of De Soto. Through her negligence the Mississippi valley had remained unsettled for nearly a century and a half. She had gone to sleep, as it were, believing the land to be hers by right of discovery, and suddenly awoke to MAKING A HOME IN THE NEW WORLD. find France occupying the fertile valley. Then she struggled desperately to regain it, but all in vain. After securing the land bordering on the St. Lawrence River, France had seen the value of the Mississippi valley and had at once added that to her possessions. Although several accounts of the travels of De Soto and his companions had been published, the French in FATHER MARQUETTE. 23 Canada, over one hundred years later, did not know whether the Mississippi empties into the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Pacific Ocean. The natives, however, had told the French of a mighty river to the west. But who would face the dangers of exploring it? None but the Christian missionary — a man quite differ- ent from the discoverer and explorer studied in the pre- ceding chapter. The Christian missionary came to the New World neither for riches nor for glory, but to carry the gospel of peace to the red man in the western wilds. He left friends and a comfortable home in a civilized country and went among savages, preaching the Chris- tian religion. Among the French missionaries, Father Marquette (mar-kef) was a prominent figure. He had been preaching to the savages around the Great Lakes, when he decided to find the mouth of the Mississippi River. He asked a fur-trader, named Joliet (zho-lya'), to go with him, and five Indians to paddle their canoes. Over the Great Lakes they went and down whatever streams would bear them toward the Mississippi. But through the woods between the streams, they had to carry their canoes. At last they came to the great river, and in these same frail barks they floated down. On the way, some friendly Indians gave them a present — a calu- met, the pipe of peace. Now, everywhere among the Indians this pipe was the symbol of peace ; and when held up it would change ene- 24 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. mies into friends. Later on perhaps this simple present saved Marquette's life. The Indians who gave it to him advised him to go no farther down the river, because, as they said, below was a great demon which would devour him. He would roar so loud that he could be heard miles away. However, Marquette continued his journey. If you should go down the Missis- sippi today, on a steamer, you would see farms, mills, factories, and cities all along the banks. But Marquette lany weary days in his canoe, on the silent river, seeing in the vast wilderness nothing but forests and stealthy wild animals, herds of buffalo, and roving bands of savages. As the party approached the mouth of the Arkansas River, they saw wigwams on the west bank. Suddenly, out of the wigwams the In- dians came rushing, giving their war-whoop. They had Indian peace-pipe. caught sight of the pale- FATHER MARQUETTE. 25 faces, as they called the white men. They ran down to the river, jumped into their canoes, and in a moment had surrounded Marquette and Joliet. At this juncture Marquette thought of his peace-pipe. He seized it and MARQUETTE ENTERTAINED BY THE ARKANSAS INDIANS. held it up, and in an instant a great change came over the savages. They threw down their tomahawks and invited the Frenchmen to come ashore, where they gave 26 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. them a hearty welcome to their wigwams. The tired travelers received with delight the hospitality of the Indians, who feasted them on mush and fish and gave them lodging for the night. The next day they went on to the mouth of the Arkan- sas. Here they found a village of Arkansas Indians, by whom they were royally entertained. The warriors and the old men, seated in a semicircle, received them in the most approved Indian fashion. The men were scantily clad, but their bodies were profusely deco- rated with beads and paints ; the women were indifferently dressed in skins. Mush, boiled corn, and roasted dog made up the bill of fare with which they re- galed their guests. From these In- dians, Marquette learned that the Mis- sissippi empties into the Gulf of Mexico. They advised him to go no farther, as the country below was inhabited by hos- tile tribes, through fear of whom they themselves MARQUETTE'S GRAVE AT ST. IGNACE, MICHIGAN. FATHER MARQUETTE. 27 would not hunt the buffalo. There was no need of his taking further risks ; for he had accomplished the object of his trip — he had learned into what body of water the Mississippi empties. So, after preaching to these simple people, he returned to Canada. About ten years later, while engaged in missionary work near Lake Michigan, he died. Father Marquette was a man of strong will and gentle heart, beloved by all who knew him. So hon- ored was he by the Indians that they were more friendly to the French settlers who followed in his footsteps down the Mississippi valley. By his bravery and perseverance he had opened a way for his countrymen into the new land, and by his labors of love he had won for them a welcome there. Test Questions. How long was it after De Soto before another white man saw Arkansas? Why? Where had the Spaniards made settle- ments? the English? the French? How successful was each in colonizing, and why? Which gained control of the Miss- issippi valley? How? Who was Marquette? Tell the story of his journey, its ob- jects and results. Why is he called "father"? What is the calumet? What was the difference between Marquette and De Soto in their treatment of the Indians? How did the Indians treat Marquette? Why did he not go farther south? What was accomplished by the French missionaries in America? 28 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS nlSTORY. Map Questions. Map of the United States. — Where is the Gulf of Mexico? Lake Michigan? the valley of the Mississippi? the mouth of the Arkansas River? On going by water from the source of the Mississippi River to its mouth, what rivers would you pass? Map of Canada. — Trace the St. Lawrence River. CHAPTER III. HENRI DE TONTI. The Father of Arkansas. 1650-1704. While Marquette was exploring the Mississippi, the young man who was to become the father of Arkansas was winning his spurs in the French army. He was an Italian by birth and a Frenchman by adoption. In the service of France, he had lost one hand and in its place wore a hand of iron. He was honest, brave, and chival- rous. These noble qualities gained for him the friend- ship of a powerful prince, who recommended him to La Salle (la sal') as a suitable young man to aid him in his ambitious enterprises in the New World. This youth was Henri de Tonti (pn-re' de ton'-te)— "de Tonti of the iron hand." It was in 1678, on a return trip from America, that La Salle was in France seeking men and means to carry out his plan of founding for France a new empire in the West. His greatest need was a strong, brave, loyal man who would be true in time of danger. Such a man he 30 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. found in De Tonti, and between these two there grew up a lasting friendship. La Salle's plan was to build a line of forts and trad- ing posts from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi, and then along this river to the Gulf of Mexico. These forts were to serve as military posts for the protection of the French against the savages and as trading centers for those who bartered with them, giving beads and trinkets in exchange for furs and skins. But first, he must explore the country. De Tonti was the engineer of the party. He it was who built all the forts as Avell as the Griffin, a vessel of forty-five tons burden, on which La Salle sailed in ex- ploring the Great Lakes. He built Fort Miami (mi-am'-i) near Fort Erie and a fort on the present site of Peoria, Illinois. It was at Peoria that the noble ele- ments of De Tonti 's character shone most brightly. La Salle left him in command of the fort at this place, while he returned to Canada on business. At this juncture, the men mutinied and deserted, leaving De Tonti with only four companions. But faithful to duty and to his ROBERT CAVELIER DE LA SALLE. HENRI DE TONTI. 31 friend, he remained at his post. He sent two men to inform La Salle, and with the other two he prepared to hold the fort. All around were Illinois Indians, who might become hostile at any moment. To add to the difficulties, at this time the Iroquois (ir-o-kwoi'), a neighboring tribe, made war upon the Illinois; and the Illinois Indians, thinking that the French were inciting the Iroquois to this war, seized De Tonti, charged him with treachery, and drew their hatchets to kill him. In broken Illinois speech, he finally allayed their suspicions. Many a man would have given up and, if possible, would have made his es- cape back to Can- ada; but De Tonti was heroic. He knew that war between the Indians would endanger the plans of La Salle ; so, at the risk of THE FRENCH FORTS FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 32 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. his life, he went over to the camp of the Iroquois to nego- tiate peace. While trying to persuade the Indians to give up their hostilities, he was stabbed, almost fatally; but he stood his ground and reminded the Indians of their alliance with France and of the danger of fighting the Illinois, who were under French protection. The savages threatened, but De Tonti refused all compromises and insisted on a genuine peace. In spite of this, the Illinois distrusted him and de- stroyed his fort, leaving him in the midst of a severe northern winter without food or shelter. Although -he had but one arm and was weakly constituted, he obtained food by digging roots and gathering acorns. Such was the endurance of the man who became the father of Arkansas. The next year La Salle returned to Peoria. In the meantime, misfortunes had befallen him, and his creditors were calling for their money. His vessel, the Griffin, laden with skins for the market, had been lost on the Great Lakes; and, moreover, the same fate had befallen a vessel coming from France with supplies. These disasters had made La Salle a poor man. But though these brave men had lost everything, they were not discouraged. They merely changed their plans. In- stead of exploring the Mississippi in a large vessel, they traveled down the river in canoes. Like Marquette, they stopped near the mouth of the Arkansas and were enter- HENRI DE TONTI. 33 tained by the Indians in a most friendly manner. These children of the forest showed their visitors marked honor by dancing the calumet, an act of rare occurrence, per- formed only in celebrating a peace, or in concluding an alliance, or in entertaining distinguished guests. Both La Salle and De Tonti praised highly the good qualities of these Indians. The Indians gave La Salle the same advice that they had given Marquette nine years before — he should go no farther down the river. But he went on to the mouth of the Mississippi and claimed posses- sion of the whole valley and all the land to the west of it in the name of Louis XIV, the King of France. This was in 1682. Having accomplished the first part of their plan,— that of exploration,— they turned their attention to the second part — that of build- ing a line of forts from the Great Lakes to the mouth of L0UIS XIV ' KING 0P FRANCK the Mississippi. De Tonti built Fort St. Louis on the Illinois River and made treaties with the surrounding Indians; while La Salle returned to France to collect supplies and to get settlers for a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi and for proposed trading posts along its banks. He returned with four ships laden with men and 34 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. supplies. However, he missed the great river and landed in what is now Texas. Here he built a fort, which like- wise he named St. Louis in honor of the French king. Discovering his mistake, La Salle started from Texas in an effort to find the Mississippi and to return to Canada. Hardly had he begun his search before he was killed by one of his own party. Thus perished La Salle, France's greatest explorer. From a painting by Miss Anne Hatley. ARKANSAS FOST, THE FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENT IN THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY. De Tonti, at the proper time, had left Fort St. Louis on the Illinois River and gone to the mouth of the Mis- HENRI DE TONTI. 35 sissippi to join La Salle. On his journey he met his old friends, the Arkansas Indians, who again entertained him. Not finding La Salle, De Tonti decided to honor these Arkansas friends by locating a fort in their midst. He directed six of his companions to build a log cabin and told them to "hold the fort." This was in 1686, an important date in our history. The post was on the Arkansas River, a few miles from its mouth. It was not only the first white settlement within the present boundaries of Arkansas, but also the first in the great Louisiana Territory. Thirteen years later, the second fort was established at Biloxi (bi-lok'-si), in what is now the state of Mississippi. It was to this settlement that Bienville (byah-veT), the second French governor of Louisiana, was sent. Desiring to make the Arkansas settlement permanent, De Tonti, three years after founding it, remembered the BIENVILLE, GOVERNOR OP LOUISIANA. 36 ' '' MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. post in a substantial way. He made a grant of several thousand acres to the Church at that place and for three years, at his own expense, maintained a missionary. Be- sides performing his duties as a preacher, the missionary was to instruct the natives in agriculture. De Tonti was a loyal friend. He had more than once risked his life for La Salle; and when he heard of his death, he fitted out an expedition to go to the rescue of the colony which La Salle had planted in Texas. With a small party he went down the Mississippi, up the Red River, and across Texas. He suffered greatly on this journey. For days he waded through water, often waist deep, and again and again was he forced to cut his way through thickets matted with vines, while con- stantly he was in danger of an attack by treacherous savages. Finally his own men deserted him, and he was compelled to return. Just as he reached the Post on the Arkansas River, he was stricken with malarial fever ; and for weeks he lingered on the border of life and death, though carefully nursed by his old French and Indian friends. The remainder of his life De Tonti spent keeping his forts in repair and making explorations. In 1700 he made his last journey down the Mississippi and finally went to Mobile, where he died in 1704. History has never done justice to this noble man, though he was appreciated by a few. La Salle had been loud in his HENRI DE TONTI. 37 praise, and the French governors extolled his character and thought him capable of any enterprise. For him, when duty called or a friend was in need, no privation was too great, no suffering too severe, no danger too threatening. He served his adopted country without pay, and to her he was faithful to the end. Test Questions. Who was Henri de Tonti? How did he happen to come to America? What was La Salle planning to do? How was he to do it? What was De Tonti's position in the expedition? In this position, what service did he render? Of the first part of La Salle's plan, what did the party accomplish? What hardships did De Tonti undergo? Of the second part of La Salle's plan, what did the party accomplish? Had any white men been down the river before? What was the Louisiana Territory? When and after whom was it named? What be- came of La Salle? Who was the first governor of the Louisiana Territory? What was the principal occupation of the French who came west? Compare this with the main business of the English colonists. To us what is the most important date in this chapter? Why? What kind of man was De Tonti? Give examples of • his bravery. Why is he called the father of Arkansas? From these three chapters, what have you learned of the customs of the Indians? Map Questions. Map of Europe. — Locate France, England. Map of the United States. — Where was the land of the Illinois Indians? the land of the Iroquois? Locate Fort Miami, Peoria, Fort St. Louis, Mobile, Biloxi, Texas, the Louisiana Territory, Arkansas Post. CHAPTER IV. THE GREAT PURCHASE. 1803. Prior to 1803, the Louisiana Territory was a ball tossed to and fro between France and Spain. Prance was the big boy who said when the ball should be tossed. The tossing was always done in secret, and every time it had its hidden purpose. We have seen how De Soto, a Spaniard, first discovered the Mississippi, but how Spain was slow in taking ad- vantage of the opportunities which her explorers pointed out ; how France, a more vigorous nation, came forward and occupied the valley, in pursuance of the policy of La Salle; and how Marquette and La Salle explored the country and established posts along the river. Spain suffered a great loss when France took the Mississippi valley, but she had only herself to blame. France, however, did but little better than Spain. She neither opened farms nor built cities, but contented her- self by trading with the Indians. As a consequence, the few people that came into Louisiana, and especially into what is now Arkansas, were soldiers and traders. There THE GREAT PURCHASE. 39 were no farmers and but few merchants. No perma- nent settlements were made except around military posts. As has been mentioned, the first settlement in Arkan- sas was made by De Tonti, near the mouth of the Arkan- sas River at a place afterward called Arkansas Post. Frequently Canadians came into the country and re- FRENCII FLEET UN THE LOUISIANA COAST. mained for a year or two trading with the Indian tribes, the Osages (o'-saj-es) and the Quapaws (kwa'-paws), probably the same Indians that De Soto found in this region. For the purpose of trading with these Indians and because of the supposed wealth in the country, an- other settlement near the Arkansas Post was made by adventurers in 1718. But this was soon abandoned. As 40 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. a geographical division, Arkansas was known to the Spaniards, being mentioned in some old Spanish records of about 1780, as the "Parish of St. Arkansas," in the province of Louisiana. Its name was that of a tribe of Indians; and the first French explorers, hearing it, had From the painting by Detaroche. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. spelled it after the method of their own language, Arkansas. In 1800, this Parish had a population of about four hundred. As a whole, the country remained a wil- derness occupied by roving bands of savages. The result THE GREAT PURCHASE. 41 was that the Louisiana Territory, extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, made but little progress from the time of La Salle down to 1803. In the meantime, several changes in government took place. By the famous treaty of Paris, in 1763, France, who had been badly defeated in a war with England, had to give away nearly all her American possessions. She ceded Louisiana to Spain, and all the territory east of the Mississippi River to her victorious enemy, England. But Spain was no more successful in developing Louisi- ana than France had been ; for the territory remained a wilderness. By 1800, the political situation in Europe had again changed. Napoleon, the greatest general of the age, was at the head of affairs in France. It was his ambition to regain Louisiana and to establish in America a great French power to offset the English power. With this in view, in 1800 he secretly made a treaty with Spain by which Louisiana again came into the possession of France. He left Spain in control while he privately made extensive preparations to build up in the New World a great French empire with New Orleans as the capital. Rumors of this scheme reached the United States and greatly alarmed the American people, especially the people of the West, who were ready to fight rather than to lose the use of the Mississippi River. 42 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Besides, they did not want a French empire that might become hostile established just across the Mississippi. Indeed it was time for action. The American people had already gained their inde- pendence from England (1783) and had established a republic. At the time that France acquired Louisi- ana, Thomas Jeffer- son was President of the United States. He at once saw the danger of Napoleon's scheme ; and fear- ing that the United States might lose the right to carry com- merce along the Mis- sissippi River, he at once directed Robert Livingston, our minister to France, to purchase New Orleans if possible. He also sent James Monroe, who was popular in France, to aid Mr. Living- ston in the negotiations. President Jefferson in his letter to Mr. Livingston said: "There is on the globe one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans, through which the products of three-eighths of our territory must pass to market. ' ' At first, Napoleon would not listen to Mr. Livingston ; THE GREAT PURCHASE. 43 but suddenly, in 1803, in the midst of his preparations to occupy New Orleans, the great warrior changed his mind and said to Marbois (mar-bwa'), his secretary, "I renounce Louisiana. It is not only New Orleans I want to cede, but the entire colony without re- serve. Open the subject this very day to Mr. Livingston." Why this change of mind? Was the great Napoleon frightened ? No. War was about to break out between England and France. Now England was mistress of the ocean ; she could easily ,/ £Z / * drive France off the /$%> Vf/^J7/ '^ ' "% high seas. Napoleon / knew that in the event of such a war, England would seize New Orleans; and he therefore wisely decided to sell the whole of the territory to the United States, the best purchaser. Monroe and Livingston were directed to buy New Orleans; but they had no power to purchase the whole of Louisiana. There were no cables then, and Napoleon would not wait for them to write home and get authority. 44 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. They therefore concluded to go beyond their instructions, and in a few days they signed a treaty for the purchase of the whole country. The United States promised to pay for the territory fifteen million dollars — less than three cents an acre. Napoleon, after signing the treaty, said, "I have just given to England a mari- time rival that will sooner or later humble her pride." Nobler and more patriotic was the senti- ment expressed by Liv- ingston, when he laid down his pen. Speaking to Monroe, he said, "We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives. It will change vast solitudes into flourishing districts. From this day the United States take their place among the powers of the first rank." December 20th of the same year was fixed as the time for the transfer of the territory to the United States. On that day a French officer at New Orleans slowly low- ered the French flag, while at the same time gradually rose the stars and stripes. Amid the shouts of the multi- tude and the boom of cannon, the United States took ^&^frn^? THE GREAT PURCHASE. 45 possession of Louisiana. The territory that had changed hands so often had at last found a permanent owner. It was no longer to be subject to the whims of kings and princes thousands of miles away. MAP SHOWING GROWTH OP THE UNITED STATES WEST OP THE MISSISSIPPI. This purchase gave to the United States peaceful con- trol of the Mississippi and of a vast territory of almost 46 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. boundless resources. Here her people might build happy homes and live undisturbed. To Louisiana it gave lib- erty and a republican government instead of tyranny or the misrule of a European king. Out of this territory have been carved twelve states and two territories. In 1803 it had a population of about fifty thousands ; in 1903 it had a population of about fifteen millions. The people of this territory were largely French. But, although they preferred to remain under the French flag, they did not oppose the new government; for the United States assured the people that they would be protected in their life, property, and religion. The population of Louisiana grew slowly during the French and the Spanish rule, because its government was not so organized as to attract settlers. Before a man could settle in the province, he had to secure permis- sion from a foreign official. A citizen could not go twenty miles from his home unless he got a passport de- scribing the road that he was to travel and the place that he was to visit. The English or American people east of the Mississippi did not like these restrictions and would not cross the river. But after the United States came into possession of Louisiana, the territory was settled rapidly by the Anglo-Saxon pioneer from east of the river. By 1819 there were fourteen thousand people in Arkansas alone. During the French and the Spanish rule, Arkansas THE GREAT PURCHASE. 47 had been a district in the province of Louisiana. An officer, called commandant (kom-an-danf), was ap- pointed to govern the district; and he resided at Arkan- sas Post. He had much power, as he was both judge and executive. From 1804 to 1812 Arkansas was a part of the territory of Louisiana; from 1812 to 1819 it formed one or more counties in the territory of Missouri, the ARKANSAS TIMBER EXHIBIT AT THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION, ST. LOUIS, 1904. present state of Louisiana having been admitted into the Union in 1812. There are now seventy-five counties in Arkansas; but in 1813 Arkansas was one county in the territory of Missouri. At that time she sent only one representative to the legislature, which met at St. Louis. By 1819 Arkansas had been divided into five counties; 48 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. namely, Arkansas, Lawrence, Pulaski, Clark, and Hemp- stead counties. Test Questions. What countries had in turn claimed or owned the Louisiana Territory? State exactly how long it had been under the rule of each. What was the Treaty of Paris, and how did it affect this country? Who was the greatest man in France in the year 1800? Which of his ambitions concerned this country? How far did he carry out his plan? Describe the political divisions of America at that time s How was Napoleon's plan looked upon by the people of the United States? What did this country prepare to do? How did Napoleon receive our proposal, and why? Who was President of the United States at that time? Whom did he appoint to negotiate this pur- chase? What did Jefferson give as his reason for this pur- chase? What did Napoleon say after signing the treaty? Was this prophecy ever fulfilled? What did Livingston say of the treaty? What was the exact date on which the territory was transferred to the United States? With what ceremony was this done? What difference did this change of government make to the French settlers of the territory? Describe .the development of the territory of Louisiana during the next hundred years. Why had it not developed more rapidly be- fore? Describe the government of Arkansas during the first twenty years following the purchase. Map Questions. Map of Louisiana Purchase, p. 45. — Bound the Louisiana Territory. Map of the United States. — Bound the present state of Arkansas; of Missouri; of Louisiana. What states now occupy the old territory of Louisiana? Locate New Orleans. Map of Europe. — Where is Paris? CHAPTER V. FREDERICK NOTREBE. A Type of the Old French Settler. 1775-1840 (?). When the United States acquired Louisiana, the French were about the only people in Arkansas besides the Indians. There were not many of these Frenchmen ; but they were a cultured, refined people, whose influence was wholesome. They intermarried with the American settlers who, after the purchase, pushed across the Mis- sissippi from the older states ; and their descendants have furnished some of the best families of the State. The impress of the French is seen in the names of our creeks, rivers, mountains, towns, and families. Fourche la Fave (foorsh la fiiv), Ouachita, Poteau (po-to'), Petit Jean (pe-te' zhort), Des Arc (da zark), De Vall's (de-valz'), Bluff, Sevier (se-ver'), and Maumelle (mo-meT) are a few of the many names left to remind us of our obli- gations to them. An interesting type of the French settler is Colonel Frederick Notrebe (no-treb'), who found his way to Ar- 50 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. kansas Post about 1810. He was a tall, handsome man, of commanding presence ; and he possessed all the polish and refinement of the proud country in which he was born. He had despised the weak king of France and when the French Revolution broke out, had espoused the cause of the people. He had served with distinc- tion as an officer under the great Napoleon and had rejoiced in the overthrow of the King and in the estab- lishment of the Republic. But when, in turn, his chief ALONG THE STREAM OF THE ARKANSAS. overthrew the Republic and established for himself an empire, Notrebe was sorely grieved. Despairing of free- dom at home, he turned his back on his native land, came to America, and settled on the Arkansas River. Here he had a large plantation which he cultivated with slave FREDERICK NOTREBE. 51 labor. He was also a merchant and soon became a wealthy man. Open-handed and hospitable, he delighted in entertaining at his magnificent house the distinguished men of the Territory. He was far-famed for his princely hospitality of the approved old Southern style, and he was deservedly popular. This generous Frenchman was a life-long friend of Alexander Walker, of whom we shall learn more in an- other chapter. On one occasion they had a misunder- standing, Mr. Walker having said something that the proud Frenchman considered an insult. Like all men of his country, he was ready to defend his honor with his blood ; so he challenged Mr. Walker to a duel. According to the code of our forefathers, dueling was about the only way to avenge an insult. Mr. Walker accepted the challenge, and early one morn- ing the two men met. Mr. Wal- ker was the first on the ground ; and, seeing Colonel Notrebe ap- proaching with a large party, he cried out, "Well, Frederick, if I had known that you were going to come with an army at your back, I would have come over during the night and thrown up breastworks." This created a laugh. DRESS OF FREDERICK NOTREBE' S DAY. 52 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Friends intervened, and the difficulty was settled with- out bloodshed. The two men shook hands and ever after were true friends. Mr. Walker is a type of the English settler, as Colonel Notrehe is of the French. The English differed from the French in many ways. They did not like close neighbors, so they pushed out into the wilderness. There they set- tled on rich lands and opened farms upon which they built log houses. The French, on the contrary, settled in villages. They laid off long, narrow streets and built their houses near one another. These were rude log houses with stick and dirt chimneys. Near the village was a common pasture to which they drove their cattle ; also, a common woodland from which all the villagers got their fuel. Every family, however, had a separate field to cultivate. When at work, the men kept guns strapped to their backs. This was a necessary precau- tion against Indian treachery. These people farmed, hunted, trapped, and traded with the natives. On trading expeditions, three or four would go together. Before starting they would load their boats with trinkets, hatchets, guns, powder, knives, blankets, and gay-colored handkerchiefs. Then they would row up the Arkansas or the White River. When they neared an Indian village, one of them would hold up the calumet, and the eager savages would soon bring out their skins and furs to exchange for the trinkets of FREDERICK NoTREBE. 53 the Frenchmen. Sometimes the party would go overland on horseback and frequently these expeditions took a month or more. But the great market was at New Or- FRENCII TRADERS NEARING AN INDIAN VILLAGE. leans; so, as soon as they had gathered at the Post a supply of skins and furs, they would fit out boats for a trip down the Mississippi. As these people were simple in their habits, they had but few wants. They dressed in buckskin and wore moccasins and coon-skin caps. Later on, however, sheep raising was introduced; and in each settler's home the wife and mother dyed and spun the wool. The thread 54 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. was woven into cloth called homespun, and this took the place of buckskin. This cloth was used far down into the last century, and even today it may be found in some of the interior counties of the State. Test Questions. Describe the white settlers of Arkansas at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Do the French still people Arkansas? How does the population of any district change? What have we to remind us of the French? "Who was Colonel Notrebe? In what did the French, as settlers, differ from the English? Describe a French village. What was the chief business of these people, and how did they carry it on? Describe their dress. What new industry was introduced, and how did it affect the life of the people? Are there any descendants of the early settlers in your neighborhood? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Trace the Fourche la Fave River; the Ouachita; the Poteau; the Petit Jean. Where is Des Arc? De Vall's Bluff? Maumelle Mountain? CHAPTER VI. THE FIRST ARKANSAN. When Marquette and de Tonti visited Arkansas, the territory was occupied by two great tribes of Indians — the Quapaws and the Osages. The Arkansas River sepa- rated them, the Quapaws living south, and the Osages, north of that stream. The Quapaws were known also by another name, Arkansas, which, as we have said, was early given by the French to the region around our larg- est river and to the river itself. So the first Arkansan of history was the red man. He was copper-colored and had long, straight, jet-black hair, high cheek bones, a beardless face, and black eyes. He was swift-footed and quick-witted. He clothed him- self in skins and furs in winter, but in summer went almost naked. He lived chiefly by fishing and hunting, spent most of his time in the open air, and knew the forest and its streams perfectly; he could hoot like an owl, bark like a wolf, and gobble like a turkey. He was a many-sided creature. His virtues were patience and for- titude ; his vices, revengef ulness, cruelty, cowardice, and treachery. He would never risk a fair or an honorable 56 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. battle, for he preferred to fall upon his enemy unawares in the dead of night. INDIAN SPYING BEFORE THE ATTACK. When Marquette and de Tonti found the Arkansas Indians, they were living in villages, usually on a river. Their houses were built of logs and covered with bark. Their beds were mats placed upon some rude contrivance to lift them above the dirt floor. Marquette in his journal tells us that these Quapaws raised each year two crops of corn, and they had a supply of peaches, apples, plums, and watermelons. Buffalo, deer, turkey, and bear abounded ; but owing to the hostility of the tribes to the north, the Quapaws did not hunt buffalo beyond the Arkansas River. These people had certainly taken some steps in civili- zation, for they had earthen pots, bowls, and dishes. Indian pottery has been found all along our rivers. It was made of clay intermixed with crushed shells and was either burnt or sun-dried. Similar pottery, with tools and ornaments, has been found in mounds on our prairies. The pottery is un- THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 57 glazed and often painted; the tools and the ornaments are made of different metals and stones. As they show workmanship superior to that of the Indians, it is prob- able that another people lived here before the Indians. But these mound builders, as they are called, no white man ever saw; only the mounds that they left give evi- dence that they once existed. Some of the mounds near Toltec, about sixteen miles east of Little Rock, are INDIAN POTTERY. seventy-five feet high. They are flat on top, and several of them are enclosed by a levee ten feet high. Because the mound builder left no better record of himself, and no one ever wrote of having seen him, we call him a prehistoric man and still regard the Indian as the first Arkansan. Marquette and de Tonti found the Indians in Arkan- sas peaceable, kind, and hospitable. The historian of La Salle's party, speaking of these Indians, says, "The whole village came down to the shore to meet us, except the women, who had run off. I cannot tell you the civil- 58 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. ity and kindness we received from these barbarians, who brought us poles to make huts, supplied us with fire- wood during the three days we were among them, and took turns in feasting us. But this gives no idea of the good qualities of these savages, who are gay, civil, and free-hearted. * * * We did not lose the value of a pin while we were among them." On the other hand, de Soto found the Indians warlike, treacherous, and bloodthirsty, and he had constant trouble with them. This difference was due to the way the explorers treated the savages. Marquette and de Tonti were kind and considerate, but de Soto was cruel and treacherous. Arkansas has indeed been fortunate in her dealings with the natives. Many of her sister states have suffered from the ravages of Indian wars; unsuspecting villages have been burned, the people tomahawked, and farms laid waste. But Arkansas has been practically free from such struggles. For this, perhaps, her thanks are due her first settlers, the French. The French carried on friendly trade with the natives. They petted and flattered them, humored their whims and often married them. On the other hand, the English, in their dealings, were blunt, plain, and straightforward. They looked with contempt upon the Indians, as inferior beings. Therefore the Indians were usually allies of the French and enemies of the English. THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 59 Soon after the United States had purchased Louisiana, and settlers from the east had begun to make their homes in Arkansas, it was discovered that the red man was in the way of the white man. The red man wanted the land for hunting, and the white man wanted it for farming. Here was a conflict; and it would have given rise to war, had not tact been used to settle the difference. The United States saw the danger and treated with the Indians — bought their lands and gave them lands farther west, in the Indian Territory. Treaties were made with the Osages in 1808 and in 1818, and with the Quapaws in 1818 and in 1824, by which they gave up all claims to lands in Arkansas. The names of the Quapaw chiefs through whom the United States made these treaties were "Dry Man," "Eagle's Bill," and "Tame Buffalo." In 1817 the United States ceded to the Cherokees terri- tory in northwest Arkansas in exchange for land owned by them east of the Mississippi; but this was not satis- factory to Arkansas, and in 1828 the Cherokees were given land in the Indian Territory in exchange for their Arkansas land. The Choctaws also once had their home in the western part of Arkansas. They were allowed to remain only five years, and in 1825 they too gave up their possessions there for land in the Indian Territory. The name of the state is derived from the Indian tribe called by the early French explorers Akansas or Akansa. 60 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. These Indians had once lived on the Ohio River and had probably been driven out by the Iroquois. The name had been given them before they left the Ohio Valley, for, in 1700, the Illinois Indians spoke of the Ohio River as the river of the Akansa. Just when the Akansas Indians came south is not known, but they were living on the Arkansas River when the French first explored the Mississippi River. They gave their name to the Arkansas River and later to the state. It should be noted, however, that these Indians never called themselves Akansas. Among themselves they went by the name Cappa or Ougapa. They so call themselves to-day, but we call them Quapaws. The tribe now numbers less than 200. No generally accepted explanation has been given for the insertion of the letter " r " in the first syllable of the Indian word Akansas. Some of the early French explorers wrote it Arkansas. Although so many Indians on their way to the Indian Territory have made Arkansas a stopping-place, they have given her almost no trouble; and her dealings with them, as well as those of the United States, have been honorable and peaceable. The story of the red man is a sorrowful one. His best lands have been taken from him, and by degrees he has been pushed back by the white man. He is gradually disappearing, and it is only a question of time when he THE FIRST ARKANSAN. Gl will become extinct. The Indian clearly realizes this. Many pathetic stories are told showing his sorrow over the loss of his happy hunting-grounds, and over the dis- appearance of his people. In Arkansas history is this touching anecdote of the old chief, Saracen : Saracen was chief of those Quapaw Indians who, in SARACEN RESCUING THE STOLEN CHILDREN. 1824, gave up their land in south Arkansas and moved to the Indian Territory. After a time he left them and came back to Arkansas ; for he had been sad away from the land of his fathers. He asked Governor Pope for permission to pass the last days of his life at his home near Pine Bluff. The Governor assured him that no 62 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. one would trouble him if he wished to return, and Sar- acen was grateful for this kindness. The old settlers of Pine Bluff welcomed him back, for he had always been a good friend and neighbor. Soon after his return a roving band of Chickasaw Indians stole two children of a fisherman near Pine Bluff. The weeping mother besought Saracen to rescue her children, and he promised to do so. Alone, after night-fall, he overtook the marauding band near Arkan- sas Post. Waiting till they were asleep, he gave the war-whoop, and with tomahawk uplifted sprang upon the unsuspecting savages, and frightened them away. Then he rescued the children, and returned them at once to their mother. For this and other noble deeds, the Roman Catholics placed in their church at Pine Bluff a memorial window in honor of Saracen. Test Questions. What Indians occupied Arkansas when Marquette visited it? What is the origin of the name of our State? Describe the first Arkansan; give his characteristics, his food, and his manner of life and dress. What evidences are there that the Indian was not really the first Arkansan? Then why may we give the Indian this name? What do we call the mound builders? Explain why the Indians treated Marquette and de Tonti differently from the way they treated de Soto. Why has Arkan- sas been so free from Indian warfare? Why has the Indian usually been a friend of the French and an enemy to the Eng- lish? Why were the Indians removed from Arkansas? When? How? Tell the story of Saracen. THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 63 Map Questions. Map of Indian Cessions, p. 59. — Trace on the map the terri- tory first occupied by the Quapaws; by the Osages. Point out on the map the land acquired from the Quapaws in 1818; in 1824; from the Osages in 1808; in 1818. What territory was ceded to the Cherokees in 1817? Point to all the land open to the white man in 1828. Trace the Choctaw cession of 1825 Where are these Indians now? Map of Arkansas. — Locate Pine Bluff. CHAPTER VII. THE PIONEER BOATMAN, 1800-1835. Though Saracen was kind and noble, the Indians as a rule were treacherous; and the white man had to be con- stantly on his guard against them. To the terror of the pioneer boatmen, they lurked along the river banks, con- cealing themselves behind trees or in cane-brakes. At the report of the signal gun — for the Indians now used fire-arms bought or captured from the white men, — tney would make a general attack. Howling fiercely, they would rush to the bank, shoot the poor men who steered the boat, and then attempt to seize the vessel. A fight, lasting for hours, often ensued, the Indians follow- ing along the bank and shooting at the men on board. Since the boatmen also were skilled marksmen, the sav- ages could overcome them only with overpowering num- bers or by treachery; and they often did by cunning what they failed to do by open assault. Frequently one would come to the bank, hail the captain, and ask to be taken on board. Then, when the boat neared the bank, other Indians who lay concealed near by, would shoot THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 65 the boatmen and seize the boat. But these tricks the boatmen soon learned and frustrated. Navigation in those days was quite different from what it is now. Should you make a trip on an ocean steamer today, you would find it elegantly furnished and sup- plied with every convenience. Your ticket would entitle you to all its comforts — its excellent meals, desirable berths, and attractive parlors. A big steamer will carry about three thousand passengers, or as many people as live in towns such as Conway or Searcy. A great mer- chant-steamer will carry over twenty-five thousand tons FULTON'S STEAMBOAT, "THE CLERMONT." of freight. Steamships do a large part of the carrying trade of the world. The oceans, the Great Lakes, and the large rivers are covered with them. 66 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. But it has not always been thus ; for it was less than a century ago that Robert Fulton invented the steamboat. Only about 1835 did steamers come into general use on the Mississippi, the Arkansas, and the Missouri rivers, which till that time were navigated with the raft, the flatboat, and the keel-boat. In the eighteenth century but few people lived in the Mississippi valley; consequently there was not traffic enough to justify a man's devoting his time to boating. No boats ran regularly up and down the river. If a pioneer, living up the valley, wished to market his prod- ucts, he himself had to carry them down the river in a flatboat or on a raft. But the first thirty years of the PIONEERS TRAVELING BY FLATBOAT. nineteenth century developed a special class of boatmen to operate these vessels. They made a business of plying between New Orleans and points along the Mississippi River and its branches. There was little difficulty in going down stream, as the raft simply floated with the current. But going up THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 67 stream — there was the rub. Sometimes the boat was "cordelled, " as the boatmen said, up stream. The men fastened long ropes to each side of the boat or raft, and then taking the other ends, they walked along the banks just ahead of the vessel and pulled it up stream. Some- times the ropes were fastened to trees ahead, and the men CORDELLING A STEAMER Ur-STREAM on board would propel the vessel by pulling the ropes. When the river was not too swift, the boat could be pushed along by means of poles. This was hard work, and it took about fifty men to impel a keel-boat up stream. 68 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Traveling in those days was necessarily slow, and a trip from Little Rock to New Orleans consumed as much time as a voyage to Japan in these modern days. A keel, leav- ing Cincinnati in the spring for New Orleans, would return in the fall. Merchants bought their sugar and molasses in New Orleans and their drygoods and hard- ware in Philadelphia or New York. It took several months for goods to come from New York to Arkansas. They were brought in wagons as far as Pittsburg, there loaded on vessels and taken down the Ohio River to the Mississippi, thence to the mouth of the Arkansas, and up this stream to the point nearest the place of destination. This method continued a long time, for Arkansas had been a state many years before railroads were built. The boatmen of the early days had to be strong, brave, rough-and-ready men, ready to undergo all hardships and to face any danger. Some of them became noted for their noble deeds and daring adventures. They endured alike the blasts of winter and the heat of summer. In- deed, robbers and storms were the more common sources of danger. Men made it a business to lie in wait for these boats and to rob them as they were towed up stream. The robbers lived in caves or near the mouth of creeks emptying into the Mississippi. As soon as a band of them discovered a boat going up or down the river, they prepared for an attack. When it was opposite them, they dashed out from their hiding places, perhaps shot THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 69 one or two of the men, and boarded the vessel. In a short time they had its rich cargo stored away in their hut or cave near by. POLING A RAFT ON THE MISSISSIPPI. But Indians and robbers were not so much feared by the rivermen as were storms. One of our early boatmen, Captain David Miller, once encountered a memorable storm on the Mississippi. He was making a trip south on his vessel, the Reindeer, with a large cargo for points along the Arkansas and the White River. Among his passengers were Governor Pope of Arkansas and his nephew. One night they were struck by a storm, of which Gov- ernor Pope 's nephew gives this account : ' ' About ten o'clock that night, while sitting with Captain Miller on 70 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. the hurricane deck, just in front of the pilot-house, listening to him relate some of the stirring events of his life on the river, we heard low, distant thunder, which came nearer and nearer. The day had been excessively hot and sultry. Captain Miller remarked that we were likely to have a storm. * * * As soon as the captain became fully satisfied of the danger that was about to overtake us, he directed the pilot to land ; and the boat was headed for a high bluff on the Missouri side, where she was made fast, both bow and stern, with heavy cables. The task was hardly accomplished when the storm struck us in all its fury, and the enormous hempen cables in which we reposed so much confidence parted like silken threads, and the boat was blown out into mid-stream * * * without steam and at the mercy of the furious storm. By good management on the part of the officers, the boat was swung around and headed up stream. We were then struck by a counter blast which careened the boat so that water ran over the lower guards and into the gentlemen's cabin. * * * The total destruction of the boat and the consequent loss of life was only averted by the fact that the steamer had a heavily laden barge lashed to her starboard side, which prevented her from going entirely over with the wind that struck her on the lee side." David Miller was a brave, true man, and a great cap- tain. He did an extensive business on the Arkansas and THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 71 White rivers. Until the steamer came into use, he plied a keel-boat on the Mississippi. He boated so long that everybody on his route knew Captain Miller, and he knew every point from New Orleans to Cincinnati. He was partner with his father-in-law, Mr. Montgomery, in a large mercantile establishment at Montgomery Point on the Mississippi, near the mouth of the Arkansas. Soon after the storm described above, Captain Miller died of smallpox. Another early boatman noted in Arkansas was Captain Pennywit. He came from Virginia early in the century and ran a keel-boat between New Orleans and Cincin- i<'rom an old print. THE LANDING AT VAN BUREN. nati. He built the first steamboat ever constructed at the latter place and named it Cincinnati. He was in the boating business until 1847, when he became a merchant 72 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. at Van Buren. Captain Pennywit died in Little Rock in 1868. His steamer, the Facility, made its first voyage up the Arkansas in 1828. The first steamboat to come to Arkansas Post was the Comet, in 1820 ; the first to reach Little Rock was the Eagle, in 1822. In 1829 Captain Pennywit made a round trip by steamer from Little Rock to New Orleans in twenty clays. This was considered a great triumph. In 1829 our con- gressman, Mr. A. H. Sevier, made the trip from Little Rock to Washington, mostly by steamer, in nineteen days; and the "Washington papers of that time thought it a remarkably quick trip. Test Questions. Describe the life of the pioneer boatmen; its dangers and hardships; the methods of operating boats. By whom was the steamboat invented? When? Compare travel on a modern steamer with that on a western keel-boat a century ago. By what route did merchants at Washington or Fayetteville, Arkansas, get their goods seventy-five years ago? How do they get them today? Name two well-known river captains. For what was each especially noted? When did the steamer first appear on the Arkansas? When did it come into general use on the Mississippi? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Fayetteville, Conway, Searcy. Map of the United States. — Locate Cincinnati, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, New York, Washington City. Trace the river-route from Pittsburg to Little Rock, naming the states through which or between which the rivers flow. CHAPTER VIII. FRONTIER LIFE. 1800-1836. Most of the French pioneers to Arkansas came from Canada and what is now the state of Louisiana, while our Anglo-Saxon ancestors came from the older states east of the Mississippi. The latter came after 1800 and were a sturdy, honest, thrifty people. As you know, they did not like close neighbors ; so, when the older states be- came thickly settled, they went west. From Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, where their fathers before them had been pioneers, they pushed into the wilds of Ar- kansas. They found Arkansas a wilderness, where they had to brave dangers from savages and wild beasts and to endure all the hardships and privations of frontier life. They felled the forests, opened and cultivated fields, built their log cabins, and here and there established settlements. At first, they cultivated their ground with a plow fashioned from a forked sapling. One of its prongs was cut off a foot above the fork, was sharpened and used as the plow. The other prong served as a beam 74 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. to which were attached the handles. This homely device was used until some time later when it was replaced by the bulltongue plow. The chief crop of these pioneers was corn. The grist-mills of our fathers were few in number, be- ing often seventy-five or one hundred miles apart ; so the corn was usually prepared at home by grating or mashing it. The grater was a simple contrivance, made by driv- ing nails through a piece of tin, which was then fastened, rough side out, to a convex board. With one end of the board in a wooden tray and the other between the knees, the pioneer would rub the corn over the rough surface, cutting it into fine par- ticles. Some people still prefer meal prepared in this way, as it has a richer flavor. The corn to be grated was always new or boiled. The mortar was made by digging out a hole in one end of a large block. Into this cavity the corn was poured and then mashed with a pestle made to fit the hole. Often, instead of grating or mashing the corn, the pio- neer farmers made it into "lye hominy." This took the AN OLD-TIME PLOW. FRONTIER LIFE. 75 place of bread, and with hog's meat was the chief food of many families. Game also was plentiful. General Wilkinson, who, in 1806, explored the Arkansas River from its source to its mouth, said that there were buffalo, elk, and deer enough on that river to support all the Indians in the United States for a century. Our fathers were bold hunters and delighted in ad- venture. They were so much attached to the free life of the frontier that they would have rebelled against the restraints of older communities. They did not regard it a special hardship that they had no roads or that the post-office was fifty miles away. They had neither stagecoaches nor steamboats ; but they were content with keel-boats and ox-wagons. Though they had but few comforts, life to them was neither dull nor monotonous. They were jolly and happy; and the young people had many diversions, the chief one being dancing. Some had religious scruples about dancing, as their "parson" said it was wrong; but to the majority, the news of a dance gave genuine pleasure. For weeks, it was the center of interest. For it alone, they talked and planned. Their hearts were all a-flutter for days in advance. At the appointed time, people came from far and near — some walking, some on horseback, and others in ox-wagons. They were a jolly, rollicking crowd. The hero of the occasion was the fiddler, whose fame was wide-spread. When he began to pat his foot vigorously, 76 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. they knew that he was ready. He would pick the strings, — toom, toom, — and saw away, head, hands, and feet OX-WAGONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. moving together, then, tune and tighten the strings, and saw again. Occasionally his voice would sound above such airs as "Run Nigger Run," "Fisher's Hornpipe," "Great Big Tree in the Sandy Land," and "Old Dan Tucker." In 1813 the legislature of the territory of Missouri formed a number of counties. By this act, practically all of the present state of Arkansas was made one county to be known by the name of Arkansas County; and Ar- kansas Post was made its county seat. This county was given one representative in the territorial legislature, which met at St. Louis, the capital. Our first representative and law-maker was Colonel Alexander Walker, the friend of Colonel Notrebe, and one of the first Anglo-Saxon settlers at Arkansas Post. This quaint old man found all things beautiful except "whistlin' women, crowin' hens, fiddlers, fire-dogs, and pop-corn." He had many good qualities and was much esteemed by his neighbors, who elected him their first FRONTIER LIFE. 77 representative in the legislature. Being accustomed to hardships, he did not mind his trip on horseback from Arkansas Post to St. Louis ; though, as there were no roads, he had to follow Indian trails, mere bridle paths. Colonel Walker made his home at the Post until 1819, when Arkansas was organized as a territory, and the capital was moved to Little Rock. Then Mr. Walker moved to a farm not far from the new capital, but on the opposite side of the river. His nearest neighbor, Mr. Rorer, lived two miles away. Mr. Rorer was one of that shiftless, harm- less, easy-going class of people always to be found on the bor- derland of civiliza- tion. On one occasion he borrowed Mr. Walker's ox-yoke. True to the charac- teristics of his class, he failed to return it. When Mr. Walker sent him word to bring it home, he replied, "Tell him to come after it if he wants it." MR. RORER CARRYING HOME THE OX-YOKE. 78 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Whereupon the Colonel determined to teach his neighbor a lesson. Shouldering his gun, he walked over to his neighbor's house and called for him. Without further persuasion, the yoke was carried home. It was a hot July day, and his burden was heavy. When they reached the Colonel 's door, Mr. Rorer, hot and tired, threw the yoke down. Mr. Walker asked him if that was where he had found it. When he replied that it was not, he was compelled to pick it up and carry it to the place from which he had taken it. Then Mr. AValker invited him in, kindly gave him a cool drink from the north side of the well, and talked pleasantly about neighborhood affairs. When Mr. Rorer arose to start home, Colonel Walker said, "Mr. Rorer, you are welcome to my ox-yoke whenever you want it; but when I ask for its return, I expect you to send it home immediately. ' ' You see that Mr. Walker not only made laws but ex- ecuted them. So it was with most of the early settlers. They were their own judges and sheriffs, a law unto themselves. They did what they thought was right and compelled others to do the same, wishing no officers to meddle in their affairs. And so they lived until the United States organized the territorial government in 1819. FRONTIER LIFE. 79 Test Questions. What was the difference between the immigrants to Arkansas before and after 1800? "Whence did most of the Anglo-Saxon settlers come? The French settlers? Compare the French and Anglo-Saxon settlements. Describe the methods used by our grandparents in plowing; in grinding corn. How was hominy prepared? What wild animals were here? Describe the old time dance. In 1812, of what Territory was Arkansas a part? In 1813? How was Arkansas organized in 1813? What was the capital of Missouri? the county seat of Arkansas? Who was our first legislator? Tell the story of the ox-yoke. Of what class was Mr. Rorer a type? Colonel Walker? What condition in the early life of Arkansas does this story illustrate? Map Questions. Map of the United States. — How far is it from the mouth of the Arkansas River to St. Louis? How would you gc from Little Rock to St. Louis? CHAPTER IX. ROBERT CRITTENDEN. Arkansas' First Great Statesman, 1797-1834. In our country there are two kinds of government: the federal government at Washington, which regulates in a general way the affairs of the whole United States ; and the government in each state or territory, which manages its local affairs. The government of the state is created by the people of the state and is managed by officers elected by citizens of the state. The territorial government is established by the federal government and is managed largely by officers appointed by the Presi- dent of the United States. In 1819, by an act of Congress, Arkansas was made into a territory. In carrying out the provision of this act, President Monroe appointed Robert Crittenden sec- retary of the new Territory. He was only twenty-two years old; but he had already distinguished himself by serving in the War of 1812, between the United States and Great Britain, having enlisted at the age of sixteen. ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 81 When the army of the United States invaded Canada, he was among the gallant men who fought at Lundy's Lane. His father had served with distinction in the Revolutionary War, reaching the rank of major. Like most young men of the day, he had but few edu- cational advantages. After the war, he studied law in the office of his brother. As we have said, his gifts were recognized by President Monroe, who sent him as terri- torial secretary to Arkan- sas Post, the temporary capital of the Territory. Though the Post was over one hundred years old, it was still a mere village of about one hun- dred people. Mr. Crit- tenden was called upon to fill an important office, as he was not only secre- tary but acting governor in the absence of that official. As the newly ap- pointed territorial gov- ernor, Colonel James Miller, did not arrive till several months later, the duties of that office at once devolved upon Mr. Crittenden. His first act was to convene the legislature. This was ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 82 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. indeed a peculiar legislature. Today our legislature has two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives ; and each house has many members. But the first legis- lature of Arkansas had only one house, and, what is still stranger, that house had only four members ; Robert Crit- tenden, Andrew Scott, Charles Jouett, and Robert P. Letcher. Mr. Crittenden was the acting governor, and the other three were the judges of the Superior Court of the Territory. All these officials were appointed by the President of the United States. In this first legislature the people had no voice at all, as they have today. This was the way a territory of the first grade was governed. Mr. Crittenden was not in office long before he declared Arkansas a territory of the second grade. Let us see how a territory of this grade is governed. It has a legislature of two houses; the lower house is elected by the people, while the upper house is appointed by the President of the United States, from a list of names pre- sented to him by the lower house. The governor, the secretary, and the judges of the Superior Court, how- ever, are appointed by the President, whether the terri- tory is one of the first or of the second grade. The first legislature was in session only seven days, but in that time it provided Arkansas with a full set of laws. This was done by passing one law which provided that all the laws in use in Missouri should likewise be used in Arkansas. At this session the Territory was ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 83 divided into two circuits for the administration of jus- tice ; and the offices of auditor and treasurer, at a salary of three hundred dollars each, were created. Now came the important work of organizing the gov- ernment and of putting the laws into operation. It was in this connection that Mr. Crittenden rendered Arkan- sas a great service. Many difficulties confronted him — PIONEER MAIL-CARRIER CROSSING THE PLAIN. no roads, no money in the treasury, and only two post- offices in the Territory. Besides, the Quapaw Indians occupied much of the Territory, and great skill in man- aging them was necessary in order to prevent trouble between them and the whites. It was well that Mr. Crit- tenden brought to this work of organization a strong 84 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. body, a vigorous mind, and great energy. He appointed officers for the counties, organized a local and a central government for the Territory, and set things in motion before Governor Miller arrived. The second legislature convened the following year at Arkansas Post. Its most important measure was the removal of the capital to Little Rock. Since the mem- bers from the extreme northwest of Arkansas could not reach Arkansas Post in less than two weeks of hard and dangerous travel, they insisted on a more central loca- tion for the capital. Robert Crittenden, Henry Conway, and others encouraged the movement, claiming that the present site of Little Rock was the most suitable place in the Territory for its capital. There was no capitol building at Arkansas Post ; so little trouble was experienced in securing the passage of the bill to remove the government to Little Rock. The new site contained scarcely a building; but as it was near the center of the Territory and on the Arkansas River, it gave promise of becoming a business as well as a politi- cal center. A ledge of rocks projected into the river at this point, and the place was named Little Rock, to dis- tinguish it from Big Rock, a larger cliff two or three miles up the river. This was in 1820, and very soon a thriving village sprang up at the capital. For ten years Mr. Crittenden faithfully served the Territory as secretary, being much of the time also act- ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 85 ing governor. The fact is, he was the greatest power in the government of Arkansas during the first ten years of her history. In 1829, he retired from office and began the practice of law. He was a brilliant lawyer, and his BIG ROCK AND FORT ROOTS ON THE NORTH SIDE OP THE ARKANSAS RIVER. fame extended far beyond the borders of the Territory. He was often employed in important cases in other states. It was in 1834, while Mr. Crittenden was arguing a case in Vicksburg, Mississippi, that death struck him down, still in the prime of life, only thirty-seven years old. He had just finished one of his most eloquent and masterful arguments of seven hours' length and had sat down exhausted, when the judge called upon him to state again his authorities. But he could not speak. He attempted to rise, staggered, and fell. In the arms of 86 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. brothers at the bar he was borne out of the court-room to his hotel. There, far from wife and family, this first great statesman of Arkansas passed away. His was an untimely death. He was cut off in the midst of great labors, while a brilliant future lay before him. ARKANSAS IN 1828. Mr. Crittenden possessed a bright mind, equal to that of any of the early Arkansans. Those who knew both persons said that he was an abler man than his celebrated brother, John J. Crittenden, who was one of the nation's most noted statesmen from 1820 to 1861. Mr. Robert Crittenden was a large man, handsome in appearance, at- ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 87 tractive in manners, and princely in bearing. He was magnetic and had a sparkling, penetrating eye. Judge Turner, one of Arkansas' strongest lawyers, said of him, "As an orator, he had no equal in the Territory; and, in the judgment of the writer, he has had no equal here since his day." He was noble and generous : he despised fraud and hated dishonor; he did not know fear. The year before his death he found Albert Pike, Arkansas' scholar and poet, teaching a country school in Pope County. He recognized the talent of the young man and at once secured for him the place of assistant editor of the Advocate, a paper published at Little Rock. Thus one of the last acts of this noble man's life was to start an obscure but talented youth upon what was to become a remarkable career. Test Questions. What is the difference between a state government and a territorial government? Between the Federal government and a state government? What is the capital of the nation? When was Arkansas given territorial government? Com- pare our present legislature with the first in the Terri- tory. What laws did the first legislature pass? What are the duties of the auditor of a territory? of the treasurer? How did the salaries of these officers compare with the salaries of the same officers today? Why this difference? What is the difference between a territory of the first and one of the second grade? Give an account of the early life of Robert Crittenden. Has war any educational value? What position did he hold in the 88 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. government of Arkansas? What were his duties? What diffi- culties were in his way? How did he meet them? How old was he? What was the work of the second legislature? Why was the capital moved to Little Rock? Compare the Little Rock of 1820 and of 1900. Why has it grown to a city? When was Arkansas Post founded? Why had it not grown more? How long was Mr. Crittenden in the public service of Arkan- sas? Sum up his work for the Territory. Map Questions. Map of Indian Cessions, p. 59. — What part of Arkansas was occupied in 1819 by the Quapaw Indians? by the Cherokees? Map of the United States. — Locate Vicksburg. CHAPTER X. JAMES MILLER. Arkansas' First Governor. 1776-1851. The territorial government had been organized and set in motion by Mr. Crittenden several months before the arrival of Governor Miller ; and, therefore, Mr. Crit- tenden is looked upon as the real governor of Arkansas during the first few years of her history. James Miller, actually her first governor, is thought of rather as the hero of Lundy's Lane. It was in this battle that he had given the modest answer and done the daring deed that have been a motto and an example for every boy in the land. The com- manding officer pointing to a British battery on a height overlooking the field had asked Colonel Miller if he could take it. "I'll try, sir," was his reply. Cautiously and steadily he marched his men up the heights, almost to the enemy's guns; then, by an impetuous charge and a desperate struggle, he dislodged the enemy, seized the battery, and planted there the American flag. 90 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. It was five years later, December, 1819, that Colonel Miller came to Arkansas Post as the first governor of the Territory. An eye-witness thus pictured the scene : ' ' The day after our arrival at the Post, General James Miller, the hero of Lundy's Lane and of Port Erie, * * * arrived at that place to enter upon the discharge of the duties of said office. He came up the river in a splendidly fitted-up barge, with a large and well-finished cabin, hav- ing most of the conven- iences of modern steam- boats. This boat had been fitted up, manned and furnished by the United States government ex- pressly for his use. On the after-part of the cabin, on both sides, her name, Arkansaiv, was in- scribed in large gilt letters. She had a tall mast, from which floated a magnificent national banner, with the word Arkansaiv in large letters in the center, and the words, 'I'll try sir,' the motto of the regiment he com- manded at Lundy's Lane, interspersed in several places." JAMES MILLER. JAMES MILLER. 91 Governor Miller remained in Arkansas until 1824, when he returned to New Hampshire, the state of his birth. He was absent from Arkansas much of his term. Because he did not like the situation of Little Rock, he made his home at Crystal Hill, fifteen miles above, to which he tried in vain to have the capital moved. After leaving Arkansas, Governor Miller was appointed col- lector of the port of Salem, Massachusetts, where he re- mained till his death. When Governor Miller came to Arkansas, there were many settlements scattered over the Territory, but sepa- rated by long- stretches of wild forest. Helena, Pine Bluff, Benton, Cadron, Davidsonville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Biscoeville, Crystal Hill, and Little Rock were A PIONEER VILLAGE IN A CLEARING. fast growing into towns. Beyond these villages, bold pio- neers had built lonely cabins at points far apart through- 92 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. out the Territory. Some of these immigrants had been soldiers in the War of 1812. The United States had given each soldier in that War a certificate that entitled him to one hundred and sixty acres of the public lands. Many of these tracts were located in Arkansas. Other tracts were taken up by sufferers from the earthquake of 1811. The government allowed these people as much land as they had lost by this earthquake. The shock occurred at New Madrid, Missouri, on the Mississippi River, and was one of the most violent known. The whole country from the Ohio River to the St. Francis in Arkansas was disturbed. Houses were thrown down, trees were split and lashed together, the earth was sunk, lakes were formed, great strips of land were plunged into the Mississippi, and deep fissures were made in the earth. The Sunk Lands of northeast Arkansas were caused by this earthquake. Fortunately, few people lived in that section of Arkansas in 1811, and the loss of life was therefore small. These early settlers had for many years but little con- nection with the outer world. In 1817 two post-offices were established ; one at Davidsonville in northeast Ar- kansas, the other at Arkansas Post. These two post- offices served the district from St. Louis to Monroe, Louisiana, and had a monthly delivery. Under these circumstances it is a matter of no surprise that the people were ignorant concerning the general news of the day. JAMES MILLER. 93 As an illustration of this ignorance, there is the amusing story of Major Jacob Pyeatt, formerly an officer in the Revolutionary War. In 1807 Major Pyeatt and several families from Georgia and East Tennessee came west to our newly acquired territory. They brought with them tools, horses, cattle, their household goods and servants. The journey was made by land and over some of the roughest country ever traveled by a pioneer. Through the aid of the PIONEERS PUSHING ON TO THE WEST. Chickasaw Indians, they crossed the Mississippi in canoes and made their stock swim the river. The party followed an Indian trail to Batesville and then turned south- west, coming to the Arkansas River at a point which they named Crystal Hill. Later they moved to the mouth of the Cadron, now in Conway County. 94 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. In 1815 the President sent Major Gibson to establish military posts along the upper part of the Arkansas River. In going to the headwaters of the river, Major Gibson stopped at the Cadron settlement, where he rested and enjoyed the hospitality of Major Pyeatt. In a conversation between the two gentlemen, Major Pyeatt asked for news from the States. To his inquiry Major Gibson replied that the treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain had been ratified. "Peace!" exclaimed the old Major, "What peace? I did not know that the United States had been engaged in war with Great Britain since the Revolutionary War." Major Gibson then told his astonished host of the War of 1812 and of its leading events. Test Questions. Who was the first governor of Arkansas? In what other position was he more famous ? How was he famous? Describe Governor Miller's arrival at Arkansas Post. Where did he reside? What was the population of the Territory in 1819? Name the most important settlements in the Territory at that time. Which of these places are important towns now? Why? How were men encouraged to settle in Arkansas and in other western territories? What event other than the war caused settlements in Arkansas? What effects of that earth- quake are still to be seen in Arkansas? What were Arkansas' means of communication with the rest of the country before 1819? Tell a story illustrating her condition in this respect. Map Questions. Map of Arkansas (See also p. 86). — Locate Helena, Pine JAMES MILLER. 95 Bluff, Benton, Cadron, Davidsonville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Biscoeville, Crystal Hill, Little Rock. Where are the Sunk Lands? Trace the St. Francis River. Map of the United States. — Locate Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, New Hamp- shire, New Madrid, St. Louis, Salem (Mass.). Map of Canada — Where is Lundy's Lane? CHAPTER XI. BENJAMIN JOHNSON, Arkansas' First Great Jurist. 1784-1849. Tn addition to a secretary and a governor for the new Territory, the President appointed three judges. The Territory was divided into two circuits, to each of which one judge was assigned. The third judge assisted first in one circuit and then in the other as circumstances re- quired. The three together composed the Superior Court, which tried all important cases. Foremost among the judges appointed by President Monroe was Benjamin Johnson. He was Arkansas' greatest jurist from the year after the organization of the Territory to the middle of the century. He served so acceptably under President Monroe that he was reap- pointed by President Adams and President Jackson. When Arkansas became a state, he was appointed United States district judge ; and in this capacity he served until his death in 1849. Benjamin Johnson was the youngest member of a BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 97 family of distinguished men. One brother became a congressman, judge, and noted preacher; another killed the great Indian chief Tecumseh at the battle of the River Thames in Canada ; another won distinction in the War of 1812 and later became a congressman; and a fourth, brother was in the lower house of Congress for fifteen years, a United States senator for ten years, and Vice President of the United States for four years. The father of these noted men was a Virgin- ian, who, as early as 1779, pushed his way into the wilds of Kentucky, where Judge Johnson was born. Kentucky was known as the "dark and bloody ground," because upon its soil there were many bloody struggles among the Indians themselves, and often between the In- dians and the early set- tlers. The Indians were jealous of the pale faces and frequently attempted to get back their hunting grounds. Those early pioneers who pushed into the forests and BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 98 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. fields of Kentucky settled in villages in the center of which they built a fort with a block-house at every cor- From an old print. A FORT OF KENTUCKY PIONEERS IN THE DAYS OF BENJAMIN JOHNSON'S BOYHOOD. ner. Around the fort the log houses of the settlers were grouped. When an Indian attack was threatened, a BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 99 gun was fired as a danger signal and the people rushed into the fort, which the men defended by firing upon the savages through port-holes in the block-houses. Sometimes the attack was so sudden that no signal could be given, and a whole family and even a whole settlement would be slaughtered in their homes before they could make their way to their fortifications. Such circum- stances developed a brave, resourceful, self-sacrificing people; and under such conditions Benjamin Johnson grew up. As a boy he was noted for his studiousness, in- dustry, and uprightness — traits of character which he retained through life. When Johnson became one of the judges of Arkansas, he showed that he was in every way qualified for that great work. In the court-room he was firm, honest, con- scientious, and kind-hearted; but not soft-hearted. He indulged in no sickly sentiment about the criminal, but inflicted severe punishment if good government and justice demanded it. He possessed that fearlessness of spirit which is so much needed in dealing with the law- less element to be found in every new country. The wrong-doer stood in constant dread of him, and his fear- less administration of justice developed in the people a wholesome respect for law. Judge Johnson's circuit was half of Arkansas, and he held court in each county of the district twice a year. His courts were seventy or more miles apart, and 100 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. they could be reached neither by stagecoach nor by rail- road. To keep his appointments, he was forced to follow Indian trails on horseback, and frequently to swim swollen streams. Because of the great distances between settlements, he often had to spend a night on the ground under the open sky. A pair of saddle-bags contained books and clothing for his journeys from court-house to court-house — journeys which often kept him away from home for two or three months at a time. Today, a cir- cuit judge in Arkansas can take a train and reach almost any of his courts in one day. On these long journeys it was the custom for the lawyers from Little Rock to accompany the judge. They formed a regular cavalcade. The way was enlivened by stories and jokes, which made an otherwise tedious trip a very pleasant one. Sometimes as many as a dozen would spend the night at a log house and sleep in one room. In the winter of 1835-36 Judge Johnson held court at the Crawford Old Court-House, twenty-five miles below Fort Smith on the Arkansas River. With him had come Albert Pike and a party from the capital, on the long, cold trip up the old military road. Indeed, it was so cold that the men had to stop on the way one whole day. When they reached a point on the Arkansas River opposite the court-house, they had to leave their horses and walk across on the ice. A few hours later came an- other party of gentlemen from Fayetteville, and they BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 101 likewise had to cross the river at the same place. In mid- stream the ice broke under one of the number, Mr. Yell, and but for a pole which he carried he would have drowned. This illustrates the dangers and obstacles which pioneers of Arkansas had to endure in traveling; but even after having made a long and dangerous jour- ney they could not always get proper shelter. On this From a drawing made after the rough logs had been weathcrboardcd, THE "BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE" AT LITTLE ROCK: SCENE OF THE MEETINGS OF THE TERRITORIAL LEGIS- LATURE AND THE SUPERIOR COURT. occasion Judge Johnson and eighteen lawyers were com- pelled to sleep in one room of the court-house. Associated with Judge Johnson on the bench were a few men who afterwards became noted. One of these was James W. Bates, a brother of Edward Bates, who was President Lincoln's attorney-general. In addition 102 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. to being a judge of distinction, he was the first to repre- sent Arkansas in Congress and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1836 ; moreover, he was a brilliant writer. Other men associated with Judge John- son were Archibald Yell, before mentioned, and Andrew Scott, both of whom rendered the Territory notable pub- lic service as judges and as citizens. For awhile the Superior Court was held at Little Rock, in the "Baptist Meeting-House," which at that time was a low building made of roughly hewn logs. Contrast with the meeting place of the court of that day the pres- ent commodious court buildings of the United States at Fort Smith and Little Rock, which are well-furnished and well-kept, with walls embellished by the busts of dis- tinguished judges. Since the court-rooms were very simple and rude, often amusing incidents would arise. On one occasion, while holding court at Little Rock in a house rented from Colonel Ashley, Judge Johnson saw the Colonel whittling on the railing of the bar. He sharply rebuked Colonel Ashley for "cutting up the court-room." To this Colo- nel Ashley humorously replied, "I do not know, may it please your honor, who has a better right to cut this court-room to pieces than I have; it is mine." In Little Rock there is an historic mansion that you must visit. It occupies half a block at the corner of Seventh and Scott streets and is known as the Johnson BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 103 home, though it was built by Robert Crittenden. In 1832 it was sold to Judge Johnson, who here spent the last days of his life. When Judge Johnson came to Little Rock in 1820, JUDGE JOHNSON'S HOME AT LITTLE ROCK. the Territory was a wilderness, with scarcely any roads, with but two or three post-offices, and with a population of only 14,000 ; when he died in 1849, the State of Ar- kansas was in a thriving condition, with countless roads, with stagecoaches connecting all important towns, with mail delivered at hundreds of post-offices, and with a population of 209,897. The character of Judge Johnson in private, as well 104 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. as in public, was unimpeachable — a rich legacy for his family and for his State. Albert Pike said, "There never lived a more honest, upright, honorable or gener- ous man than Benjamin Johnson." After the Judge's death, the reporter of the court wrote this beautiful tes- timony in his reports: "He died full of judicial honors, beloved by all ; admired for the purity of his public life and private character, and for his devotion as a citizen-, respected for his unbending integrity and for a heart full of kindness to all. He was a safe, patient and able judge, and the judicial distinction which he won ex- tended far beyond the bounds of the State." Test Questions. Who was Arkansas' first great jurist? Tell something of his family. What was Kentucky called? Why? How did the pioneers protect themselves against the Indians? How do conditions such as these influence the character of a people? Briefly sketch the life of Judge Johnson. How many members were there of the Superior Court? How did they receive office? Where were the sessions of the Superior Court of Ar- kansas held? Describe the hardships of the early judge. Tell the story of the court held at Crawford Old Court-House. What tributes were paid to Judge Johnson after his death? Compare Arkansas at the time of Judge Johnson's appoint- ment with Arkansas at the time of his death. Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Where was Crawford Old Court-House? Find Little Rock. How far is it from Crawford to Little Rock? How would you make the journey? CHAPTER XII. MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. 1800-1833. The early history of Arkansas is adorned with the names of many able men. Some came to the Territory as government officials ; others, as seekers of fortune or fame. Naturally many of them drifted into politics, which at that time was of a vigorous type ; and conse- quently Arkansas saw many hotly contested political battles. These engendered much bitter feeling and often brought about personal en- counters, which were usually settled by duels. The duel was re- sorted to chiefly as a means of avenging a fancied or an actual wrong. Duel- ing had always been a part of the code of honor of our END OP A DUEL IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE TERRITORY. 106 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. fathers. They could not tell you when or why it came to be, for duels are almost as old as time itself. Homer speaks of them; and they were known to the Hebrews, the Arabs, and other ancient peoples. They were per- haps most common in France, the country from which came the ancestors of some of our eminent men. Of several noted duels which had their origin at Little Rock, one was the outcome of so slight a thing as a social game of cards. The players were two of Little Rock's most attractive young ladies and two of Arkansas' high- est officials. The game was played one evening in May, 1824, at the home of one of the young ladies. The gentle- men, Andrew Scott and Joseph Seldon, were cultured and promising young lawyers of good Virginia families and had recently been appointed judges of the Superior Court of Arkansas, the highest court in the Territory. In the midst of the play one of the ladies, Judge Scott's partner, jokingly said, "Judge Seldon, we have the tricks and the honors on you." To this the Judge warmly replied, "That is not so, madam." The lady lifted her handkerchief to conceal her tears, saying, "I did not expect to be insulted." Judge Scott was a man with a high sense of honor, and he turned to Judge Seldon and said haughtily, "Sir, you have insulted a lady, and my partner, and you must apologize for your rudeness." MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. 107 Judge Seldon declined to do so. He insisted that the lady had said what was not true, and that he had merely told her that fact. Both were high-spirited men, and they thought that honor was involved. As neither party would yield, Judge Scott challenged Judge Seldon to a duel. The challenge was promptly accepted, and the two THE QUARREL AT THE CARD TABLE. distinguished men met just across the Mississippi River opposite the mouth of White River. There, on the bank of the Father of Waters, just as the sun was rising, these two highest officers of the law violated the law which they had sworn to enforce. Two pistol shots broke the silence of the morning; and when the smoke 108 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. cleared away, Judge Seldon lay dying in his blood. Two other duels, noted because of the prominence of the opponents, grew out of a political campaign. The year 1827 witnessed one of the most heated political bat- tles in the history of Arkansas. The Territory was enti- tled to one representative in Congress. The Whigs put forward Robert C. Oden as their candidate, and the Democrats nominated Henry W. Conway. The leader of the Whigs was Robert Crittenden, and the leader of the Democrats was Mr. Conway. So thoroughly did these two men dominate their respective parties that the Whigs were frequently called the Crittenden party and the Democrats, the Conway party. So the real fight was between Crittenden and Conway; and it was in- deed a struggle between giants. Every inch of the ground was stubbornly fought over, and much bitter feeling was engendered on both sides. Each had strong partisans, and each made spirited attacks against the other in the papers, on the platform, and elsewhere. One day, on the streets of Little Rock, A. H. Sevier, who afterwards represented Arkansas in Congress, said some hard things about Mr. Crittenden. Colonel T.W. Newton, a strong partisan of Mr. Crittenden, overheard the remark and said to Mr. Sevier, "Perhaps you are not aware that Mr. Crittenden is not present." To this Mr. Sevier sarcastically replied, "Perhaps he has some friend present to represent him." MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. 109 "Indeed he has, sir, and you will soon hear from him," was Mr. Newton's sharp reply. The challenge was given, and these two rising lawyers met in the Cherokee country at Point Remove on the Arkansas River, near where Morrillton now stands. The first fire did no harm ; and before the second was given, one of the attending physicians stepped between the two men and insisted that the affair go no further. The seconds and the physician consulted and decided that the demands of honor had been satisfied and that the quarrel should end. One of the seconds announced this to the principals and directed them to drop their pistols, march forward, and shake hands. This was done, and the two men became lifelong friends. The second duel was between the leaders themselves, Mr. Conway and Mr. Crittenden. They were the most brilliant as well as the most distinguished public men in the Territory. Mr. Conway had served two terms in Congress and was seeking reelection ; Mr. Crittenden had served as secretary of Arkansas since her organiza- tion as a Territory. Unfortunately, they allowed their political contest to degenerate into a personal quarrel. Each bitterly attacked the other; and finally, on the re- election of Mr. Conway to a third term in Congress, Mr. Crittenden challenged him to a duel. They met on the fateful ground on which Judge Seldon had fallen three years before. 110 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. It has often been said that some men can be cool under any circumstances, and of such men Mr. Crittenden was an example ; for on arriving on the dueling field about daylight, he threw himself on his blanket and in a few minutes was asleep. He did not awake until all arrange- ments had been made by the seconds for the duel. Then he took his position where his second designated and awaited the signal "Fire!" At the first shot Mr. Conway fell, mortally wounded ; and after lingering a few weeks, he died. Six years later, Mr. Crittenden and Mr. Sevier were rival candidates for Congress. The campaign was very hot and bitter ; and after Mr. Sevier had won, a member of Mr. Crittenden's party challenged him to a duel. But this time Mr. Sevier would not accept. In these days to refuse to fight a duel usually stamped a man a coward. Mr. Sevier had shown that he had the physical courage to fight a duel ; now he showed also that he had the moral courage to decline to do so when he was con- vinced that dueling was wrong. This act, coming as it did, from a man much respected by the people, was a severe blow to dueling. It helped to arouse public senti- ment against the evil, so that after the year 1833 dueling was practiced less and less in Arkansas. These are but a few of the many duels which make a dark page in our history. A false code of honor blasted many bright hopes and cut short many useful lives. But MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. Ill we should not be too severe in criticising these duelists, for they were honorable men who insisted on the highest standards of gentlemanly conduct, according to the cus- toms of their own time. Test Questions. What is meant by dueling? Tell the story of the duel be- tween Judge Scott and Judge Seldon. Was Judge Seldon wrong in his manner of answering Judge Scott's partner? In what other way could the difficulty have been honorably settled? Tell the story of the duei between Mr. Sevier and Mr. Newton. Who was in the wrong? How might it have been settled without a duel? When one insults or wrongs another, what does honor require him to do? Tell the story of the duel between Mr. Crittenden and Mr. Conway. When and how did people begin to see that dueling was wrong? What evil results came of dueling? Why do we not have duels now? Are we less brave than our fathers? What method do the foremost nations advocate for settling their disputes? Map Questions. Map of the United States. — Where is Virginia? What place is located in the state of Mississippi nearest to the point oppo- site the mouth of the White River? Map of Arkansas. — Locate the site of Point Remove. CHAPTER XIII. WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. Arkansas' First Editor. 1795-1885. On October 30th, 1819, many of the people of the quiet little village of Arkansas Post were excited over the arri- val of a young man at the landing on the Arkansas River. The cause of the excitement was the peculiar kind of conveyance in which the newcomer made his appear- ance. It consisted of two dug-outs, or pirogues (pi-rogs'), lashed together, freighted with a small print- ing-press and its outfit. Two boatmen had helped the young man to cordelle his transport through the "Cut-off" from Montgomery Point, a landing forty miles below on the Mississippi, at the mouth of White River. This young Easterner was from New York. He was small, but strongly built and rather striking in appear- ance, with a high, broad forehead, black hair, and dark, penetrating eyes. Every feature showed that he pos- sessed a resolute character with a noble purpose. WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 113 This young man was "William E. Woodruff. He was born on Long Island, New York, in 1795. His educa.- tional advantages were meager, for he had received only WILLIAM WOODRUFF ENTERING ARKANSAS. one winter's schooling. However, he was a lover of books, and had educated himself by devoting his spare time to reading. His life story shows that, after all, the difference in people depends largely on the way in which 114 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. they spend their leisure moments ; and that, if one forms the habit of reading good books, he may to a great ex- tent educate himself. To help in his education and to stimulate him to read such books, young Woodruff was fortunate in having a well educated mother. When Woodruff was fourteen years of age, his mother, fearing that he might become a sailor, apprenticed him to a printer in New York City. He became so efficient and trustworthy that he was often left with the entire management of the business. He soon came to love his trade, but he was not satisfied with New York. The West strongly appealed to him, as it did to many of the Eastern boys in the early part of the last century. The stories of its boundless wealth, its fertile soil, its great rivers, its vast plains and forests, its wild animals and wilder men, had a mysterious charm for the young peo- ple of old settled communities. They were seized with a longing to "go west and grow up with the country," as Mr. Greeley later advised them to do. After learning the printer's trade, Woodruff, like Ben- jamin Franklin, set out friendless and almost penniless, to seek his fortune. At Wheeling, West Virginia, he bought a skiff, and with a single companion rowed down the Ohio to Louisville ; not finding here what he wanted, the plucky boy walked across the state of Kentucky to Russellville. Again disappointed but undaunted, he resumed his journey, walking all the way to Nashville, WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 115 Tennessee, where he found temporary employment in a printing-office. But he was not content to work for others ; he wanted a printing-office of his own. He thought of locating in Louisville or Nashville ; but he could not find a satisfac- tory opening, so he came farther west. For some time he considered St. Louis, already a flourishing town in the territory of Missouri ; and then he thought of Arkan- sas which had just become a territory. Finally he tossed up a dollar to decide the matter. As fortune would have it, Arkansas won. Thereupon he bought a small print- ing-press and outfit at Nashville, Tennessee, and loading this on a keel-boat, went down the Cumberland to the Ohio River, and thence down the Mississippi River until he reached Montgomery Point. In the journey from Nashville to Arkansas Post, three months had passed by. But not even with the completion of this long trip did Woodruff's difficulties end; for on landing, he could find no house to rent and had to build one. When it was finished, it was only a rough little cabin ; but he put in his printing-press and began to publish a newspaper. He did all the work himself; or, in other words, he was at once editor, typesetter, pressman, and "printer's devil." In one room he had his bed, type-cases, and editor's table; and in an adjoining room, his printing- press. And there, less than a month after he landed, he issued the first number of the Arkansas Gazette. 116 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. This seemed a foolish thing to do — to publish a news- paper; for no one could see who were to be the sub- Frotn a yhuluyruph. HEADLINES OF THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE "ARKANSAS GAZETTE." scribers. The population of the village was perhaps one hundred, while that of the whole territory of Arkansas was only fourteen thousand. To add to his difficulties, Arkansas had at this time but one mail route and two post-offices. Under these conditions the prospects for a thriving newspaper business were very discouraging, but young Woodruff was not the man to be disheartened by unfa- vorable circumstances. On the other hand, such con- ditions only stimulated him to greater endeavor; and he had determination enough to keep at work, believing that there would be a time when his business would pay. His WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 117 far-seeing eye looked to the future, when, in place of a wilderness, Arkansas would be a great state ; and when, in place of a small weekly, he might publish a large daily. The first number of the Arkansas Gazette — a single sheet, twelve inches square — was issued on the 20th of Novem- ber, 1819; and the paper is still pub- lished — a ten- page daily, the largest in the State, and the old- est living paper west of the Mis- sissippi. Though its be- ginning was so humble, the Ga- zette came to be a strong and influ- ential journal. Through its col- umns an incen- tive was given to all movements looking to the upbuilding of Arkansas ; and thus a sound public opinion was formed, and the people were enlightened and furnished with new hopes and higher ideals. In the early days there was WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF, FOUNDER OF THE "ARKANSAS GAZETTE." 118 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. much bloodshed in Arkansas; but perhaps lawlessness did not exist here to any greater extent than in other territories in pioneer days, though, for a while, the Ter- ritory got a bad reputation abroad. Woodruff threw the A MODERN LINOTYPE MACHINE FOR TYPE SETTING. influence of the Gazette on the side of law, and by con- stantly striving to advance the highest interests of the people, built up in the citizens a desire to be law-abiding. The reputation of his paper spread beyond our bor- ders. Three years after it was established, Niles' Register. WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 119 a noted journal of the East, said that the Arkansas Gazette was the best conducted paper west of the Mis- sissippi. In 1821, Mr. Woodruff followed the capital from Arkansas Post to Little Rock; and ever since, ex- cept for a short time during the Civil War, the Gazette has been published at Little Rock. It was eleven years before another paper was founded in Arkansas. In 1830 the Advocate, a Whig paper, was established at Little Rock under the editorship of Charles P. Bertrand, who had served as apprentice to Mr. Wood- ruff. In a few years the Advocate passed into the hands of Albert Pike, one of the most brilliant writers of the day. From time to time other newspapers, though many were short-lived, were established at such centers as Lit- tle Rock, Helena, Batesville, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, and Camden.* Test Questions. Why was William E. Woodruff important in the history of Arkansas? Give a sketch of his life before he came to Arkan- *An ably edited paper was the Washington Telegraph, pub- lished at Washington in Hempstead County. It was the only paper in Arkansas that continued publication all through the War. Its editor during that trying period was John R. Eakin. The Telegraph still lives and is one among the few old papers of the State. After the War, papers sprang up all over the State, the Arkansas Democrat being the most important. At the present time (1905) there are about three hundred papers published in Arkansas, of which twenty-five are dailies. 120 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. sas. Which is better for a youth, poverty or wealth? Why? Describe Woodruff's first appearance in Arkansas. What was his ambition? What were the conditions in Arkansas for such a business? What is a pirogue? Describe the founding of his paper. What was its name? the date of its first issue? What can you say of its history? What did it do for the State? Name some other papers started in Arkansas in the early days. Which of these papers still exist? How many papers are published in the State now? How many dailies? Name the more important papers of the State. Map Questions. Map of the United States. — Locate Long Island (N. Y.), Wheeling (W. Va.), Louisville (Ky.), Nashville (Tenn.). Map of Arkansas. — Locate Russellville. Montgomery Point, Helena, Camden, Batesville, Fayetteville, Washington, Fort Smith, the "Cut-off." CHAPTER XIV. JOHN POPE. 1770-1845. Arkansas is much indebted to the older states for the strong men who in her infancy took the lead in Church and State. Kentucky sent Robert Crittenden, who, as the first secretary of the Territory, did so much for the development of Arkansas; Benjamin Johnson, her first great judge ; and John Pope, one of her early governors. Far away New Hampshire sent her first governor, James Miller. From Tennessee came A. H. Sevier, one of Ar- kansas' first congressmen; from Missouri, two of her governors, James S. and Elias Conway; from Massa- chusetts, Albert Pike, her poet ; from Pennsylvania, Rev. J. W. Moore, the father of Presbyterianism in Arkansas, and Dr. Andrew Hunter, the great pioneer Methodist preacher. These early leaders in Arkansas were, as a rule, members of distinguished families in other states. John Pope was a cousin of George "Washington ; and like his distinguished kinsman, he was born in West- moreland County, Virginia. His parents gave him a col- lege education, sending him to William and Mary Col- 122 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. lege at Williamsburg, Virginia. When a young man he moved to Kentucky, where he became prominent in law ■Sjfa IM' m 'W,M'l ■ : THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY, WILLIAMSBURG, VA., WHERE JOHN POPE WAS EDUCATED. and politics. First he served in the legislature, and later he represented Kentucky in the United States Senate, being a colleague of the great Henry Clay. Some years before Pope was elected senator, he had opposed Clay for the House of Representatives and, after a remarkable contest, had been defeated. It is interesting to note how Pope came to be governor of Arkansas. In 1828 John Q. Adams and General Jack- son were candidates for the Presidency. President Adams and Pope belonged to the same political party; and they were connected by marriage, their wives being sisters. Notwithstanding these facts, Pope was such an JOHN POPE. 123 admirer of General Jackson that he supported him in preference to Adams. Jackson was successful in the contest and, on becoming President, appointed Pope governor of the territory of Arkansas. For six years Pope held the reins of government in Arkansas, and during his administration the capitol building at Little Rock was begun and partly completed. Prior to this, Arkansas had been too poor to build a state house, and her legislature had met during most of the territorial period in a small and poorly furnished, THE HENDERLITER PLACE AT LITTLE ROCK: SCENE MEETING OF THE LAST TERRITORIAL LEGIS- LATURE, OCTOBER, 1835. OF leaky frame building. The first day of the session of 1829 was rainy, and it is said that the members got thor- oughly wet before Judge Cross could administer the oath 124 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. of office. The territorial officials had their offices either at their residences or at the back end of stores. At times the "Baptist Old Meeting House" was used for the ses- sions of the territorial legislature. Through the efforts of A. H. Sevier, the member of Congress from Arkansas, the United States Government in 1831 donated to Arkansas ten sections of the public land with which to build a state house. As soon as this was done, the legislature met to perfect plans for the erection or purchase of a suitable building. The need of one was so urgent that it was suggested to secure for the capitol the residence of Mr. Crittenden. His house was the largest and handsomest in the city, and had just been built. The suggestion was a popular one, and in a short time the legislature passed a bill providing for the purchase of this home. All were rejoicing over the prospect of a new state house, when, to the utter surprise of the legisla- ture, Governor Pope vetoed the bill. This action was so unexpected to both the legislature and the people of Arkansas that it came like a thunderbolt and created much excitement. The members of the legislature and the officers of the Territory felt that they had done with- out a state house long enough, and they were greatly angered. To think that a governor, a new man in Ar- kansas, should defeat their plans ! But Governor Pope's position was right. He had vetoed the bill, as he told the legislature, because Mr. JOHN POPE. 125 Crittenden's house was not worth the ten sections of land, and because in a few years it would not be large enough to serve the purposes of the growing Territory which would soon be a state. His explanation, however, did not satisfy the people, and they tried to get President Jack- son to remove him. But again they were disappointed, for the President and Congress had more faith in Gov- ernor Pope than in the legislature of Arkansas. Instead of removing him, Congress passed an act taking the land and the building of the capitol out of the hands of the legislature, and placing the whole matter in the hands of Governor Pope. This was a high compliment to the Governor, and the result showed that Congress had acted wisely. In a short while Governor Pope sold the lands, from the sale of which he realized $31,722.00. At about the same time Mr. Crittenden's home was sold for -only $6,700.00; so the policy of the Governor had saved the Territory $25,022.00 and had prevented the purchase of a house wholly unsuited for state purposes. He selected the present site of the old capitol as the most desirable location. Objection was offered that the place was an old Indian burying ground. To this the Governor hu- morously replied, "We will build a monument to their memory." Through his exertions, work was quickly begun on the new building and was enthusiastically pushed during his term. However, the capitol was not 126 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. finished until 1840, five years after he had retired from office ; but to him belongs the honor of having built the first state house, which for its day was an imposing struc- ture and a credit to Arkansas. Now (1905) it is old and unsafe, and the state is erecting a magnificent building to take its place. ARKANSAS' FIRST STATE HOUSE, BEGUN UNDER GOVERNOR POPE, 1833. At the expiration of his term, Governor Pope went back to Kentucky. On his return to that state his many friends felt that a man of such ability could not be spared from public service; and though he sought no office, they elected him a member of Congress. In this as in other positions he was faithful. He was a noble, true man; and duty was his guiding star. A political oppo- JOHN POPE. 127 nent has paid him this beautiful tribute: "Politically, we are opposed to Governor Pope, but personally we esteem him on the score of every good quality that can possibly recommend a human being. To the noble gen- erosity of his heart and the highest integrity, is added a mind profound, capacious, and discriminating. From our knowledge of his character, we conclude that his generous and manly nature is incapable of doing injus- tice to any one." Test Questions. In what respect is the biographical history of Arkansas dif- ferent from that of Eastern states? Name some noted men in our early history and the states from which they came. How did John Pope become governor? Sketch his career before his appointment. What event especially marks Governor Pope's administration? What had the Territory previously done for a state house? Tell the story of the building of the State capitol. In this controversy, which was right — Governor Pope or the legislature? Sketch the career of Governor Pope after the expiration of his term. What was the character of Governor Pope? What should be the guiding star of every public official? Map Questions. Map of the United States. — Locate Virginia, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Missouri, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania. What route would you take from Virginia to Kentucky, if there were no railroads? Prom Kentucky to Arkansas? How far is it from Virginia to Arkansas? CHAPTER XV. AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 1801-1848. Ambrose H. Sevier, of whom you read in an earlier chapter, was a descendant of a noble French Huguenot family named Xavier. In their beloved Prance, the Xaviers had fought bravely for religious liberty; and when their cause was lost, they came to America that they might enjoy here what their native country denied them. When Washington wanted troops to fight for our country, no braver soldiers rallied to his standard than the Seviers. Having fought heroically in their native land for religious freedom, they now fought with equal energy in their adopted country for political free- dom. Three of his family were officers in the Revolu- tion, one of whom was killed in the battle of King's Mountain, South Carolina. During the Revolutionary War a branch of the family pushed across the Blue Ridge Mountains into the wilds of Tennessee. They were bold pioneers : they opened fields and planted frontier settlements; and they led their neighbors in repelling Indian assaults. They were AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 129 the ablest leaders that Tennessee had in organizing and establishing her government. In recognition of the serv- ices of John Sevier, the people of East Tennessee erected a monument in the court-house square at Knoxville. On the monument is this inscription : "Pioneer, soldier, statesman; governor of the state INDIANS PLUNDERING CATTLE ON A FRONTIER PLANTATION. of Franklin.* Six terms governor of Tennessee. Four times elected to Congress; a projector and hero of King's * The first settlements in what is now Tennessee were under the colonial government of North Carolina. In 1784, some discontented settlers of this region withdrew from North Carolina and formed a separate government, which they called the State of Franklin. Of this, John Sevier was elected governor. In 1788, this government was given up ; for two years following, the district was again under the jurisdiction of North Carolina, and in 1796 became the State of Tennessee. 130 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Mountain — thirty-five battles — thirty-five victories. His Indian war cry — 'Here they are! Come on, boys. Come on!' " It was in the midst of these pioneer conditions that John Sevier's great-nephew, Ambrose H. Sevier, was born and grew to manhood. Thrilling events were occurring all about him, and in many of them his relatives were leading figures. They were fighting the Indians, making laws, governing the State, and represent- ing it in Congress. On his mother's side also Mr. Sevier was for- tunate. She belonged to one of Tennessee's most distinguished families, be- ing the aunt of the two Conways who afterwards became governors of Ar- kansas. Young Sevier came to Arkansas in 1821. He married the daughter of Judge Benjamin Johnson and was thus connected with two of the most influential families of the Territory, the Conways and the Johnsons. Mr. Sevier had not been in Arkansas long before he AMBROSE H. SEVIER. AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 131 showed the noble qualities of his ancestors. In politics he had a remarkably successful career. He represented Pulaski County in the territorial legislature from 1823 to 1827 ; and when his cousin, Henry W. Conway, was killed in a duel with Robert Crittenden in 1827, Mr. Sevier resigned as Speaker of the House and was elected to Congress in Mr. Conway's place. He represented Arkansas in Congress for twenty years in succession. For nearly half of that time he was her only representa- tive, since Arkansas as a territory was entitled to but one. Mr. Sevier was a faithful public servant and never missed an opportunity to serve his people. It was through his efforts that the Territory was allowed to elect her own officers, that the United States paid the expenses of the legislature, and that Congress made large land grants to the Territory for internal improvements and for building a state house. For good roads Arkansas has never had a great reputation, though her roads to- day are model highways compared with those of the Territory, which were so badly kept that travel was attended with great difficulty. By persistent and tactful efforts in Congress, Mr. Sevier secured land grants for opening up important roads. Probably no territory ever received more favors at the hands of Congress than Arkansas, and these Congressional favors were due to her able and wide-awake representative. 132 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. He was anxious that Arkansas should become a state as soon as possible, because a state has more rights and privileges than a territory. A state helps to elect the President; a territory does not. A state is represented in the United States Senate ; a territory is not. A state helps to make federal laws ; a territory does not. In order r :■ '• - - —: \ From, an old print. THE NATIONAL CAPITAL, AS IT LOOKED WHEN MR. SEVIER WAS CONGRESSMAN. to change from a territory to a state, the people of the territory must frame a constitution and ask Congress to admit them into the Union. When Congress has ap- proved their action, the change is complete and the ter- ritory is then a state. In 1831 Mr. Sevier began a movement for the admis- sion of Arkansas into the Union, as a state ; and he urged the matter upon Congress and the people of the Territory AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 133 ■until his efforts were successful. He prepared Congress for favorable action by keeping before that body the growth of the Territory. In Arkansas, newspapers dis- cussed the matter, public speakers presented it from the platform, and the people in mass meetings passed resolu- tions asking for the change. By 1835, the Territory was thoroughly aroused. That year the subject was sub- mitted to the people ; they voted for statehood and elected a convention which framed a constitution in January, 1836. Mr. Sevier laid this constitution before Congress, defeated all opposition, and in June succeeded in passing the bill making Arkansas a state. The chief opposition to her admission came from those who objected to slavery. Her population at this time was 51,809, of whom 9,838 were negroes. These slaves, for the most part, had come in with the settlers from states east of the Mississippi. Slave labor was profitable in raising cotton, for the production of which the soil and the climate of the Territory were favorable. The opposition to Arkansas was overcome by admitting Michi- gan, a free state, at the same time. Arkansas showed her appreciation of Mr. Sevier's services by sending him to the United States Senate. Nothing could better illustrate the isolation of a fron- tier state at this period, and the general condition of travel and postal service, than this letter home from Mr. Sevier's fellow senator and Arkansas' last territorial 134 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. governor, William S. Fulton. He writes to his wife from Washington, in the winter of 1837, and tells her his great delight in receiving her letter that has just come by the express mail from New Orleans, having left that city only six days before. "You may well imagine," he goes on to say, "my surprise and astonishment, as well as nn an nlil i>i hit A SESSION OP THE NATIONAL HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES, WHEN MR. SEVIER WAS MEMBER PROM ARKANSAS. gratification at receiving a letter by such a route in so short a time from home. I could well afford to pay the postage, seventy-five cents, for such a letter. I could scarcely realize the fact that I had received a letter writ- ten by you only twelve days ago, after having been an- noyed all winter in not receiving my letters until they AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 135 were forty or fifty days old. We have, however, suc- ceeded in obtaining so many mail facilities, that here- after I hope we will be relieved from this most vexatious state of things. Our letters will now pass, I hope, in from fifteen to twenty days." Mr. Sevier continued to serve Arkansas as a senator until 1847, when he resigned to accept an appointment by President Polk as minister to Mexico. This was an important appointment because the United States at this time was closing a war with that country. Mr. Sevier, however, did not remain long in Mexico, but the follow- ing year resigned and returned to his plantation near Pine Bluff. He had not been home long when he fell ill. From this illness he never recovered. He died in 1848, at the noon-tide of life, rich in honors and in the love of the people of his adopted state. The governor, other state officials, and the legislature in a body attended his funeral. The legislature paid this beautiful tribute to his memory : ' ' The name of Ambrose H. Sevier is inti- mately identified with the history of Arkansas, ■ and is a part of the public treasure of the State ; and .... as his generous, liberal, and noble nature endeared him to each one, and caused all to lament his death, so his eminent talents and distinguished public service will make his character a splendid mark for imitation to future generations." Arkansas honored Mr. Sevier as she has honored no 136 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. other man. Through the legislature she erected in Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock a fitting monument "as a me- morial of her grateful sense of his public services." We have been negligent about showing our distin- guished citizens prop- er respect. We should adorn the capitol building and grounds with tablets and mon- uments in keeping with the great and good deeds of our MONUMENT TO AMBROSE H. SEVIER, ablest SOnS. Test Questions. What positions did Mr. Sevier occupy in the public service of Arkansas? What was his full name? Of what state was he native? What can you tell of his ancestors? In what year did he come to Arkansas? What measures for Arkansas did Mr. Sevier introduce in Congress? Which of these was the most important? Why? When did it take effect? How may a territory become a state? Name three differences between a territory and a state. Why was it difficult to secure state- AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 137 hood for Arkansas? How did Congress meet this difficulty? How did Arkansas show her appreciation of Mr. Sevier's ser- vices? How long was Mr. Sevier in the service of Arkansas? Why did he resign? When did he die? How has Arkansas honored his memory? CHAPTER XVI. DAVID WALKER. The Pioneer Lawyer. 1806-1879. With no roads or bridges, and with court-houses a hundred miles apart, the pioneer lawyer had many hard- ships ; for the whole territory was his circuit. He trav- eled over it twice a year, going from court to court. The lawyers from the different towns went in parties — over mountains, through valleys, and across swollen streams; but as they made their way, they enlivened the journey with stories and jokes. The traditional log cabin of two rooms sheltered them at night ; or, if by chance darkness overtook them miles away from human habitation, they camped under a friendly oak. Each man carried in his saddle-bags his clothes and part of his law library. The following incident, related by Mr. Hallum, gives us a glimpse of the pioneer lawyer's life: "The legal circuit rider, when he could not ford, had to swim the streams in those da} r s. On one occasion General Pike, General Royston, and many others stripped to swim a DAVID WALKER. 139 stream in southwest Arkansas. After dismounting, each disciple of Blackstone rolled up his clothing and strapped it across his shoulders to keep it above the tide. On this occasion, General Royston had three hundred dollars in bank bills, and for better security he held his pocket-book in his mouth. After the horse had advanced some dis- tance in the foaming stream, he suddenly stepped off a precipitous ledge of rock and baptized the rider. The General's mouth, forgetful of the treasure it was charged to keep, flew open in an involuntary spasmodic effort to expel the water, and the money was lost." In many counties there was no court-house. When this was the case, the judge held court in the back end of a store or in a church building, and at times even in the open air. Law was administered largely without books. When memory failed, the lawyers fell back upon reason and general principles. There were but few jails; the ready gun and the leather thong took their place. One of our ablest pioneer lawyers was Judge David Walker. Again we are indebted to Kentucky for a dis- tinguished citizen .and judge. Born in 1806, he was reared on the frontier of the ' ' dark and bloody ground. ' ' He had poor educational advantages, but nature had blessed him with a sound mind, a strong will, a rugged constitution, and great energy. These elements enabled him in part to overcome his lack of advantages. He loved books, and he allowed no opportunity for 140 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. with him through life. study to pass unimproved. While other boys were at play, David was at his books; while his neigh- bors slept, he worked. This habit of study remained In the midst of a busy profes- sional life he was a close student of law, and he be- came a master of its prin- ciples. Soon after he was ad- mitted to the bar, he came to Arkansas and settled at Fayetteville. This was in 1830. He steadily rose in his profession and soon built up an extensive prac- tice. He was faithful to his clients and studied their cases carefully, never putting off till tomorrow what he could do today. Albert Pike said that Judge Walker was the foremost lawyer in northwest Arkansas. Once he was arguing a criminal case in the circuit court of Searcy County. He was the lawyer for the de- fense, and Mr. Alf Wilson of Fayetteville was the prose- cuting lawyer. After the argument of the lawyers, the judge sent out the jury to make up their verdict. As the court-house was a mere cabin of one room, made of DAVID WALKER. DAVID WALKER. 141 poles, the grand and petit (pet'i) juries had to do their work out of doors under the trees, or in a neighboring pawpaw thicket. In this case the defense seemed to have the advantage. While the jury were deliberating, one of the twelve, knowing that a certain man at the court, who had not been called as a witness, knew the facts in the case, slipped away and got the man. When he was brought WITNESS ADDRESSING THE JURY OUT OP COURT. before the jury, though neither judge nor defendant was present, he told the facts; and his testimony com- pletely changed the case and the verdict. Such a pro- ceeding was not in keeping with due forms of law; but the jury returned a verdict of guilty. Mr, Walker who 142 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. felt sure of winning the case was astonished at the decision. After the court adjourned, Mr. Wilson, to whom the juror had communicated the story, told Mr. Walker how it had happened. Such were the irregu- larities of pioneer courts. Mr. Walker was active in politics. He was prosecuting attorney for the third judicial circuit (1833-35). He was elected to the State senate in 1840 and was one of the framers of our first State constitution. In 1844, as a can- didate of the Whig party, he ran for Congress and con- ducted an able campaign against the Democratic candi- date, Archibald Yell. But he belonged to the minority party and was defeated. Prior to the Civil War, the Whigs had some of the ablest men in the State, but they were not successful in electing many of them to office. Without Mr. Walker's knowledge, the legislature in 1848 elected him judge of the Supreme Court. This was a high compliment, especially as the legislature was made up largely of Democrats. Judge Walker was president of the Secession Convention in 1861 ; and though a Union man, he voted for secession after all hope of peace was gone. In 1866 he was chosen chief justice, but two years later he was driven out of office by a change in the gov- ernment. In 1874 he was again elected a member of the Supreme Court, a position which he held for four years. He died at his home in Fayetteville, in 1879. DAVID WALKER. 143 Test Questions. What is a circuit court? a circuit judge? How did lawyer? travel in early Arkansas? Tell an anecdote of the difficulties of travel in those days. What is meant by a "disciple of Black- stone"? Where was court often held? Describe the court- house. Give a sketch of Judge Walker's early life. How did Mr. Walker build up his law practice? Tell a story to illustrate the operation of the early courts. Could this incident have happened today? The reason? Why is it not proper for wit- nesses to testify before the jury after they leave the court- room? What are "grand" and "petit" juries? What is included in the expression politics? What can you tell of Judge Walker's political career? What is meant by "prosecuting attorney"? On what points were the Whigs and the Democrats opposed to each other before the Civil War? Which party was the more powerful in Arkansas? Why? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Searcy County. How would you go from Little Rock to Searcy County? What is the county seat of Searcy? CHAPTER XVII. ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 1819-1905. In the pioneer days of Arkansas, the same difficulties that confronted the farmer and the lawyer were felt also by the teacher, and often more keenly. The chil- dren on the frontier had poor educational advantages, not because our forefathers did not believe in education, but because they had no money to establish schools. Then, too, the country was sparsely settled, the popu- lation as late as 1836 being less than one person to the square mile. The elementary schools of early Arkansas were mostly private schools. The teacher canvassed the community with his "articles," as the paper setting forth the terms of his school was called, and the people subscribed "scholars" at one or more dollars each per month. He took part of his pay in "boarding round" among his pupils. As there was but little money in the district, it was frequently stipulated in his contract that he could be paid in meal, pork, sugar, coffee, or other acceptable ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 145 produce. Often these frontier schools were taught by the preacher, who was considered an authority on almost any subject. The schoolhouse was built of logs. It had one large rooin with a door at one end and a big fireplace at the other. The window was a hole, two or three feet square, cut in the side of the wall. A plank pushed between two logs of the wall served as a desk. The benches were made of split logs placed on wooden pegs. From these high seats dan- gled the children 's legs. Many pupils, living at a distance, came on horseback. Every AN OLD LOG schoolhouse. one brought his dinner, and the noon hour was one of recreation for both teacher and scholar. The favorite game was ball. These forest schools, as they are sometimes called, seldom attempted to teach more than the three R's — "Reading," " 'Riting," and " 'Rithmetic." If geography were taught, it was confined to the geography of the United States. Webster's "Blue Back Speller" was the all-important text-book, for it served both as reader and 146 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. speller. Friday afternoon was devoted to recitations and spelling matches. The latter were great incentives to hard study. The two rows into which the school was divided faced each other, the teacher gave out the words, and the pupils tried to "turn down" one another. Happy indeed was he that "stood up" the longest. Fre- quently out of these school contests grew the old-time neighborhood spelling-bee, in which the whole country, old and young, took part. The people for miles around gathered Saturday night at the old schoolhouse. The contest began as soon as sides were chosen. Interest grew as the lines thinned, excitement ran high, and loud indeed was the applause for the victor. The champion speller was the hero of the neighborhood. Before the war, Arkansas had neither a public high school nor a state university. There were private acade- mies supported by tuition fees, and they flourished in all parts of the State. Thirteen were chartered by the legislature in 1859, and nine in January alone, of 1861. Their principals were usually college graduates; and they did a high grade of work, emphasizing culture and character-building. Greek, Latin, and mathematics were the chief subjects in the course of study. Some of these schools established a wide reputation and drew students from all sections. They educated many men who later played prominent parts in the affairs of the State. ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 147 The leading institutes of this period were St. John's College at Little Rock, Cane Hill College in Washing- ton County, and Arkansas College at Fayetteville. Of these, Arkansas College, under the Presidency of Robert Graham, built up the greatest reputation, drawing its students from neighboring states as well as from Ar- AN UP-TO-DATE SCHOOLHOUSE. kansas. All these institutions were forced to close dur- ing the Civil War, and in 1863 the buildings of Arkansas College were burned. The State after the War took the lead in both ele- mentary and higher education. In 1862 Congress passed an act proposing to aid the states in maintaining agri- 148 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. cultural and mechanical colleges. The legislature of Arkansas in 1867 accepted this offer, and in 1872 the Arkansas Industrial University was opened at Fayette- ville. Besides federal aid, the University receives from the legislature biennial appropriations for its main- tenance. The University now has fourteen buildings besides farm houses. Courses are offered in the arts, sciences, agriculture, and engineering. The University of Arkansas, the name adopted in 1899, has had a steady growth since its foundation. It stands at the head of the public school system of the State. The churches also have been active in higher educa- tion. The Presbyterians since 1872 have maintained the Arkansas College at Batesville. In 1884 the Methodists established at Altus Central Collegiate Institute, since 1889 called Hendrix College. It was moved to Conway in 1890. Hendrix is the only male college in the State. Its growth is largely due to Reverend A. C. Millar, its president from 1887 to 1902. Galloway Female Col- lege, founded in 1888 at Searcy, and Henderson College, in 1891 at Arkadelphia, also belong to the Methodist Church. Quitman College was for many years the property of this Church. The Baptists in 1886 opened Ouachita College at Arkadelphia, and by devoting to it all their efforts for higher education, developed it into a strong coeducational institution. Throughout its history the college has been under the able management of John ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 149 W. Conger. Central Baptist Female College is now controlled by this Church. In 1891 the Arkansas Cum- berland College was established at Clarkesville. Before the war, the State made several vain efforts to provide public schools. The central government at Washington had given Arkansas, in common with other states, the sixteenth section in every township to be used THE LITTLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL. for public schools. In 1829 the legislature passed a law providing for the leasing of this land, the rents of which were to be applied to the support of the public schools. But nothing came of this law. Governors Pope, Conway, and Yell were friends of education ; and they urged the establishment of public 150 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. schools. In 1843 the legislature provided for a general system of public schools. The law authorized the sale of school lands and directed that the interest on the fund thus raised should be used in maintaining schools. Even this plan was not successful. Many who bought land never paid for it; besides, the money collected was not wisely managed. The result was that the income was ». — ft ff^^Hi^ THE UNIVERSITY OP ARKANSAS AT FAYETTEVILLE. not sufficient for the support of a system of schools. In 1860 free schools were provided for less than one-fourth of the children of the State. Since the war, Arkansas has been more successful with her public schools. From 1864 to 1868 she was fortunate in having a governor who was a practical educator. Governor Murphy had been a teacher in Washington ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 151 and Carrol counties before the war, and he knew the defects of the old law. He recommended the establish- ment of a free school system based upon taxation. Be- fore this, the State had attempted to maintain her schools by an income from school lands alone. Governor Murphy stood for the principle that "the property of the State should be taxed to educate the children of the State." The school legislation of 1867 is a landmark in the educational history of Arkansas, for it established a system of public schools to be supported by taxation. The State had at last found a solution of the educational problem. Since that time the schools have steadily grown ; and while the law has been changed from time to time, the principle of taxing the wealth of the State to maintain the public schools, remains the foundation of the system. Besides the elementary schools, there are in all the principal towns public high schools. These, too, are maintained by taxation and take the place of the old academies, though a few private academies still exist and are doing excellent work. Test Questions. Of what kind were the elementary schools of Arkansas be- fore the Civil War? What is the difference between a public and a private school? How were the first private schools started? How were the teachers paid? Compare the schools and the schoolhouses of. today with those of pioneer times. 152 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. What is meant by "the three R's"? Describe the old-time spelling-match. "What good did it do? What is the "sixteenth section fund"? What is its origin? How did it succeed? What can you say about the provisions for education in the State immediately before the war? During the war? What official of Arkansas was active in improving these conditions? Why is 1867 an important date in the history of our schools? Before the establishment of high schools, what schools took their place? What subjects were taught? Name and lo- cate the colleges in Arkansas before the War. When was the University of Arkansas established? How is it maintained? Why should the State maintain a university? What other col- leges are there in the State? How do these differ from those before named? Why should boys and girls go to college? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Washington County, Cane Hill, Arkadelphia, Searcy, Batesville, Fayetteville, Conway. CHAPTER XVIII. THE PIONEER PREACHER. 1815-1860. Before the advent of the school teacher and the lawyer, we had the preacher. This is the history of all new countries — the man of God prepares the way. The faith- ful minister was found teaching and preaching in differ- ent parts of Arkansas, even before our territorial gov- ernment was organized. Perhaps no one experienced greater hardships than the pioneer preacher. His places for holding service were fifty or a hundred miles apart and were often scattered over a third of the Territory. He would travel three or four hundred miles in going the rounds of his circuit. There were no roads, so he took with him a compass to guide his foot-steps, and a hatchet to mark the way for future travelers. Often he spent the night in the woods, with his saddle-bags for a pillow and an oak tree for shelter. Wild animals and prowling savages were all about him, yet he slept, trusting that he would be spared for the work he had to do. On account of such hardships, as well as on account 154 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. of Arkansas' reputation, in early days, for its lawless men, it was difficult to get preachers to come here. It was common for the bishop of the Methodist Church, when he was on his way to hold a conference in Arkan- sas, to begin in Tennessee, calling for volunteers for this field. In 1831 such a call was made, and eight preach- ers responded. They met in Memphis on Christmas Day. Finding the swamps on the Arkansas side impassable, they bought a cheap flatboat and drifted down the Mis- sissippi to Helena, reaching the place after three days' travel. From this landing, they went to their respective appointments. Traveling through the river-bottoms of south and east Arkansas was always more hazardous than going over the mountains in the northern part of the State. This low country was frequently under water, and the preacher was compelled to cross swollen streams in a skiff or on horseback. When neither skiff nor horse could cross, he lashed together with grape-vines two or three logs and crossed on them. He had many thrilling experiences— some of them, narrow escapes. One of these pioneer preachers, the Reverend John Harris, tells us that once while traveling through the country, he came to a cross-roads grog-shop. Several men under the influence of whiskey stopped him and asked him to take a drink. When he declined, they in- sisted; and finally they told him that he had to drink, 'fllE PIONEER PREACHER. 155 and started to force him to do so. Not knowing just what to do, the good man appealed to their patriotism by say- ing, ' ' Gentlemen, this is a free country ; you have a right to drink if you wish to do so ; and I, a free man, have the same right to decline. Now, in the name of our liber- ties, in the name of our fathers, who fought for these liberties, I entreat you not to force me, a free man, to drink against my will." Instantly one of the crowd threw off his coat and, clinching his fist, said, "The first man that touches this stranger will have me to whip." This old soldier's patriotism had been aroused by Mr. Harris' reference to American liberty and our Revolu- tionary fathers, and he was ready to fight again. We should honor the early preacher, whose many deeds in organizing and establishing churches were truly heroic. Not only did he spread the gospel of peace, but he checked lawlessness, taught temperance, and created a respect for law. Many communities owe the culture and morality for which they are noted, to the pioneer preacher. He was a man of meager knowledge, compared with the professional men of today; but, to pioneer Westerners, he seemed a man of much learning. One of the most potent as well as one of the most unique factors in the religious life of those days was the camp-meeting. The camp-ground was a shady grove near a good spring; and in it was erected a large shed 156 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. or arbor, under which the meetings were held. Board or log shacks, consisting of two rooms and a passageway between, were built in a square around the shed. These were for the accommodation of the campers, who for fifty miles around would come and spend three or four weeks. OLD SALEM CAMP -GROUND, SALINE COUNTY, WHERE DR. HUNTER DID SOME OP HIS GREATEST WORK. At these meetings religious fervor ran high, and the services occupied the day. There was the prayer-meet- ing at sunrise, the sermon at eight and eleven in the morning and at three and seven in the evening. Dur- THE PIONEER PREACHER. 157 ing these revivals there were hundreds of conversions. The Baptists, the Methodists, and the Presbyterians early gained a foothold here. The Roman Catholics were the first to come, settling at Arkansas Post. The first sermon at Little Rock was preached in 1820 by Cephas Washburn, a Congregational minister. He was on his way to establish a mission school for the Cherokees at Dwight, near what is now Russellville. There were then only two cabins at Little Rock. The father of Presbyterianism in Arkansas was the Reverend J. W. Moore. He was sent as a missionary from Pennsylvania and arrived at Little Rock in 1828. He or- ganized a church at this place, the first of his denomination in the Territory. He was an able minister and exercised a strong influence at the cap- ital in the early days. He preached to the Church for twelve years and then found- ed Sylvania Academy, nearly thirty miles east of the capital. Reverend Moore was a classical scholar, and the school under his management gained a wide reputa- tion. Other ministers followed and established Presby- terian churches at different places in Arkansas. REVEREND J. W. MOORE. 158 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. The Baptists reached Arkansas about the same time that the Presbyterians came. One of the first church buildings in the Territory was the "Baptist Old Meeting- House" at Little Rock. As you know, the legislature fre- quently held its sessions in this house. It was a log cabin built in the third decade of the last century. The brave ministers of the Baptist Church pushed their way into all places, and throughout our history this denomination has been one of the strongest and most useful in the State. The Methodists established the Spring River Circuit in the Northeast as early as 1815, and the Reverend Eli Lindsay was put in charge of the work. The following year the Hot Springs Circuit, embracing the southern half of the Territory, was formed. The first Methodist church was built two or three years later in Hempstead County. It was a log cabin and was called "Henry's Chapel." Of the pioneer preachers, the most conspicuous was Doctor Andrew Hunter. He was born in Ireland in 1813 and was brought to Pennsylvania two years later. In 1835 he came west and taught a mission school in the Choctaw Nation. The following year he was admitted to the Arkansas Conference at Batesville, the first annual conference of the Methodist Church in Arkansas. For sixty years he served his Church in various capacities — as pastor, presiding elder, and Bible agent. During this THE PIONEER PREACHER. 159 time he represented his conference at nearly every gen- eral conference of his Church. Doctor Hunter was a large-boned, deep-chested, broad- shouldered man. He had grayish blue eyes and a massive head. He was very modest, humble, and simple ; but he was a pow- erful preacher. He influ- enced every one, wherever he worked ; and so he helped to make society better. For many years he was one of the most widely known and best loved men in the State. At the close of the war he was president of the State senate ; and in 1867, he was sent to the United States Senate, but was not allowed to take his seat, as Congress refused at that time to receive representatives from Arkansas. In 1872, just after the war, the government in the State became so unbearable that the conservative people cast about for some one that could lead them to victory as their candidate for governor. All eyes turned to Doctor Hunter, for this "grand old man" had the confidence of the entire State. He was conducting a DOCTOR ANDREW HUNTER. 160 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. camp-meeting in Bradley County when the news reached him. Believing that it was his duty to preach the gospel, he sent word to his political friends that he would not undertake the race. He died at Little Rock in 1902, at the age of eighty-eight. Test Questions. "Why does the preacher precede the lawyer in new countries? Tell of the hardships in the life of a pioneer preacher. Why was it difficult to get ministers to come to Arkansas? Give an anecdote to illustrate that phase of frontier life. "What service did these ministers render the country? Describe the camp-ground; the camp-meeting. Why are these meetings not common now? What place connected with the early Baptist Cnurch is famous in our history? What can you tell of the work of Cephas "Washburn? Give a sketch of the career of the Reverend J. W. Moore; of Doctor Andrew Hunter. What other churches are now in the State? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Helena, Dwight, Bradley County. Hempstead County, Spring River. CHAPTER XIX. WILD-CAT BANKING IN ARKANSAS. 1836-1860. When a new game is introduced at school, all the boys and girls wish to try it. They think there is nothing like it and enter into it with enthusiasm. The same dis- position is seen in men, only it shows itself somewhat differently. If a new business yields large profits, every one takes stock in it. If a farmer this year makes good profits on a crop of potatoes, , all the farmers in the neighborhood next year will plant potatoes. Sometimes the people of a whole state or nation will go wild over some proposal or business. It may be free silver, green- backs, or banks ; it must be something. A few years ago everybody was enthusiastic about free silver ; some years before, the whole country was wild over greenbacks ; but perhaps the most widespread mania that ever seized the American people was the mania for banks. When the people from the Atlantic states came west, they found fertile • soil, excellent timber, navigable streams, and a healthful climate, but little money. They felt that if only they had money, they could develop the 162 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. resources of the country and soon become rich. But how were they to get money ? To obtain it by hard work was too slow a method. Some one suggested the establish- ment of banks. They had been a success in the East; why should not they be in the West? Al- most with the sugges- tion, came a great clamor for banks ; and soon they were estab- lished in all parts of the West. There was great rejoicing; busi- ness became active, farms were opened, homes were built, rail- roads were planned, cities were laid out, and every one seemed prosperous. But this wave of prosperity receded when the banks failed. The railroads were not built, and the proposed cities never became more than villages;, for the people were again without money. They were poorer, but much wiser. They had learned that the short roads to wealth THE STAMP FOR IMPRESSING THE STATE SEAL. WILD-CAT BANKING IN ARKANSAS. 163 are dangerous, and that the old one of rigid economy and honest toil is the safest. Arkansas tried one of the short roads. In her mad rush for fortune, she fell. Her fall was a hard one — in fact, so hard that she has not yet entirely recovered from its effects. As soon as the State came into the Union in 1836, she entered the banking business. Her people thought that if one bank would do some good, many banks would do more ; so they tried the business on a large scale. The legislature provided for one bank to be called the State Bank with a capital stock of one OLD STATE BANK BUILDING AT LITTLE ROCK. million dollars. It was to be located at Little Rock with branches at Fayetteville and Batesville. The State was to select the officers and manage the bank. Not satisfied with this, she wanted another bank; so the 164 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. legislature created one with a capital stock of two mil- lions of dollars, to be known as the Real Estate Bank. It also had headquarters at Little Rock, with branches at. Washington, Columbus, and Helena. Though this bank was chartered by the State, it was to be controlled by private individuals. The main object of creating this bank was to supply the people with money by lending it to them. Such an arrangement pleased the people, money was plentiful, and for awhile business was lively. Doubtless you would like to know where and how the banks got the money to lend. Arkansas is still a little sensitive on this point, but the story must be told. The banks had no money, and they could not borrow any ; the State had no money, but her credit was good, and she could borroAV all the money needed. So the State really borrowed the money for the banks. This she did by issuing bonds. Now a bond is a note or a written promise to pay with interest the amount named on the face of the bond. Arkansas issued three million dollars' worth of these notes or bonds. The Governor signed them for the State and turned them over to the banks; and they in turn sold them to money-lenders in the East. In this way the banks got large sums of money. In a short time, however, this money was all gone, hav- ing been borrowed by the people. Then the banks issued paper money, called bank notes, which were mere prom- ises to pay the holder their face value. These also they WILD-CAT BANKING IN ARKANSAS. 165 loaned to the people. But when the interest fell clue on the State bonds, the banks had no money with which to pay. They had let it all out. They called upon the people to pay back what they had borrowed; but the people could not do this ; for they had spent all their money. So the banks failed. They went out of business and tried to settle their affairs. ARKANSAS TTiEASURlY WARRANT ^S^EATE ©F AMMAM'SASj) jrf SfMtJL* wri i rmiyV i f rrmrr ,<£*; ver^aetfafi^, Me,z>ltut '/Mat X. 0»V<*V , *'^V^«**^Tti.,*. MENDING A CREVASSE IN THE LEVEE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. or steamboat; but, as population increased, the people demanded more conveniences and faster means of travel. Other states had railroads; why should not Arkansas have them? The first steamcar was built in England in 1804; its speed was only five miles an hour. The first car in this country was built in Boston in 1807, the same 174 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. year in which Fulton invented the steamboat. The car was drawn by horses. It was not until 1830 that the people of the United States began in earnest to build railroads. But no roads had been constructed in Arkansas be- cause of her scat- AN EARLY RAILROAD TRAIN. tered population. During Governor Conway's term, the people became thoroughly in- terested in rail- roads ; and surveys were made for lines from Little Rock to Memphis, from Little Rock to St. Louis, and from Little Rock to Fort Smith. Part of the road from Mem- phis to Little Rock was laid in 1858, and it was the first built in the State. When the war came on, all further plans had to be abandoned. After the war the work was resumed. By 1869, the Memphis road was com- pleted. The St. Louis road was built as far as Little Rock by 1872, and two years later it was extended to Texarkana. Railroad building has been continued, and there are now (1905) about three thousand miles of rail- road in the State. Both the State and the Federal Gov- ernment encouraged railroad building by land grants. When Mr. Conway became governor, Arkansas was suffering from the mistake of the wild-cat banking busi- THE CONWAY FAMILY. 175 ness. He will always be remembered and honored for the energetic manner in which he took up the matter and forced the Real Estate Bank to settle its affairs. It is a rather remarkable coincidence that the banks were opened during the administration of Governor James S. Conway, and that sixteen years later, his brother, Elias N. Conway, led the fight to compel a settlement with the State. Mr. Conway spent the last years of his life quietly as a private citizen in Little Rock. He was our only bachelor governor. He died in 1892. Test Questions. Give a sketch of the Conways before they came to Arkansas. Tell something of Henry Conway. What was the chief work of James S. Conway? Under what conditions was it accom- plished? Name the offices occupied by James S. Conway. Why is it necessary to survey land? When did Arkansas become a state? What is the Homestead Law? Who is its author? What office did he hold? In what years? What are the duties of auditor? What did Governor Conway accomplish during his administration? How do levees and ditcbes prevent over- flow? Should the state or private citizens bear the expense of levees and ditches? When did the United States begin railroad building on a large scale? Why were not railroads built in Arkansas sooner? What were the modes of convey- ance before the railroad? What was done in railroad building during Governor Conway's term? When were the roads com- pleted? How many miles of road are there now in the State? Should the State aid in the building of railroads? Why? 176 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. Map Questions. Map of Europe. — Where is England? Wales? Map of the United States. — Locate Memphis, St. Louis. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Fort Smith, Texarkana. Trace the water boundaries of Arkansas; the important railroad routes. CHAPTER XXI. THE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 1800-1863. So much is said of the old plantation system that we often regret that we cannot see it as it used to be. Be- cause the chief product of the plantation is cotton, which requires a fertile soil and a warm climate, only a part of Arkansas is adapted to this system. In the highlands of the northwestern part of the State, because of early frosts and relatively thin soil, cotton farming does not pay. In that section, therefore, before the war, there were but few slaves and fewer plantations. Only the river bottoms and lowlands of south and east Arkansas are suitable for plantations. The old plantation was a large estate, often consisting of several thousand acres. It was cultivated by hundreds of slaves, whose work was directed by men called over- seers. For convenience, the slaves were divided into squads, and over each squad a trusty slave was placed. These "trusties" were reliable old negroes who had en- deared themselves to their master by their faithfulness. The "trusties" had to see that their men did the work 178 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. COTTON PICKERS BEFORE THE WAR. allotted to them. Each day's work was planned by the overseer, the night before. At sunrise the signal bell was tapped in the overseer's yard, where all the negroes were expected to assemble; and there to each squad was assigned the work of the day. These simple-minded people went to their work cheer- fully. They were fond of joking and playing pranks, and frequently they tried to outstrip one another in hoeing and picking cotton, humming some tune as they worked. When a squad once got fairly to work, some one would start an old plantation melody; one by one the others would take it up, and soon the air would be filled with the music of their pathetic voices. At noon the plantation bell was rung, calling the slaves to dinner and to a rest of about two hours ; then work was resumed and continued until sundown. Per- haps there never returned from a day's labor a happier THE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 179 or jollier crowd than the Southern negroes. After sup- per the banjo and the fiddle were brought out, and the negro quarters were alive with music, laughter, song, and dance. At an early hour the noise ceased, the lights went out, and the contented slaves were soon asleep. The cabins of the slaves, grouped about the home of the overseer, made a small village. A characteristic plantation cabin consisted of one large room and a side room, usually built of logs. Back of each slave's house was a small garden where he raised the vegetables which AN OVERSEERS HOUSE ON AN OLD PLANTATION. he and his family ate. His food, "rations" as it was called, though plain, was wholesome and plentiful. It was furnished to him weekly from the master's smoke- house or store-room and consisted principally of meat, bread, rice, and other vegetables. Knowing that he would be provided for, he was happy and care-free. Then, as now, the negro was intensely religious. The 180 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. planter's wife or his daughter regularly gathered the slaves around her and taught them the simple truths of Christianity. On Sunday morning, some member of the master's family would visit the quarters to see that the cabins were clean and that the children were neatly dressed. It is true that once in a while a master was cruel to his darkies; but, for the most part, he was PLANTER'S HOUSE ON THE MISSISSIPPI BEFORE THE WAR. kind and lenient to them. They in turn loved their master. The planter's house was a stately mansion. It was set back some distance from the road, almost concealed THE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 181 by great oaks that stood in primeval splendor. You approached the house by a broad drive-way. A porch, supported by immense columns, extended the full width of the front. There was a large hall way, on either side of which, both upstairs and down, were spacious, airy rooms. Everything bespoke wealth and comfort. Hos- pitality was extended to all; for the Southern planter kept open house, and was always a good entertainer. Christmas on the old plantation was a joyous occasion. It was a time of feasting and merry-making, when the planter's sons and daughters with their friends were back from school to enjoy the gay and festive season. Relatives from far and near made merry at the old home- stead, and the house rang with the laughter of happy children. The negroes, too, were happy and had their share of Christmas cheer. "Black Mammy," particu- larly, with the numerous presents she had received, gave evidence of the good-will of the household. There was a Christmas-tree for the young negro children ; and for their elders, a dance, which was especially interesting to the visiting friends. In the old planter there was no littleness ; he was big- hearted and openhanded. One of his noblest qualities was his reverence for woman. She was to him the em- bodiment of purity and loveliness, and not the slightest evil of her could be whispered in his presence. The old plantation life had an indescribable charm. 182 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. COTTON READY FOR MARKET : A SCENE OP THE OLD SOUTH It was the product of a civilization that gave us brave and true men and pure and noble women, who loved their land, as the poet of the old South has said : "Land of the South — Imperial land, How proud thy mountains rise! How sweet thy scenes on every hand ! But not for this — oh! not for these I love thy fields to roam ; Thou hast a dearer spell for me, Thou art my native home." THE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 183 Test Questions. What was the old plantation? What part of Arkansas was not adapted to it? Why? What is the difference hetween a plantation and n, farm? Why have we not the old plantation system now? How are our lowlands cultivated at present? How were the negroes worked? Why was not the plantation cultivated by free labor? Does slavery pay? What is meant by the old plantation melody? Describe the negro cabin; the quarters after supper. How did the negroes get their food? What dia the planter's wife and daughter do for them? How did the slave feel toward his master? How is this illustrated by the war? Describe the planter's house; the character of the planter. Describe the Christmas festivities. Why did slavery exist in the South and not in the North? Where did the slaves come from? Did slavery injure the negro? Is slavery wrong? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Point to the plantation lands of Arkan sas; to the region of small farms. • CHAPTER XXII. THE REGULATORS. 1835-1845. Northwest Arkansas is one of the most cultured and prosperous sections of the State. During the first quar- ter of the last century, however, this mountainous region was full of savage Indians and wild beasts. Not only the deer, the wolf, and the bear, but also the panther and the buffalo were common. Buffalo herds were scattered all over Washington and Benton counties, and as late as 1830 sportsmen chased this animal. The skins were used for carpets, rugs, saddle-blankets and bed-covers. We are told that once while hunting, a certain Thomas Wagnor, an old-timer in this section, was overtaken by darkness and had to spend the night in the forest. It was winter, and he had no covering save the hide of a buffalo that he had just skinned. Wrapping himself in this green skin, with the hair next to him to keep him warm, he went quietly to sleep. On awaking next morn- ing, great was his surprise to find the skin frozen so hard that he could not unroll it ; and when some hunts- THE REGULATORS. 185 men finally ran across him, he was nearly dead from cold and exhaustion. In the mountains were many wolves which did great damage to all the small stock. At night these animals would set up a most doleful, foreboding howl. Three or APPLE ORCHARD WHERE ONCE HERDS OF BUFFALO CRAZED four would start the chorus, then others would join, and soon a pack of forty or fifty could be heard making a most frightful medley of yelps and howls and whines. The noise of the wolves was the signal for the settlers to begin blowing horns. This in turn set the dogs to howl- ing. The blowing of the horns and the howling of the 186 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. dogs were supposed to scare the wolves away. Some- times this noise would be kept up for two hours. Our early settlers were for the most part, as you know, industrious, law-abiding citizens; but as a wild frontier always offers inducements to the reckless and the wicked, Arkansas had her share of border ruffians. The work of getting rid of the worst characters and of civilizing those that remained forms an important chapter in our history. It is a record of daring deeds, narrow escapes, and often of bloody struggles. Our mountains, caves, forests, and cane-brakes afforded secure hiding-places for desperate men; and it was difficult to catch them. Horse-stealing was such a common crime on the frontier that some states at this period prescribed the death penalty for this offense. Arkansas imposed this extreme penalty until 1838. A gang of horse-thieves, perhaps the most desperate that ever infested our State, had headquarters in the valley of the Fourche la Fave River. They were fugi- tives from justice from other states and had come to Arkansas to carry on their wicked business. They formed a secret society, elected a leader, and agreed upon signs and pass-words. As a cloak for their crimes, their leader turned preacher. They had a place for concealing their horses until they got enough to send to market. Then they took them down the Arkansas River to the Mis- sissippi, where they either sold them or turned them over THE REGULATORS. 187 to the river pirates, with whom the thieves were in league. The officers of the law could do nothing with these men. Finally, the condi- tions became so des- perate that the citi- zens took the matter into their own hands and constituted them- selves a body of regu- lators. They sent out scouts with instruc- tions to arrest and bring before them all suspicious characters. In this way the ring- leaders were cap- tured. They were im- nfediately tried by the Regulators and, if found guilty, were hanged. This put an end to horse-stealing in that section. About 1838, the counties in northwest Arkansas, bor- dering on the Indian Territory, suffered more than any other section from criminals and desperadoes. Before that time, that part of the State was comparatively free from crime. But in that year the Cherokee Indians from A FOREST OP PRIMEVAL PINES. 188 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Georgia and Tennessee were required to move to their present homes in the Territory across the Arkansas line. They had been paid large sums of money for their possessions east of the Mississippi River. This fact was known to evil-minded men in all parts of the United States ; and they came to Arkansas in great crowds, that they might sell whiskey to the Indians and cheat them out of their money either by trading or by gambling. Alfred W. Arrington, a lawyer then living at Fayette- ville, described the situation as follows: "Runaways from every state in the Union were col- lected along the Cherokee line, and they preyed alike upon the whites and the Indians. For the especial bene- fit of these desperadoes, it would seem, groceries were erected immediately upon the line, one half of the house being in Washington County and the other in the Chero- kee Nation ; so that if a crime were committed in one part of the grocery, the offender had but to step across a plank in the floor, and, lo! he was in another jurisdiction." Murder and robbery became common. White men would often rob the settlers and then commit the most fiendish outrages in order to throw suspicion on the In- dians. Just across the line in the Indian Territory there was a desperate feud between two factions of the Indians, the Ridge and the Ross parties. One night in June, 1839, all the leaders in the Ridge faction were foully assassin- ated. Naturally, great excitement prevailed in the In- THE REGULATORS. 189 dian Territory, and this afforded further opportunity for crime across the border in Arkansas. About the same time there was a most revolting crime on Cane Hill in Washington County. There lived in the community a highly respected and well-to-do farmer, named Wright, who was supposed to have money. One night about nine o'clock, three men came to his door, called him out, and killed him. Then they murdered four or five of his children and set fire to his house. With great difficulty Mrs. Wright and three children escaped. A BAND OF REGULATORS AND THEIR CAPTIVE. This awful deed thoroughly aroused the people. As the courts were powerless, the citizens themselves resolved to put an end to such outrages ; so a committee of Regu- 190 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. lators, composed of thirty-six of the best citizens, was im- mediately organized. This committee sent out a body of one hundred horsemen to arrest all doubtful characters. These men rode in tens over the county and made many arrests. The committee sat as a court to examine all men brought before them and to pass judgment upon each case. Suspicion finally settled upon about half a dozen men, who, after a long trial, were declared guilty. The death penalty was served upon them, and they were hanged in the presence of perhaps a thousand witnesses. This was a severe lesson to evil-doers. It taught the criminals that Arkansas was not a safe place for them. After this, the law was allowed to take its course. Parti- san accounts of this affair were published, and the im- pression was made abroad that Arkansas was ruled by the pistol and mob law, though this reputation was not deserved. It is always better that crime should be pun- ished in the legal way; but it was to the credit of the people of our State, that, when the courts could not cope with criminals, the citizens themselves had the character and the courage to suppress crime. Test Questions. What animals were found in northwest Arkansas in the first quarter of the last century? What use did the pioneer make of them? What story is told of the wolves? Describe the buffalo; the wolf; the panther. What induces ruffians to go to the frontier? What crime was the most common among THE REGULATORS. 191 those of Arkansas? Why could the courts do nothing with them? Tell the story of the gang that infested Fourche valley. How did the people rid the country of them? "Why were desperadoes attracted to the northwestern counties in 1838? How did these desperadoes protect themselves? What crime brought matters to a crisis? How did the citizens put an end to crime? What is meant by Regulators? Did they do right? Give your reasons. Is it better for the courts to punish criminals or for the citizens to do so? Why? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas.- — Trace the Fourche la Fave River. Whai ■ounties does it drain? Bound Arkansas. CHAPTER XXIII. ELIAS RECTOR. 1802-1878. One of the most original characters that ever lived in Arkansas was Major Elias Rector, of whom Albert Pike tells ns in his famous poem, "The Fine Arkansas Gentleman, Close to the Choctaw Line." He was an in- timate friend of Arkansas' great poet. The poem was written in the winter of 1852, while Major Rector was in Washington trying to secure his appointment as United States marshal for the judi- cial district of Arkansas. After his return, the poem was recited in his presence. "When some one asked him what he thought of it, he replied, "Wal, all poets are fools, and Pike is the greatest poet I ever knew." Major Rector was a large man, and striking in appear- ance. According to Judge Pope, the Major usually ELIAS RECTOR. ELIAS RECTOR. 193 dressed in a full suit of black silk velvet made in the height of fashion; and his linen was of the finest and was very elaborately ruffled. He had long, black, glossy hair, which he wore tucked up with a comb. When loose, it reached below his waist. On one occasion Major Rector was traveling in a stagecoach from Memphis to Nashville, Tennessee. Some of his companions in the coach were ladies. It was a long and tedious journey. Once Mr. Rector rather carelessly took off his hat, when, to his astonishment, his hair came undone and fell all dishevelled over his shoulders. The ladies were horrified; and at the next stopping place they alighted, and refused to go any farther. When the driver inquired why they would not proceed, they sharply replied that they did not pro- TRAVEL BY STAGECOACH. pose to travel in the same coach with a woman disguised as a man. When the Major heard of the trouble, he came out and cleared up the mystery. The ladies, 194 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. amused at their mistake, reentered the coach and re« sumed their journey. Mr. Rector was very companion- able, and the rest of the way was enjoyed all the more because of the humor of the incident. The story is told that Mr. Rector's hair was once the means of saving his life. He was at an entertainment in New Orleans when a drunken mob broke into the room, knocked out the lights, and began to attack the men with clubs and knives. Mr. Rector happened to think of his long hair and let it down. He was none too quick, for at that moment a ruffian seized him and was proceeding to beat him when he felt his long hair. Thinking that Mr. Rector was a woman, he let him go. Major Rector was of good family, being a cousin of three of Arkansas' later governors, James S. Conway, Elias Conway, and Henry M. Rector. He was a native of Virginia; but like many boys in the Eastern States, he resolved to come west to seek his fortune. In 1825, at the age of twenty-three, he arrived at Little Rock, then a mere struggling frontier village of log cabins. Here primitive simplicity reigned, and the traditional latch-string hung on the outside of the door. The town gave this young Virginian a hearty welcome, and he re- solved to cast his lot with the people of Arkansas. A new country is usually a good place for a young man ; for the people are more nearly on a plane of equality, as there is neither extreme wealth nor extreme poverty. Every ELIAS RECTOR. 195 one is thrown upon his own resources, and labor is hon- ored. Mr. Rector was not long in making himself felt. He was a man of impressive personality, and he had great energy and will-power. For some time he was a sur- veyor; then he entered politics. President Jackson appointed him United States marshal for Arkansas and the Indian Territory, and he enjoyed the distinction of filling this office for sixteen years. After 1837 he made Fort Smith his home. His most notable public ser- vice was in connection with the Indians. He is said to have known them "as a mari- ner knows the sea." For sev- eral years he was Superin- tendent of Indian Affairs. The Seminole Indians of Florida had given the United States trouble for many years. Two or three wars had been fought with them, and all ef- forts to move them west had failed. Finally Major Rector was appointed by the President to treat with them. He went by steamer from Fort Smith to Florida. His vessel was loaded with hams, champagne, cigars, and A SEMINOLE CUIKF. 196 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. presents pleasing to the Indian. With him were some Seminoles living in the Indian Territory. When they reached Florida, he sent these savages among their friends and kinsmen to tell them of a happy hunting-ground in the far West, and to invite the chiefs to come to a council with the pale face. The Major in his princely way gave them presents, feasted them on ham, drank champagne with them, and smoked the pipe of peace. At the same time, he and his Indian friends gave them glowing accounts of the new country to the west. He soon won the hearts of these simple people, and they made a treaty with him by which they gave up their homes in Florida and moved to the Indian Terri- tory. This tact of "The Fine Arkansas Gentleman" closed, once for all, our troubles with the Seminoles of Florida. For this, Congress voted Major Rector ten thousand dollars with the thanks of the nation. Major Rector was a Southern gentleman of the old type — genial, hospitable, honest, and courageous. His great fault was his fondness for drink. Aside from this, he was a most estimable man ; he had much of the milk of human kindness in his warm nature. He kept open house, and his friends always found a cheery greet- ing. Test Questions. Who was "The Fine Arkansas Gentleman"? Describe him. ELIAS RECTOR. 197 Describe Little Rock when he came to it. Tell something of his family. What public offices did he hold? What was his greatest service to his country? What was the Major's great fault? Why was this evil more common in the early days? Map Questions. Map of the United States. — Locate Florida. Map of Arkan- sas. — How far is it from Little Rock to Fort Smith? CHAPTER XXIV. ALBERT PIKE. 1809-1891. In 1833 there was much excitement in Little Rock, and indeed throughout the territory, over some articles appearing in the Advocate, a Whig paper published at the capital. They were signed "Casca." Everyone was asking, "Who is Casca?" but nobody seemed to know. Some thought it was James Woodson Bates, who was known to be the ablest writer in Arkansas at that time ; but this proved to be a mistake. As the writer was a supporter of Whig principles, the leaders of that party were determined to find him. The great territorial secretary, Robert Crittenden, and Jesse Turner, afterwards a Supreme Court judge, learned the name of the author and went in search of him. They found him in an old-fashioned log school-house on Little Pine Creek below Van Buren ; and lo ! this wise man of the East (for he was from Massachusetts) was only a boy school-teacher. The Whig party was in need of every possible recruit, and these men rejoiced to find such a gifted champion. They soon arranged to have ALBERT PIKE. 199 this Yankee teacher go to Little Rock and be associate editor of the Advocate. Albert Pike, for this was the young man's name, was one of the distinguished men of the nineteenth century. He saw most of that century pass; for he was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1809, and died in Wash- ington, D. C, in 1891. What great changes took place in these years ! The War of 1812 was fought ; the Mexican War passed into history, with the re- sult that an immense ter- ritory was acquired by our government ; and the greatest civil war of the age was fought. During this period of fourscore years, the United States doubled her territory and developed from a weak nation to a world power. Mr. Pike was a self-taught and self-made man. When he was but four years old, his father moved from the city to a small town. Here he received an elementary education ; and, at an academy not far distant, a high- school training. At fifteen he entered the freshman class ALBERT PIKE. 200 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. at Harvard College, in Cambridge, near Boston ; but, for lack of means, he was compelled to leave college before the end of the year. He taught school and at the same time pursued' his studies. At the opening of Harvard the next year, he passed both the freshman and sopho- more examinations and was ready for the junior class. In twelve months he had done two years' college work in addition to his teaching. When he was told that he must pay tuition for his first two college years before entering the junior class, he refused to do so and left the institution. He taught school, and by private study he mastered the junior and senior courses, thus showing himself to be a young man of pluck as well as of ability. His home life was not pleasant, and he resolved to go west as soon as possible. After teaching five years he started for the Pacific coast. At St. Louis he joined some pioneers and traveled with them awhile ; then he started with a trapping party for Mexico. As he met with nothing but hardships, he turned back, and finally reached Fort Smith. It was the following year that Mr. Crittenden discovered him in the little log school-house. At Little Rock, Mr. Pike found what he was seeking — an opportunity to do something. He wrote for the Advocate, set type, and read law. He had a remarkable mind and memory. His physical endurance was great, and he did an immense amount of work. He slept only five or six hours a day — a habit that lasted through life. ALBERT PIKE. 201 One less strongly constituted could not have endured what he did. He chose law as his profession ; and so successful was he that in a short time he was able to build a home which, to this day, is one of the handsomest residences in the "City of Roses." In company with ALBERT PIKES RESIDENCE AT LITTLE ROCK. other pioneer lawyers, Pike traveled over the State, prac- ticing in every county. He had much business also be- fore the Supreme Court of the United States, to the bar of which he was admitted at the same time as was Abra- ham Lincoln. Mr. Pike was perhaps the most important Indian attorney in the United States. In the famous " Choctaw Case," his fee was seventy-five thousand 202 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. dollars, which was not settled until after his death, when Congress paid his heirs. Although he made much money, he never became wealthy. He was kind- hearted and generous; he could not refuse a call for help, and his charities kept him poor. It was through the efforts of Mr. Pike that the first Pacific railroad was built. In 1855 he urged a Pacific railroad convention to take up the matter and push it through. Later, he spoke before the Louisiana legisla- ture at Baton Rouge and obtained the passage of a char- ter for a Pacific railroad from New Orleans, with termini on the Pacific coast at San Francisco and at Guaymas, Mexico. Mr. Pike lived to see this road completed ; and not only this, but many other railroad lines to the states on the Pacific coast. As a soldier, Albert Pike served with distinction in the Mexican War, being a captain in Governor Yell's regi- ment. As he was a Southerner in his sympathies, he was loyal to Arkansas when she seceded from the Union. He joined the Confederate Army, was made a brigadier- general, and organized and commanded a brigade of Cherokee Indians. Because of his great influence with the Red Man, the Confederacy placed him at the head of the Indian Department and gave him power to make treaties. He succeeded in getting for the Confederacy the active support of some of the Indians, and in per- suading others to remain neutral. ALBERT PIKE. 203 As a scholar, General Pike has had but few superiors in America. He was a thorough student of Latin and Greek, and he read with fluency French, Hebrew, and Sanscrit. He translated into English fifteen volumes of Aryan literature and wrote three books on Roman law. His best, known prose works are on free masonry, and at the time of his death he ranked as the highest mason in the world. But it is through his poetry that he has reached all hearts ; and boys and girls of the South should read his "Dixie," "To the Mocking Bird," and "Every Year." Had he devoted his entire time to poetry, doubt- less he would have become widely known as an American poet. The last twenty-two years of his life were spent in Washington City, the latter half being devoted exclu- sively to study. His was an interesting home — he him- self the center of interest. He had a magnificent library. He took special interest in birds ; and, as his friends took ALBERT PIKE CONSISTORY AT LITTLE ROCK. Erected bij Scottish Rite Masons of Ar- kansas west al 36°, MO'; thai is, along the northern boundary of Arkansas. Con- gress agreed that north of ibis line, except in Missouri, there should be no slaves. II was understood thai south of the line slavery should be permitted. This agreement, introduced by Henry Clay, was known as the Missouri Compromise. It did not suit the extremists of either side; so the quarrel waxed warm again, and in ISM Congress organized Kansas and Nebraska as territories, allowing the people who lived there to decide whether or not they would have slaves. This was a repeal of I be Missouri Compromise, and al once a billet* struggle be- between the seel ions began again. Neither side would yield, and the inevitable result, was war. In 1Hf!(), the Republican parly nominated Abraham 224 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. ...... ■ , Lincoln of Illinois for President; the Democratic party, being divided in opinion, put out two candidates, Sena- tor Stephen A. Douglas representing the Northern wing and John C. Breekenridge, the Southern. Mr. Lincoln was elected. The Southern States were indignant, and they with- drew from the Union. The Union or central government had stood for almost three-quar- ters of a century, but there had always been a difference of opin- ion with reference to the extent of its pow- ers. Some claimed thai the central gov- ernment was supreme ; others that the state was the highest au- thority. The Northern States thought that a state had no right to secede; but the Southern States believed firmly that this right did exist, and in accordance with this view eleven states withdrew from the Union. These were South and North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Ten- :> AMKAIIAM LINCOLN. ROBERT WARD JOHNSON. 225 e, Texas, Arkansas, and Virginia. These states formed a new anion called the Confederate Stat America, and selected Richmond, Virginia, as the capital. They adopted a new fla^r and elected Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, President. Ae Arkansas was a South- em slave stat'-. her vi' ws on slavery were similar to tl of her sister states. But the Union sentiment was strong here, and her people loved the national govern- ment and wished to be faith- ful to it. Arkansas was among the last to withdraw from the Union. Her legislature asked the people to elect a convention to decide what she should do. They selected a body of conservative men. the best, in the State: and the eon vent ion met March 4th, 1861- These men postponed their decision for awhile, hoping that, all differences might be peaceably settled. But this could not be done. President Lincoln believed that rang. lie believed also that, it was his sworn duty u, pre the rjnion ; that is. to prevent secession. So in April he called for seventy-five thousand soldiers. All hope for JEl PERSON DAVIS. 226 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. peace was now abandoned ; war was inevitable. Arkan- sas was forced to accept the issue and to fight either for the Union or for the Confederate States. Her decision was to join the Confederacy. Robert W. Johnson realized, as far back as 1854, what would be the result of the repeal of the Missouri Compromise ; and in the United States Senate he did all he could to prevent it. When Mr. Lincoln was elected President, he thought that the South ought to se- cede. On his return to Arkansas he ad- vised this course. After Arkansas had joined the Confeder- acy, Mr. Johnson was sent to the Confederate Congress as Senator, and this position he held throughout the war. TOMB OF R. W. JOHNSON AT LITTLE ROCK. ROBERT WARD JOHNSON. 227 As soon as peace had been made, he returned to his plantation in Jefferson County. The war nad cost him dearly, for it had left him heavily in debt. For two years he worked heroically to pay off his debts and to save his large plantation. Failing in this, he turned it over to his creditors; and at the age of fifty-three, he began life again, a poor man. He moved to Washington City and formed a law partnership with Albert Pike. This relationship continued until 1878, when he returned to Little Rock, where he died the following year. Test Questions. Sketch the career of Robert "W Johnson before 1846. To what office was he then elected? ) ow long did he serve in this .capacity? Why did he not contif ue in it? Who were the par- ties in this struggle? What v ere the points of contention? Why did slavery exist in the South? Why had it been abol- ished in the North? What is meant by "Federal territory"? Over what Federal territory did the slavery agitation begin? What difference of view did the two sections take in regard to the Federal territory? Why? What efforts had been made to settle the quarrel? Why were they not successful? What side did the Republicans take? the Democrats? What candidates for President did these parties put up in 1860? What was the immediate cause of the war? What is secession? What was the attitude of Arkansas towards slavery and secession? Map Questions. Map of the United States. — Point to each of the states of the Confederacy. Point co the state that gave the Republican 228 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. candidate for President in 1860; the Democratic candidate; the President of the Confederacy. Where is Richmond? Show on the map the territory from which slavery was excluded by the Missouri Compromise. Point to the states for which the Missouri Compromise was repealed. Locate the Union capital; the capital of the Confederacy. Show on the map the territory whose annexation opened the agitation about slavery CHAPTER XXVIII. ARKANSANS TO ARMS. 1861-1865. In 1861, after . Arkansas had seceded, the Military Board of the State called for ten thousand volunteers to defend us against "the invading horde from the North." "To arms! To arms !" was the trumpet blast. Runners all over the State bore the news of war and aroused the people to arms. In every hamlet and village soldiers were mustered in. Men paraded the streets, bonfires were lighted, and stirring speeches were made. Young orators delivered with burning zeal the fiery speech of Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death"; and the new Confederate flag was unfurled amidst the deafening shouts of •the multitude. The war spirit ran high. So intense was the feel- ing that it became dangerous to express sympathy for the general government, although the Union sentiment had been strong only a few days before. FLAG OF THE CONFEDERACY. 230 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. The people were led to believe that one Southerner could whip five Yankees. They were told that the Northerners would not fight; that they could not even handle a gun. One enthusiastic fellow at Searcy said that he could take the school girls and go out on a neigh- boring hill and keep back all the Yankees. Doubtless he changed his opinion of their fighting qualities before the close of the war. Enlistment went on rapidly. Speeches were not needed to spur on the people. Companies were rapidly formed ; regiments, hastily organized ; and batteries, quickly constructed. From all parts of the State these poorly armed and crudely organized bands hurried to the front, concentrating at Arkadelphia, Pine Bluff, Yellville, Springfield, and Little Rock. Before the end of the year Arkansas had sent to the front thirty thousand volun- teers, nearly half her voting pop- ulation ; and before the close of the war, she added about twenty thousand more. But there was sadness as well as gladness in these preparations for war. At the parting hour, even the bravest heart lost courage as he realized FLAG OF THE UNION. ARKANSANS TO ARMS. 231 "the weight and woe of his errand." Love struggled with duty; and the most manly could not repress the sigh, the most courageous, restrain the tear. The heroic wife, the sacrificing mother, the noble sister and sweet- heart, with a "C4od bless you!" sent their loved ones into the awful dangers of war. How doubly dear did they seem as they marched away ! As the tramp, tramp, tramp, grew fainter and fainter, these resolute women stood valiantly waving their last fare- well, seeing but dimly through the mist of tears. Ah ! for so many, this was indeed the last farewell. Days of suspense followed. Days lengthened into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years; and yet too often there was no news from the dear ones at the front. Perchance it was the soldier on furlough who brought the first message. Though painful to him, it was often his duty to tell the anxious wife, of her husband 's death at Shiloh ; the trusting girl, of her hero's death while charging a battery at Chicka- mauga ; and the poor old father, of a son who had died of lingering disease in prison. Oh, the heartaches, the sorrows of those days! So many homes were de- stroyed, so many hearts were broken, and so many A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER. 232 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. hopes were blasted. "War is terrible, carrying death and destruction in its path. For four long years these trying times continued. There was much suffering from lack of food. The invading Northern armies often burned the home and destroyed the crops. What they did not de- stroy, they took away ; and wo- men and children were left without food or shelter. The enemy blockaded the coasts of the Confederate States and al- lowed nothing to be shipped in. It was almost impossible to get medicines. The women spun the thread and wove the cloth for their families. Hats and shoes could scarcely be had at any price. Coffee, tea, and meats were luxuries enjoyed only by the few. In 1863 a tur- key was worth twenty dollars, and a sheep fifty dollars in Confederate money. Sassa- fras tea was the chief beverage. Coffee was often made of parched okra seeds, parched rye, or sweet potatoes cooked to a crisp. Salt also was a rare article. Indeed, be- A UNION SOLDIER. ARKANSANS TO ARMS. 233 fore long it could scarcely be had at any price. At times the people were compelled to make their own salt. This they did by a crude device. During certain seasons they hung their meat in their "smoke-houses." The drip- pings from this meat thoroughly saturated the ground be- low with. salt. They dug up this dirt, cast it into a vessel with a perforated bottom, placed this vessel over another PAPER MONEY ISSUED BY THE CONFEDERACY. and poured water on the dirt. This dissolved the salt and carried it into the vessel below. The water then evaporated and left the salt. The Southern soldiers wore the gray and were called Confederates; the Northern soldiers wore the blue and were called Federals or Unionists. The Union soldiers called the Confederates "Johnnies" or rebels, while they in turn were called "Yankees," or "Yanks" for brief. The Civil War developed many great generals on each side. Among the distinguished Federal generals were 234 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. Grant, Sheridan, Sherman, McClellan, Mead, Hooker, Thomas, Farragut, Burnside, and Rosecrans. Among the Confederates were Lee, Jackson, the two Johnstons, Bragg, Beauregard, Forrest, Longstreet, and Cleburne. THE BLUE AND THE GRAY. BY F. M. FINCH. By the flow of the inland river, Whence the fleets of iron have fled, Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver, Asleep are the ranks of the dead:— Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment day; Under the one, the Blue, Under the other, the Gray. These in the robings of glory, Those in the gloom of defeat, All with the battle-blood gory, In the dust of eternity meet: — Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment day; Under the laurel, the Blue, Under the willow, the Gray. From the silence of sorrowful hours, The desolate mourners go, ARKANSANS TO ARMS. 235 Lovingly laden with flowers, Alike for the friend and the foe:— Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment day; — Under the roses, the Blue, Under the lilies, the Gray. No more shall the war-cry sever, Or the winding rivers be red ; They banish our anger forever, When they laurel the graves of our dead ! Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment day; Love and tears for the Blue, Tears and love for the Gray. Test Questions. Describe the call to arms; the preparation for war. What erroneous ideas of the Northerners did the Southern people have? Name the places at which troops gathered. How many men went to the front from Arkansas? Why were food and medicines scarce? What is meant by blockade? What did people use as substitutes for coffee? sugar? How did they get salt? By what name was the South- ern soldier called? the Northern? Who were some of the noted generals on each side? Can war be justified? Does more good or evil result from it? In what sense is war a school? 236 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Searcy, Arkadelphia, Pine Bluff, Yellville, Springfield. Map of War in Vie West, p. 246. — Shiloh (Tenn.), Chickamauga (Tenn.). CHAPTER XXIX. DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 1861-1865. The Arkansas troops made a record creditable alike to themselves and to their State. They fought bravely on nearly every battle-ground in the West, and on many in the East. Some of the men who enlisted in 1861 crossed the Mississippi and took part in the great struggles in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Virginia; while others marched through the northwestern part of our State where they joined the forces of Generals McCul- loch and Price. In that section many of the Arkansas troops spent the winter of 1861 and 1862. , In the mean- time Federal troops had collected there. The first battle in Arkansas was fought March 7, 1862, at Elkhorn, or Pea Ridge, in Benton County. Gen- eral Van Dorn was in command of the Confederate forces, fifteen thousand strong, and General Curtis, of the Federals, numbering about twenty thousand. This battle has been called the Buena Vista of the Civil War. Van Dorn said of his soldiers: "The Old Guard of Na- poleon was not composed of better men. I have never in 238 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. STERLING PRICE. battle seen their equals." The Confederates held the field, but they paid dearly for their partial victory in the loss of General McCulloch and Colonel Mcintosh. General McCulloch was a Ten- nesseean by birth. Though a poor boy, he had pushed himself to the front. After going to Texas, he joined the "Texas Bangers," a body of horsemen noted for their dash and daring. He distinguished himself in the Mexican War. When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in the service of the Confederate States and was made brigadier-general. A successful career at arms was opening before him when death suddenly cut it short. James Mcintosh was captain in the United States army at the outbreak of the war. He re- signed and enlisted in the Con- federate service as colonel of the Second Arkansas Mounted Rifles. At Pea Ridge he stood next in rank to General McCulloch ; and when that officer fell, he took his place. He was bravely leading a charge on the Federal lines when he was shot. Colonel Mcln- EARL VAN DORN. DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 239 tosh had the qualities of a leader; and, had he lived, he might have been classed with Cleburne and Hindman. Aitev the battle of Pea Ridge, General Van Dorn moved south. He was soon ordered to take his army to Corinth east of the Mississippi. This left Arkansas unprotected, as there was at that time no Confederate army in the State. The Federal general, Curtis took ad- A CONFEDERATE CAVALRY CAMP. vantage of the situation and marched across north Arkansas to Batesville. Thence he intended to lead his forces against Little Rock; but, meeting with a slight re- pulse at Cotton Plant, he changed his plans, marched to Helena ; and occupied that town. Meanwhile General Hindman had been ordered to 240 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. come to Arkansas and to raise an army for the protec- tion of the State. He organized and drilled a strong force. While he was doing this, General Blount marched a Federal army into north Arkansas. General Hindman met him December 7, 1862, at Prairie Grove in Wash- ington County, where the second important battle in Arkansas was fought. It was a desperate contest. The Federals were driven from the field ; but, as General Hindman 's supplies gave out, he withdrew south of the Ar- kansas River. General T. C. Hindman came to Arkansas from Mis- sissippi in 1854 and located at Helena. There he began the practice of law. He preferred politics and was a bold cham- pion of the Democratic party. He was an eloquent speaker and one of the ablest cam- paigners and party leaders of the State. He might be called the orator of secession in Arkansas. His rise was rapid. He was elected to Congress in 1858 and again in I860; but he resigned his seat at the beginning of the war, and went out as colonel of the Second Arkansas In- fantry. In a short while he became major-general. Soon after the battle of Prairie Grove, he was ordered east of the Mississippi, where he remained till the close of the THOMAS C. HINDMAN. DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 241 war. Hindman was an able general and a man of great physical courage. He was assassinated at his home in Helena in 1868, while engaged in a hot political cam- paign. Another Arkansas man who went into the army as colonel and came back as major-general, was Thomas J. Churchill. He was in command at Arkansas Post when that place was captured in 18G3 by General McClernard and Admiral Porter. General Holmes, who had suc- ceeded General Hindman as commander in the State, telegraphed Gen- eral Churchill: "Hold till help arrives, or till all are dead." General Churchill did hold out bravely for two days, but he finally yielded to an overwhelming force. He was taken prisoner, but was later exchanged. In 1880 he was chosen gov- ernor and served two terms. He died in 1905. Three other Arkansas officers — Patrick Cleburne, James F. Fagan, and Evander McNair— became major- generals. Many minor officers were distinguished for THOMAS J. CHURCHILL. 242 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. their gallantry. Major W. E. Woodruff, Junior, was our ablest artilleryman. The most important event of the third year of the war in Arkansas was the occupation of Little Rock by Fed- eral troops. After General Holmes had made a vain attempt to retake Helena, General Steele of the Federal army began to march toward the Capital. On the way he met only slight resistance. As he approached the city, General Price, who had succeeded General Holmes, re- treated south. He felt unable to resist an attack. Gen- eral Steele entered Little Rock without opposition Sep- tember 10, 1863. This practically ended the war in Ar- kansas. While the contest went on a year and a half longer in other parts of the South, there was scarcely any more fighting in this State. However, two military forces occupied the State, divid- ing it almost equally. The Confederates held the coun- try to the south of the Arkansas River; and the Fed- erals, that to the north. Fort Smith, Van Buren, Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Fayetteville, Batesville, and Helena were in the hands of the Federals, who controlled the Arkansas River. The people throughout the State suf- fered much from robbers and murderers. Marauding bands wandered over the country, plundering, stealing, and killing. No power in the State could properly pro- tect life and property. You remember that Arkansas was reluctant to secede DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 243 because of the strong Union feeling in the State. Many of those favoring the Union remained loyal to the central government all during the war. Some of the Unionists left the State for safety, as it was dangerous for a man to express loyal sentiments. After the Federals had occupied north Arkansas, these people felt freer because the army gave them protection. Many refugees returned to the State, and about five thousand white persons and as many negroes enlisted in the Union army. Test Questions. What record was made by the Arkansas troops? Where did the Arkansas troops fight? What commands were col- lected in northwest Arkansas? Name the places in the State at which battles occurred. Give the leading facts concerning the battle of Pea Ridge. Sketch the career of General Mc- Culloch; of Mcintosh. Where did Van Dorn go after the battle of Pea Ridge? What was the fortune of Arkansas Post? Give an account of the battle of Prairie Grove. Name the most noted generals on Arkansas ground. Give a sketch of General Hindman's career; of General Churchill's. What part in the war did Little Rock play? How many men enlisted from Arkansas in the Confederate army? in the Federal army? Why the difference? Why did not the Union men enlist at the beginning of the war? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Pea Ridge, Batesville, Prairie Grove, Cotton Plant, Van Buren, Fayetteville. Trace on the map the route of General Curtis in going from Pea Ridge to Helena. Show the parts of Arkansas controlled after Septem- ber. 1863, by the Confederates; by the Federals. CHAPTER XXX. PATRICK CLEBURNE. The "Stonewall Jackson op the West." 1828-1864. Of the great Confederate generals, Jackson stands next to Lee in the affections of the Southern people. They admire his wonderful generalship and love his beautiful, unselfish Christian character. His name is a priceless heritage, not only to the South, but to the Nation. He was Lee's "right arm." He was as quick as lightning and as terrible as thunder. He ranks as one of the most brilliant and most daring military chieftains of history. It was his courage that saved the day at Manassas in Virginia and won for him the title "Stonewall." Vir- ginia gave to the Confederacy the "Stonewall Jackson of the East" ; but Arkansas has the honor of having fur- nished a soldier of similar fame, the "Stonewall Jack- son of the West." The man, who was thus distinguished in American history, was Patrick Cleburne (clay'-burn). He was born in 1828, in Cork, Ireland. His father was highly edu- PATRICK CLEBURNE. 245 eated and would have given his son an excellent educa- tion, had not death prevented. Young Cleburne wished to be a druggist, but he could not get a license, as the law in his country required all applicants to be ex- amined in Latin and Greek. Failing in this, he entered the English army. Soon afterward he came to America, where he found employment in a drug-store at Cin- cinnati, Ohio. While there, a drug firm of Helena, Arkansas, sent to his employers for a clerk. Mr. Cleburne was asked to take the position. He came to Helena in 1850, when he was twenty-two years old. He worked a month on trial ; soon, on account of his hon- esty and ability, he was given the entire management of the business. Later he became a partner. One evening by mere accident, at a meeting of the Masonic Lodge, he discovered his powers as a public speaker. He sold his interests in the drug-store for three thousand dollars and began the study of law. He was admitted to the bar and at the outbreak of the war was a rising young lawyer. Patrick Cleburne was anions: the first from Arkansas PATRICK CLEBURNE. 246 Makers of Arkansas history. to volunteer for the Confederate army. He entered as a private in a company called the "Yell Rifles," but was soon made captain. He showed such skill in managing men that he was promoted to brigadier-general ; and be- fore the close of 1862 he rose to the rank of major-gen- eral. Arkansas troops made up most of his brigade and division. He loved his men and cared for them ; they in turn were devoted to him. They would go wherever he led. In almost every important battle in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, Cleburne and his troops were to be found. MAP SHOWING BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE WEST. At Shiloh he was in the hottest of the fight, and his brigade suffered more than any other engaged. At Rich- mond, Kentucky, he was severely wounded while leading PATRICK CLEBURNE. 247 CHATTANOOGA VICINITY a successful assault; at Perry ville, a horse was shot un- der him. It was in the battle of Chickamauga in Tennessee that he won his proud- est laurels. This was one of the most sharply contested struggles of the war, and there were great deeds of valor on both sides. Here it was that General Thom- as of the Federal army won the name of "Rock of Chickamauga," and General Cleburne that of "Stonewall Jackson of the West." The Confederates had repeatedly assaulted an im- portant point on the Federal lines, and as repeatedly been repulsed with great loss. Late in the afternoon Cleburne was ordered to take the point. "We'll attend to them," was the remark of the Arkansas boys as they came on the battle-field. All were undaunted and self- possessed, some carelessly smoking. But grim determina- tion was stamped on every brow ; for they stood facing the ground where hundreds of their companions in arms had fallen during the day. It was ' ' theirs to do or die. ' ' 248 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. When General Cleburne rose to his full height and thundered the command to charge, every man, with the deafening "rebel yell," leaped to the attack. Though hundreds were mowed down by the deadly fire of mus- ketry and cannon, his brave men rushed on, sweeping everything before them. Within fifteen minutes they had captured the Federal position and had taken eight hundred prisoners. They stood the conquerors and the heroes of Chickamauga. Perhaps the greatest services rendered by Cleburne to the Confederacy were at Lookout Mountain and Mis- sionary Ridge. At Missionary Ridge, his division was stationed at the right of the line. In the afternoon, the center was broken, and the center and the left wing be- came panic-stricken and fled. Cleburne and his men, ignorant of the flight of their comrades, resisted all at- tacks until late in the afternoon. Then the general learned of the rout of the rest of the army; and, with- drawing his troops, he placed them between the retreat- ing Confederates and the victorious foe. At Ringgold Gap in Tennessee, he held the Federal army at bay for a whole day, thus allowing the Southern army time to withdraw in safety. The Confederate Congress gave him a vote of thanks for his heroic conduct in saving the army from destruction. He distinguished himself also at Kennesaw Mountain. It was while he was gallantly PATRICK CLEBURNE. 249 leading an assault at Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864, that he was lulled. At the time of his death he was engaged to be mar- ried. He was buried near Franklin in the private bury- ing-ground of Ex-President Polk. After the war the Ladies' Memorial Association of Helena removed his remains to the Confederate cemetery at that place. CLEBURNE'S DEFENSE OP RINGGOLD GAP. Cleburne was one of the great military leaders of the war. On the battle-field he was fearless and self-pos- sessed ; he gave his orders with calmness even at the can- non 's mouth. Yet he could assault with the dash of the illustrious Jackson. His superiors always placed him at 250 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. the front in an attack, and at the rear on a retreat. His brigade was called the "Terrible," and Cleburne himself was styled "The Lionhearted. " General Hardee said of him, "When his division defended, no odds could break his lines; when it attacked, no numbers resisted its onslaught, save once — and there is the grave of Cleburne." General Cleburne was as great in peace as he was in war. He was true to his friends. On several occasions he risked his life to save that of. a friend. For weeks he lay dangerously ill from a wound that he had received while defending General Hindman. His very presence was elevating, as he was pure in speech and habits. He never used profane or improper language, nor would he permit others to do so in his presence. His heart was full of love for his fellow-man, and he was generous and self-sacrificing to a fault. In politics he was a Demo- crat; in religion, an Episcopalian. During the yellow fever epidemic in Helena before the war, many people became alarmed and left the town. The doctors called for nurses, and for a while it seemed as if no one would respond to the call. Mr. Cleburne and Mr. Hindman volunteered their services. All through the long continuance of the yellow fever epidemic, these men went from house to house nursing the sick and burying the dead. In 1865, in less than a year after General Cleburne's Patrick cleburne. 251 death, the terrible Civil War ended. The Federal forces were victorious, not because they were braver than the Southerners, but because they were far superior in num- bers and equipment. The war decided that a state can- not secede, and that slavery should be abolished in the United States. Test Questions. Give a sketch of the early life of Patrick Cleburne; of his promotions in the Confederate army. In what battles was he famous? What nickname was given him? Why was it appro- priate? Illustrate this by an account of his work on some battlefield. What was the end of his career? Where is his grave? What did General Hardee say of him? Tell something of Cleburne's life, as a civilian in Arkansas. What were the noble qualities of his character? Map Questions. Map of War in the West, p. 246. — Locate Cincinnati, Perry- ville, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Ringgold Gap, Kennesaw Mountain, Franklin, Richmond. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Helena. CHAPTER XXXI. THE "CARPET-BAGGER." 1868-1874. When the war closed in 1865, the armies of the Con- federacy and of the United States were disbanded and the soldiers returned home. Since the war had been waged chiefly in the South, no destruction of property had taken place in the North, and the victorious Federal soldiers on returning home found their families living with their usual comforts. Not so with the foot-sore Con- federates — who so often found ashes and ruins in place of the planter's mansion left in 1861. Their houses had been burned, their fields laid waste; their slaves had been freed, and their government overturned. But they did not become discouraged ; they went to work and tried to retrieve their lost fortunes. They had fought bravely for what they thought was right, and just as bravely did they now labor for the necessaries of life. Men and women who had never known common toil cheerfully ac- cepted the inevitable and did all kinds of manual labor. The work of reorganizing the government was begun in Arkansas sooner than in the other Southern states; for the war practically closed here in 1863 when General THE CARPET-BAGGER. 253 Steele occupied Little Rock. Early in 1864 the people who were loyal to the Union took steps to organize a loyal State government. Isaac Murphy, the only man A DESERTED PLANTATION AFTER THE WAR. who had voted against secession in the convention of 1861, was chosen governor. During the remainder of the war there were two gov- ernments in Arkansas; the Union State government at Little Rock under the direction of Governor Murphy, and the Confederate State government at Washington, Arkansas, under the direction of Governor Flanagiu. The Arkansas River divided the territory of these two governments. At the close of the war the Confederate government was discontinued, and Governor Murphy was left at the head of the State. 254 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. He endeavored to restore good feeling and prosperity. He welcomed home the Confederate soldiers. He merely asked them to renew their allegiance to the Federal gov- ernment; and, on taking the oath of allegiance to the United States, they were allowed to return to their work in peace. For three years all went well. The governor was honest and capable — a worthy executive. When he retired in 1868, he left a surplus in the treasury. Good feeling prevailed in the State, and the people were rap- idly recovering from the effects of the war. President Lincoln had said that the Southern States had never been out of the Union. He wanted them to set up loyal governments and to send representatives to Con- gress. He wished them to forget the war. Arkansas had done these things; but unfortunately for her and for our country, President Lincoln was killed, and men less wise and less tem- PRESIDENT JOHNSON. perate came to rule our land. President Johnson, his successor, wanted to carry out Mr. Lincoln's plan, but he was not tactful. With the excep- tion of a few leaders, President Johnson pardoned those who had fought against the Union. In other Southern states he organized governments like that in Arkansas. THE "carpet-bagger." 255 Conditions were rapidly improving when a difference arose between President Johnson and Congress with ref- erence to the dealings of the Federal government with the South. The quarrel became so bitter that Congress set aside President Lincoln's wise plan and adopted one of its own. This gave rise to much trouble and again stirred up bitter feelings between the North and the South. Congress refused to receive into its membership the men sent from Arkansas and from other Southern states, and passed some very unwise laws. One of these laws divided the South into military districts, over which were placed Federal troops ; another gave the negroes the right to vote, while it denied the right to many of the best white people, the Confederate soldiers. The negroes were ignorant and were unfitted either to vote or to hold office. Besides, it was' not wise to place the former slaves in power over their old masters. The Union generals who were put in command in Arkansas tried, for the most part, to do their duty ; but in spite of all they could do, there was much disorder and even bloodshed. The negroes and a few whites elected members to a constitutional convention which met in 1868 and estab- lished a new government in accordance with the new plan of Congress. An entirely new set of officers was elected, a few of whom were negroes. This change in government is called Reconstruction. 256 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Most of the new State officers were either Union sol- diers, or adventurers from the North who had' come South after the war. The latter were called " carpet- baggers, " because they were said to have nothing when they came except what they could carry in a carpet- bag. This explains why the name "carpet-bag" is ap- plied to the government of this period. These people soon acquired a strong in- fluence over the negro, who, on account of his ig- norance, was easily duped. The carpet-baggers told him that they had come from the North, that they had freed him from bond- age, and that they were going to see that he got justice. But most of these people were not the ne- isaac murphy, union gover- g ro 's friends. They were NOR OF ARKANSAS. • , . , . , -. simply using him to ad- vance their own selfish interests. They stirred up trouble between the whites and the negroes. The former slave was made to believe that his master had wronged him. He was told that the government was going to take his master's land, and that it would give to every negro a mule and forty acres of land. These prom- THE "carpet-bagger." 257 ises spoiled the negro; for they made him impudent and idle. He turned to petty stealing for a livelihood. It was very unfortunate that Arkansas should have fallen into the hands of the carpet-baggers who were in no sense true representatives of the North. The government in their hands was hurtful ; for many of the officials were dishonest and extravagant. They said they wanted to improve the country ; so they issued State bonds to aid in building railroads and a levee along the Mississippi. The people were heavily taxed ; and the cities, the counties, and the State were burdened with debts. The carpet-bag government in less than six years ran the State into debt over seven millions of dollars. Besides this, the people complained that the governor abused his power. In the presidential election of 1868 he deprived several counties of the privilege of voting and declared martial law in fourteen counties. He said that life and property in these localities were not safe, and that it was necessary to establish military govern- ment in order to preserve order. He divided the counties into four districts and over each placed a commander with a considerable armed force. Some of these soldiers were wicked men; they robbed many people, and even burned the homes of some. These disturbances caused great dissatisfaction. We shall learn in the next chapter how the people overthrew this government. The most conspicuous man in Reconstruction days in 258 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Arkansas was General Powell Clayton. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the Union army from Kansas and came to Little Rock with General Steele. For his gallantry he was made brigadier-general and was placed in com- mand at Pine Bluff. At this point he repulsed an attack made by General Marmaduke. After the war he mar- ried and settled on a plantation in Jefferson County. He took an ac- tive part in politics and showed great ability as a party leader. In 1868 he was elected by the Republicans to succeed Isaac Murphy as governor, and a few years later he was sent to the United States Senate. He was up to the time of his death, August 25, 1914, the leader of his party in Arkan- POWELL CLAYTON. sas. Test Questions. What conditions did the Federal soldier find on his return home after the war? the Confederate soldier? Why the dif- ference? After the war, what was the first duty of the Federal government toward the South? Was this necessary for the North? Why? When did the work of reorganizing begin in THE "carpet-bagger." 259 Arkansas? Why did it begin so early? What is the story of the government of Arkansas during the latter part of the war? Give a sketch of Governor Murphy's life and administration. What was President Lincoln's plan of restoring the Southern states? Why was it not carried out? Tell what President Johnson did; what Congress did. Was it right to give the negro the right to vote and to disfranchise the Confederate soldier? Why? What is meant by Reconstruction? Who was the carpet-bagger and why was he so called? What harm did he do? What was the carpet-bag government? What did it do? What are bonds? What complaints were made against the governor? What reason did he assign for his course? -What is the militia? What is its duty? Give a sketch of Gen- eral Clayton's career. Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Point out the territory under each of the State governments in Arkansas during the last year of the war. Name and locate the capital of each. CHAPTER XXXII. ELISHA BAXTER. 1827-1899. Many men, feeling that they were wronged by the carpet-bag government and by the misconduct of the negroes, organized for their protection secret societies called Ku Klux Klans. Many good citizens joined the Klan. Its members met at night in some out-of-the-way place and transacted all business. They wore long white robes, card-board hats, and masks; and as they rode through the country at midnight they presented a ghostly appearance. The negroes said that these Ku Klux were the spirits of dead Confederate soldiers returned to punish them. They told frightful stories of the wonderful doings of these ghosts, such as the drinking of a bucket of water without taking it from the mouth; passing through the tops of houses, and then riding headless through the country, carrying their heads in their hands. If a negro gave any trouble by his impudence, idleness, or thieving, he was visited by the Klan, flogged, and warned of a worse punishment if the offense were re- ELISHA BAXTER. 261 peated. Sometimes an obnoxious carpet-bagger was called upon and whipped. He was ordered to do right or to leave the country. Such visits were always made at night, and the men were always disguised. These steps were taken by the whites for the purpose of stopping GHOSTLY PUNISHMENT BY THE KU KLUX KLANS. many of the evils from which they were suffering. The Klans doubtless did much good at first ; but later some of them fell under the control of reckless young men. The organization lost its usefulness, and did much harm. During this period the Republican party was in power 262 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. in Arkansas. There were two wings of the party; the native wing, controlled by old citizens of the State, and the carpet-bag wing, controlled by men who had come here during the war or just at its close. Most of the leaders of the native wing had been Whigs before the war. At first the two divisions worked together; but as the time passed there was friction between them. The carpet-bag element controlled the negro vote and gave very few offices to the na- tive wing. Because of this, the breach between the parties widened, and in 1872 both factions put out a ticket for governor • the carpet-baggers nomi- nating Elisha Baxter, and the natives, Joseph Brooks. Mr. Baxter was a North Carolinian by birth. He came to Arkansas in 1852 and settled at Bates- ville. Being a Whig in politics he opposed seces- sion. Most of the Union men in the State had belonged to this party before the war. After the war they helped to reorganize the ELISHA BAXTER. ELISHA BAXTER. . 263 government, and later they aided in overthrowing the carpet-bag rule. When the war broke out Mr. Baxter did not join either army; and, like many other Union men, he had to go north. He was captured by the Confederates in Missouri and sent to Little Rock. General Holmes ordered that he be tried for treason. He was not guilty ; but, fearing for his life, he made his escape. Soon afterward he raised a Union regiment and took command at Bates- ville. In 1864 he was elected to the Supreme Court of the State. Later he was chosen to represent Arkansas in the United States Senate, but he was not allowed to take his seat. After the war he was circuit judge for some time. He was not a carpet-bagger, although he was nominated for governor by that party. By selecting him this party hoped to get the support of the older citizens, as Mr. Baxter had lived in the State for many years and was highly respected. His opponent, Joseph Brooks, had come from Ohio during the war as chaplain of a negro regiment. He was a forcible public speaker, a great debater, and a man of wonderful endurance. He had at first supported the carpet-bag government, but later he opposed it. He wielded a strong influence over the negroes, and it was chiefly for this reason that the native wing nominated him for governor, hoping thereby to obtain the negro 264 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. vote. So in the race for governor in 1872 the carpet-bag wing of the Republican party had for their candidate an old citizen of Arkansas, and the native wing a man who had been a car- pet-bagger. A vigorous campaign was conducted on both sides, and feeling ran high. Most of the Demo- crats supported Mr. Brooks, because he repre- sented the native wing. Each party claimed the election of its candidate, but the legislature de- clared Mr. Baxter elected. He was inaugurated as governor the following year. Mr. Brooks contested the election, but without avail. Mr. Baxter was an honest man ; so when he went into office he told the people that he would favor no class, but would execute the laws in the interest of all, as he was governor of the whole State. He soon showed that he meant what he said. He opposed some bills that his party in the legislature proposed, because these measures would place heavy burdens upon the people. He offended JOSEPH BROOKS. ELISHA BAXTER. 265 the leaders of his party by refusing to appoint their friends to office, and they vigorously protested against such proceedings and threatened to impeach him. The undaunted governor replied, "If impeached for cause, I shall submit ; if without cause, I shall disperse the tribunal with the bayonet." When they found that they could not use him as a tool, the leaders of the party deserted him and went over "LADY BAXTER." An old Confederate gun abandoned when the Federals took Little Rock in 1863, and rescued and used by the Baxter forces in 187%. to Brooks, who was still contesting the election. In the meantime the Democrats who had voted for Brooks went 266 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. over to the support of Baxter because they saw that he was making a good governor. In April, 1874, Brooks got an order from an inferior court to expel Governor Baxter. When the governor re- fused to step down and out, Mr. Brooks and his follow- ers ejected him and took possession of the office. This act was the beginning of what is called the Brooks-Bax- ter War. It lasted one month. Although a few men were killed, there were no regular battles. After Governor Baxter was driven out of office, he went to St. John's Military College, a few blocks away. There he asked Colonel Gray for protection. As soon as Colonel Gray had shown the Governor a room, he or- dered the drum-call. When his student cadets assembled in front of the college, he told them what had happened ; he then asked all those who were willing to defend the Governor to step forward three paces. Every boy stepped to the front. That night they guarded the Gov- ernor and allowed no one to pass except by special per- mission. Both Mr. Brooks and Mr. Baxter claimed to be gov- ernor. The Republicans rallied to the standard of Brooks, and the Democrats from all over the State came to the support of Baxter. Brooks' army was stationed at the state house, and Baxter's at a neighboring hotel. These armed forces faced each other for a month, and war might have followed if United States troops had not ELISHA BAXTER. 267 been posted between the hostile forces.' Finally Presi- dent Grant said that the legislature was the rightful body to decide who was governor. The legislature met and again declared Mr. Baxter governor. Whereupon the Brooks forces dispersed and the Governor reentered the state house. This ended the trouble. Test Questions. What was the Ku Klux Klan? Who were its members? What was its object? What were its customs? Were the people right in organizing the Klan? What two wings of the Republican party were in Arkansas during Reconstruction days? Who controlled each? Why could they not work to- gether? Of what party had most of the Union men of Arkan- sas been members before the war? Give a sketch of the life of Elisha Baxter. Was Baxter justifiable in breaking jail? Sketch the life of Joseph Brooks. Why did the native wing nominate a carpet-bagger? Why did the other wing nominate an old citizen? What body declared Baxter elected? What body now counts the vote for governor? How did Governor Baxter administrate the government? With what result to the State? to his party? to himself? What changes took place in the supporters of Brooks and Baxter? Why? Give an account of the Brooks-Baxter War. How was it settled? What do you think of Governor Baxter? of the carpet-bagger? Give the later history of Governor Baxter. CHAPTER XXXIII. AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 1832-1899. In the work of overthrowing carpet-bag rule and of placing the people again in control of the State govern- ment, Governor Baxter had many able assistants. Some of the most prominent were A. H. Garland, U. M. Rose, H. C. Caldwell, Benjamin Johnson, R. C. Newton, T. J. Churchill, Elbert H. English, and F. W. Compton. These men gave him loyal support and advice. Without their aid, he would have failed. They were true patriots, and they should not be forgotten. At Washington City Albert Pike, Robert W. Johnson, and W. W. Wilshire effectively presented the people's cause to President Grant. As a return for such faithfulness, Mr. Baxter was de- termined to establish a government that would do away with the evils of carpet-bag government and give the people their rights. Many of the old Confederate sol- diers had not been allowed to vote or to hold office. The Governor proposed to right this wrong. For this reason he approved an act of the legislature calling a constitu- AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 269 tional convention. Many of the ablest men in the State were elected to this convention. They framed the con- stitution under which we live. By this constitution, all men were allowed to vote, and nearly all officers were to be elected by the people instead of being appointed by the governor. The legislature, the cities, and the coun- ties were forbidden to issue bonds or to levy heavy taxes. The Governor then ordered an election of offi- cers under the new con- stitution. This he did, despite the fact that he would lose half his term, as he had been elected for four years and had served but two. The Democrats, appreciating his services, offered him the nomina- tion for governor, al- though he was a Republi- can. He declined the honor, saying that if he accepted the nomination it would appear that he had done what he had in order to get the support of the Democrats. He had done what he honestly thought to be right, and he AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 270 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. asked for no reward. After Mr. Baxter's refusal, the nomination was given to Augustus H. Garland; and he was elected without opposition. Mr. Garland's parents moved from Tennessee to Wash- ington in Hempstead County in 1833, when their son was only a year old. The father died soon after their arrival in Arkansas. The mother, who was a strong woman both mentally and morally, gave her son an elementary education at home and then sent him to college at Bardstown, Kentucky — the school that has given us several of our most prominent men. After com- pleting his college course, Mr. Garland studied law and entered upon the practice of his chosen profession at his home town, Washington. This place has furnished Arkansas four Supreme Court judges — Daniel Ringo, Edward Cross, John Eakin, and B. B. Battle; two gov- ernors — Dan W. Jones and A. H. Garland; and two United States Senators — A. H. Garland and James K. Jones. In 1856 Mr. Garland moved to Little Rock. Being a young man of strong mind and of great energy, he rap- idly advanced in his profession. He was a Whig in poli- tics; and, in the Secession Convention of 1861, though only twenty-nine years of age, he took a leading part among the conservatives in opposing and in preventing radical action at the first session. But when war became' inevitable, he reluctantly yielded and voted for secession. AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 271 Throughout the war he was one of Arkansas' representa- tives in the Confederate Congress, serving part of that time in the lower house and part in the Senate. At the close of the war President Johnson pardoned Mr. Garland, who resumed the practice of law in Little Rock. About this time Congress passed a law prohibit- ing those who had aided the South in the War of Seces- sion from practicing in the United States Courts. This was a heavy blow to the leading lawyers of the South, depriving them, as it did, of one of their chief means of support. All Southerners felt that the law was un- just and some thought that Congress had no right to pass it. Mr. Gar- land was of this opinion, and he resolved to test its validity. He carried a case to the Supreme Court of the United States. He argued that the law was invalid and won his case. The court set aside the law because it violated the constitution. This was a brilliant victory for Mr. Garland, and it won for him a national reputation as a lawyer. In 1867 Mr. Garland was elected to the United States WASHINGTON COUNTY COURT- HOUSE AT FAYETTEVILLE. 272 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Senate, but he was not allowed to take his seat, as Con- gress refused at this time to admit representatives from the South. In 1874 when Mr. Brooks expelled Governor Baxter and seized the state house, Mr. Garland espoused the Governor's cause and was appointed deputy secre- tary of state. Perhaps he had as much or more than any- one else to do in laying the plans and directing the move- ments which resulted in restoring Governor Baxter to power. Later, as governor, Mr. Garland pursued a broad and liberal policy. Feeling ran high when the carpet-bag government was overthrown and there was a demand for punishment of the leaders. But Governor Garland al- lowed neither persecutions nor prosecutions. He admin- istered the government with so much tact that the wounds of the past were rapidly healed and good feeling restored. He said that when he Avent into office there was not money enough in the treasury to buy kindling to start a fire. The people however began to rebuild their lost fortunes ; they restored prosperity to the State ; and they again filled the treasury. So hopeful were the people that the legislature appropriated money to be used in displaying the resources of Arkansas at the great Centennial Exposition held at Philadelphia, in 1876. Arkansas took several prizes on her cotton, corn, and timber exhibits. In 1877 Mr. Garland was elected to the United States AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 273 Senate, and at the expiration of his first term he was re- elected. By his preeminent abilities he restored the glory of former days when Arkansas was represented in the Senate by Ashley and Sevier. He enjoyed the dis- tinction of being one of the great constitutional lawyers in the Senate. In 1884 President Cleveland appointed him Attorney-General of the United States — a marked honor alike for Mr. Garland and for his State, as it was the first and the only time that Arkansas has been repre- sented in the President's Cabinet. When Mr. Garland retired from public life in 1889, he located in Washington City where he practiced law until his death in 1899. He was pleading a case before the Su- preme Court when the end came. In closing his argu- ment he raised his hand and said, "And this is our con- tention," when suddenly his tongue ceased to speak, his lips refused to move ; he stag- gered and fell to the floor. He soon breathed his last. It was in this same room that Sena- tor Ashley in 1848 was stricken with the illness from which he quickly died. Mr. Garland in many respects was a truly great man. PRESIDENT CLEVELAND. 274 • MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. He had a vigorous intellect, was a forcible public speaker, and a profound lawyer. He was generous in his nature, simple in his habits, and had a contempt for sham. He was a man of convictions, and he had the courage to express them. He was jealous of the honor of his State; and, in 1880, he spoke in nearly every county, opposing with all his might the Fishback Amendment, which repudiated the "Holford Bonds." He argued that it was neither honest nor honorable for the State to refuse to pay these bonds. Test Questions. Who assisted Governor Baxter in his fight for the rights of the people? What was Mr. Baxter's policy after he was rein- stated? What is meant by a constitutional convention? How many such conventions has Arkansas had? Give the date of each. How are the members of a convention selected? What is their duty? What changes in the government were made by the convention of 1874? What is the difference between a constitutional convention and a legislature? Sketch the life of A. H. Garland. How did he win reputation as a lawyer? To what high office did this lead him? What evidences of prosperity in the State were there during his ad- ministration? Give the circumstances of his death. What is your estimate of Mr. Garland? Map Questions. Map of Arkansas. — Locate Washington. Map of the United States. — Locate Philadelphia. CHAPTER XXXIV. THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. Perhaps no other state in the Union has been so mis- represented as Arkansas. She has had much bad adver- tising, and the ignorant beyond her borders have wrong ideas of her and her people. By such people she is sup- posed to be the home of shiftless squatters, robbers, and cutthroats, who make the bowie-knife and the pistol the law of the land. Probably in the early days there was some excuse for such ignorance. The story of "The Arkansas Traveler" is largely re- sponsible for this wrong impression of our State. The story goes that a wealthy planter of Chicot County, 1 San- ford C. Faulkner, lost his way in the Bayou Mason coun- try and by chance came upon an old, leaky, dilapidated log hut. The squatter seated on a whiskey-barrel under the eaves of his cabin, was sawing on a squeaky old fiddle. The now famous colloquy ensued. Mr. Faulkner, pointing to a road near by, said, "Where does that road go?" "It ain't gone no whar since I've been in these dig- gins," replied the squatter. 1 Another tradition locates the scene of this famous colloquy on the Illinois Creek in Pope County near Russellville. 276 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Then Mr. Faulkner asked for lodging for the night and received the answer: "Thar ain't but one dry spot in this house, an' me an' my ol 'o- man has to have that." "Why don't you cover your house?" was the next question. "Waal, when it's rainin' I can't; an' when it's dry, I don't need to." Failing in his efforts to obtain hospitality, Mr. Faulkner asked his friend to lend CYPRESS SWAMP IN CHICOT COUNTY. ^ ^ ^dle. Pleased that his "companion in arms" should receive attention, he handed it to Mr. Faulkner, who played so well that he won the heart of the surly old fellow ; and that night he was given the one bed and the one dry spot in the house. This story, with additions full of coarse humor, has THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 277 been printed in every jest book and has causea peals of laughter. It has been set to music, and we all have en- joyed its melody. The scene has been painted, and it never fails to draw a crowd. But few colloquies are so famous,, and perhaps none has afforded the public so much pleasure. While it has given the world much amusement, it has injured Arkansas. Through it the A MODERN FARMHOUSE. State has been held up to ridicule, and the people at large have pictured the typical Arkansan as a reproduction of the shiftless squatter in buckskin breeches and coon- skin cap, seated by his leaky hut, sawing a fiddle. What was written in fun, has been accepted as truth. Mr. Faulkner may have met such a character, but he 278 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. is not a true type of the Arkansas pioneer. Our early settlers were industrious and progressive Anglo-Saxons from the older states. Their cabins were covered ; they were neat and clean ; their fields were cultivated ; and they themselves were kind, hospitable, upright people. As time progressed, the pioneer also progressed. His cabin became a double log-house with side rooms. He and his neighbors built schoolhouses and churches, and supported them. If the squatter ever existed, he has disappeared. In place of the sturdy pioneer, we have his grandson, who is moved by the spirit of his forefathers. He has widened his fields, drained his ponds, and planted his orchards. He has a beautiful modern home, well fur- nished. His son is at the State University ; his daughter, just home from college, has brought with her the refining influence of culture. The world is beginning to realize that Arkansas is a state of marvelous resources. She is a great agricultural state. Her soil is new and fertile, and it is not surpris- ing that most of her people are on the farm. Levees, ditches, and canals have redeemed the alluvial lands along the St. Francis, the Arkansas, and tne Mississippi rivers. In T910 her farms were valued at $100,089,000, and produced farm products worth $395,538,000. Her crops are varied. She produces corn almost enough for home THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 279 use, is fifth state in the Union in the quantity of her cot- ton yield, raises a large potato crop, and has successfully grown small grain. The Ozark region produces fruit equal to the world's best — apples, peaches, grapes, and Courtesy of W. G. Vincenheller. IRRIGATED RICE FARM AT LONOKE. strawberries, in large quantities; and every year thou- sands of acres are being added to the orchards of the State. Fruit-growing is developing into a great in- dustry. 280 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. Our State has an almost inexhaustible timber supply. Vast forests occupy over three-fourths of her area. Walnut, gum, oak, and hickory abound north of the Arkansas River. In the south is an immense pine belt, and cypress swamps cover most of the eastern part of the State. Her hard Avood, both for variety and richness, is 1 ft i „&. -JK VIEW OF HOT SPRINGS, SHOWING ROW OF BATH HOUSES TO THE LEFT. unexcelled. The lumber and timber products of the State yield annually nearly twenty-five millions of dol- lars, almost one-third the value of her total farm products. At Eureka, Heber, and Hot Springs, we have discov- THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 281 ered health-giving fountains, as famous now as that for which de Soto sought so diligently. Hundreds of cures are effected yearly at these springs, and by bringing peo- ple from afar they have done much to make the re- sources of Arkansas known among the states. Nature has indeed lavished her gifts upon our State. Beneath her soil is deposited untold wealth, and it is here that the Spaniard might have found his El Dorado. Courtesy of A. H. Purdue. GOVERNMENT LOCK AND DAM AT BATESVILLE. Marion, Boone, Newton, Searcy, and Baxter counties are floored with zinc. In order to reach this rich ore, the 282 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. railroads are tunneling mountains and spanning chasms. Mining towns are springing up on all sides. The vast coal fields of Sebastian and Johnson counties are capable of supplying all the factories of the country. ( oui teay of A. H. I'uruut. SAW MILL AT DANVILLE. Arkansas, with her abundance of raw material, her coal and her railroad facilities, promises to become a great manufacturing state. Her growth in this respect » is remarkable. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the number of manufacturing plants in the State was only 518. In 1910 there were 2,925 plants. The money invested in such plants rose during this period of fifty years from one and a third millions of dollars to $70,174,000. THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 283 In 1910 the value of all our manufactured products was $74,9 16,000, representing an increase of over seventy- five per cent in ten years. A large part of this wealth is represented by the output from wool and cotton factories, foundries, and flour mills. Our State is making equally rapid progress in educa- tion. Though our free school system has grown up since the war, schools are open in every dis- trict, and free school privileges are afforded to every boy and girl of school age re- gardless of color. In 1902 there were enrolled in these schools 340,695 children, and the schools were open about ninety-one days in the year. Our people the same year raised for their schools over one and a half million dollars and had twice that sum invested in school houses and equipments. While the State has thus been making large outlays for common schools, she has provided also for the higher SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AT LITTLE ROCK. 284 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. education of her people. She is maintaining the Univer- sity at Fayetteville for the white population, and the Branch Normal College at Pine Bluff for colored people. Both of these are good schools and taken together are educating more than one thousand young men and young women. The State is moreover caring for her unfor- tunates. She has erected and equipped at Little Rock INSTITUTE FOR DEAF MUTES AT LITTLE ROCK. splendid buildings for the blind, the deaf mute, and the feeble-minded. At the hands of competent teachers, the blind and the deaf mute receive the best instruction, while the feeble-minded are properly cared for. The State has moreover provided a home near Little Rock for disabled Confederate soldiers and sailors, and is pen- sioning all needy Confederate veterans. THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 285 The "Arkansas Traveler" has passed. Should he re- turn, he could easily find his way out of the swamps ; for we have three thousand miles of railroad. He would discover that our people are the equal of any. Why should they not be? They are drawn from all sections; states north, east, south and west have sent their best. Less than seven per cent of our people live in cities of more than 4,000 inhabitants, and only five per cent are of foreign parentage. Contrast with this the fact that ninety-one per cent of the people of Rhode Island live in cities, and that three-fourths of those in Minnesota are of foreign parentage. We have, therefore, a people of good American stock, and great opportunity for develop- ment. We ought to be proud of our State, for she is on the eve of great things. Let us resolve to have a share in her progress and to make her the great State that she is capable of being. Test Questions. What has hitherto been the reputation of Arkansas beyond her borders? How did this idea grow? How can it be dis- proved? What are Arkansas' natural resources? What is meant by "alluvial lands"? by the Bayou Mason country? In what besides natural resources does the wealth of a state con- sist? What wealth of this kind has Arkansas? In what other ways has Arkansas progressed? What is meant by "manufac- turing plants"? What can you contribute to the progress of Arkansas? PREFACE TO APPENDIX " Makers of Arkansas History " has met with a hearty reception, and is serving well the purpose for which it is intended. Since its appearance, however, there has been a growing demand for an Appendix that shall treat new subjects and give additional facts about some of the topics discussed in the text. This demand is made in the interest of mature students and of prospective teachers. Similar requests have also come from teachers desiring to prepare for the county examinations in Arkansas history. To meet this demand the Appendix has been prepared. With the Appendix the book now serves two classes of students: (1) Pupils of the fourth and fifth grades who will continue, as heretofore, to study the main body of the book. (2) Students of the seventh and eighth grades and prospective teachers who will use the whole book. With the Appendix the book contains ample material for preparing for the county examinations m Arkansas history . 286 APPENDIX COLONIAL PERIOD French Control. — France owned Louisiana from the year 1682, when La Salle took possession, to 1762, when she ceded it to Spain. She occupied it from 1686, when De Tonti founded Arkansas Post; she governed it from 1699, when she sent Sanvolle, the first governor, to 1769, when Spain took formal control. Eleven governors were sent over during this period, Bienville, sometimes styled the "father of Louisiana," being the most noted. The seat of government, at first at Biloxi, was moved to Mobile in 1702, and to New Orleans after the founda- tion of that city in 1718. John Law organized the Mississippi Company, which, in 1718, planted a colony of Germans seven miles above Arkansas Post. The colony was made a duchy, and store- houses and cabins for workmen were built. Some seven hundred people were brought over. When the company failed the settlers moved to a point near New Orleans. In 1721 Louisiana was divided into nine commands, each ruled over by a commandant. Arkansas was one of these commands. By order of Bienville, La Harpe, a 287 288 APPENDIX. French officer, explored the Red and the Arkansas rivers (1719-1722). Apparently Arkansas Post had a continuous existence from its foundation.- It was strengthened by settlers from Canada. They intermarried with the natives. De La Boulay was commandant at the Post in 1721. It then consisted of four or five palisade houses, a guard- house and a storehouse. La Harpe rebuilt the Post in 1722. De Lino was commandant in 1743, Captain Chalmette in 1780, Don Joseph Valliere, 1786-1790, Don Carlos Villemont, 1793-1802. Spanish Control. — The French and Indian War (1754-1763) resulted in the complete triumph of the English and the loss by France of her American pos- sessions. France ceded Louisiana to Spain to prevent its passing under the British flag. Spain did not take formal possession until 1769, when General O'Reilly came over. Spain governed Louisiana until 1803, though she ceded it back to France in 1800. One of the Spanish governors, Baron de Carondelet, made exten- sive land grants in Arkansas, out of which much litiga- tion arose. United States courts later respected all perfect titles acquired under Spanish law, but many large grants were held invalid on account of indefinite- ness or failure to perfect title. The Winters Grant (1797), the most noted of these, was before Congress and the courts until declared void in 1848. Nuttall APPENDIX. 289 says that this grant prevented the development of the country about Arkansas Post. A regiment of the Spanish army was stationed at the Post while Valliere was commandant. Old Spanish surveys still exist at Marion, Arkansas Post and other points. Arkansas did not grow much under either Spain or France. The census for Arkansas in 1785 showed a white population of 196. Government under France and Spain. — The govern- ment of Louisiana by both France and Spain was abso- lute; there was no popular control. The governor and the superior council at New Orleans were the supreme legislative and executive authority. The council con- sisted of the governor, two lieutenant governors, the king's attorney general and four or five others. The commandant was supreme in military and civil matters in the district. In civil and criminal cases he might call to his assistance three or four citizens. The Cath- olic Church was established by law, all other forms of worship being forbidden. Even the price of produce was fixed by law. Free movement of the people was restricted by the requirement of passports. Permission to settle anywhere had to be secured from a comman- dant. (See page 46.) These regulations were not, how- ever, strictly enforced. Arkansas a Part of Louisiana. — December 20, 1803, at New Orleans, the United States formally received 290 APPENDIX. possession of Louisiana. The following year Major James B. Many, acting under order of General Wilkin- son, received Arkansas Post at the hands of the Spanish commandant. In the same year Congress divided Louisiana into two territories, that part south of the 33rd degree of north latitude being called Orleans, and that part north of said line being called Louisiana. Arkansas formed a part of the latter. The governor and the superior court judges constituted the legislature. At first Arkansas formed a part of the district of New Madrid, but in 1806 the district of Arkansas was estab- lished. In 1804 William Dunbar, under the instructions of the President, explored the Ouachita River, and in 1806-1807 Lieutenant James B. Wilkinson, by order of General Zebulon M. Pike, descended the Arkansas River to its mouth. He estimated that there were enough buffalo, 3lk and deer on the river to feed the savages of the United States for a century. General James Wilkinson was governor of Louisiana from 1805 to 1807, Captain Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis-Clark expedition, from 1807 to 1809, and General Benjamin A. Howard of Kentucky from 1809 to 1812. Arkansas a Part of Missouri. — In 1812 the Terri- tory of Orleans was admitted as the State of Louisiana, and the Territory of Louisiana was reorganized as the Territory of Missouri, of which Arkansas was a part. APPENDIX. 291 The legislature of the new Territory consisted of the governor, a legislative council of nine members and a lower house of thirteen. During its entire territorial period Missouri was governed by William Clark, brother of George Rogers Clark. The seat of government was fixed at St. Louis. Governor Howard, the retiring gover- nor of Louisiana, had in 1812 divided the new Territory of Missouri into five election districts and ordered an election of representatives to the legislature and a dele- gate to Congress. Arkansas Post was made the seat of justice of a district embracing most of Arkansas. In 1813 Arkansas County, comprising a large part of the present State of Arkansas, was formed, the northeastern part of the State being included in New Madrid County. In 1815 the legislature of Missouri created Lawrence County out of the southeastern part of New Madrid County, nam- ing it after Captain Lawrence, and in 1818 formed from Arkansas County, Clark, Pulaski and Hempstead Coun- ties; naming them respectively after Governor William Clark, Count Pulaski and Edward Hempstead. At dif- ferent times Davidsonville, Smithville, Clover Bend and Powhatan were county sites of Lawrence, while Biscoe- ville was once the capital of Clark, and Cadron the capital of Pulaski County. TERRITORIAL PERIOD Organization and the Slavery Question. — On March 2, 1819, Congress provided for a separate territorial government for Arkansas, to go into operation July 4. This act precipitated a prolonged discussion of the slavery question. An effort was made to attach to the act an amendment, prohibiting the further introduction of slaves into Arkansas and freeing at the age of twenty- five all negro children born in the State after its ad- mission to the Union. Mr. Talmage of New York wanted his constituents to have the privilege' of settling in Arkansas, which privilege he insisted would virtually be denied to them if slaves were not excluded. In the House of Representatives the proposed antislavery amendments were defeated by a bare majority of one. In the Senate the bill passed without event. Governors. — The territorial governors of Arkansas were James Miller, 1819-1824 (see sketch, page 89); George Izard, 1825-1828; John Pope, 1829-1835 (see sketch, page 121); and William S. Fulton, 1835-1836. George Izard was born at Charleston, S. C, 1777, and received both a literary and a military education, study- 292 APPENDIX. 293 iug in France and Germany as well as in America. He rose to the rank of major-general in the War of 1812. He died while governor of Arkansas. William S. Fulton was born in Maryland in 1795. He received a good edu- cation, and practiced law in Tennessee and Alabama. He fought under Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. In 1829 his old general, then President, appointed him secretary of Arkansas, and in 1835, governor. When the Territory became a State in 1836, he was elected to the United States Senate. He held the position until his death in 1844. Delegates to Congress. — Arkansas' delegates to Con- gress during the territorial period were: James Woodson Bates, 1819-1823; Henry W. Conway, 1823-1827; Am- brose H. Sevier, 1827-1836. Nuttall Expedition. — Thomas Nuttall, a member of the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, made a scien- tific exploration of the Arkansas River. His journal 1 gives an excellent description of the river from its mouth to Fort Smith, and of the settlers and natives on its banks. He found Arkansas Post a village composed of some thirty families; it reflected little credit on the French who had settled it. He found the people " op- posed to improvements and regular industry, strangers to civilized comforts and regular habits." They were importing at enormous prices many necessities, which a 1 See Thwaites, Early Western Travels, vol. 13. 296 APPENDIX. eastern Osage line of 1808, and running southwest to the Verdigris River. This strip the Indians ceded in 1825. In 1818 the Quapaws ceded all of their land south of the Arkansas and the Canadian rivers and west of the Mississippi, except a large tract south of Little Rock. This was surrendered by the Quapaws in 1824. In 1818 the War Department issued an order fixing the western limit of white settlements. This was a line running from the source of the Poteau to the source of Kiamichi; it is known as the Kiamichi-Poteau line. All settlers residing west of the line were directed to move east. In 1825 the Osages in Arkansas numbered about 1200. They moved west. The Quapaws at first were given lands with the Caddos on the Red River in Louisiana. The Quapaws numbered 455 when they moved there. They were soon discouraged by sickness and overflows. In 1826 Saracen led a number of them back to Arkansas and asked permission to settle. He wanted their chil- dren to attend white schools, their women to learn spinning and weaving, and their boys to learn hus- bandry. In 1833 the Quapaws accepted land in the Indian Territory. Cherokee and Choctaw Grants. — After acquiring this land, the Federal government proceeded to undo its own work by bestowing upon other Indians the land oih '»>»j3"»j ''i i" "u > -»