USA > Arkansas > A pictorial history of Arkansas, from earliest times to the year 1890. A full and complete account, embracing the Indian tribes occupying the country; the early French and Spanish explorers and governors; the colonial period; the Louisiana purchase; the periods of the territory, the state, the civil war, and the subsequent period. Also, an extended history of each county in the order of formation, and of the principal cities and towns; together with biographical notices of distinguished and prominent citizens > Part 14
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(*) Big Rock.
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FROM 1819 TO 1825.
"On the 27th of March, we arrived at the Cadron settle- ment, containing in a contiguous space about five or six families. Mr. McIlmery, one of the first, is at present the only resident on the imaginary town plot. A cave of rocks here affords a safe and convenient harbor and a good landing for merchandise.
"No village ortown, except Arkansas, has yet been produced on the banks of the river. There is not yet a grist mill on the Arkansa, and flour commonly sells about the Post at $12 per barrel. For the preparation of maize a wooden mortar or different kinds of hand or horse mills, are sufficient. Sugar and coffee are also high priced articles, more particularly this year. I suppose sugar retails at 25 cents a pound, and coffee at 50 cents.
"The United States have now ordered the survey of all the alluvial and other saleable lands of the Arkansa, which are to be ready for disposal in about two years from the present time. One of the surveyors, Mr. Pettes, was now laying out the lands contiguous to the Cadron into sections. Another sur- veyor is also employed in the Grand Prairie, and proceeding at this time from the vicinity of Arkansas to this place. The poor and hilly lands generally are not yet thought to be worth the expense of a public survey. Some of these surveys, how- ever, extend as far to the north as the banks of White river.
"The pre-emption rights, as they are called, are a certain species of reward or indemnification for injuries sustained in the late war, and apply to such individuals only as had made improvements in the interior of the Territories prior to the year 1813. Such individuals are entitled to one or more quar- ter sections, as the lines of their improvements may happen to extend into the public lines, when surveyed, of one or more . such plots or fractional sections of land.
"These rights have been bought up by speculators, at from $400 or $500 to $1,000, or at the positive rate of from $3 to $10 per acre, including the price of $2 per acre to the United
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States, a certain proof of the growing importance of the coun- try, where lands previous to the existence of any positive title have brought a price equal to that of the best lands on the banks of the Ohio not immediately contiguous to any con- siderable town.
"March 3Ist. This evening we proceeded to David M. Henry's, about 3 miles above Cadron.
"April 2d. Proceeded about 8 miles above Fraser's, and remained the rest of the afternoon nearly opposite to the bayou on Rivulet Point Remove, from whence on that side commences the Cherokee line. Both banks of the river, in this distance, are one continued line of cabins.
"5th. We passed the outlet of the Petit John, a rivulet about 200 miles long, deriving its source with the Pottoe and other streams in the Magazine Mountains. Here the hills turned off abruptly to the South, and for four or five miles bor- dered the rivulet, which, for some distance, keeping a course not far from the Arkansa, approaches within 10 miles to the southeast of the Dardanelle Settlement. At the distance of about five miles from the first Cherokee Village, called the Galley, Mr. Drope and myself proceeded to it by land. Here the Cherokees had a settlement of about a dozen fami- lies who in the management of their farms, imitated the whites, and appeared to be progressing towards civilization.
"Arriving in the afternoon at Mr. Raphael's, who keeps a store for the supply of the Cherokees, I hastened to examine the neighboring ridge of rocks, which originated the name of Dardanelle, or, as it is here more commonly called, 'Dardani,' both by the French and Americans.
"The fire which commonly takes place among the dry herbage, and which had but recently been in action, prevented me from making any botanical collections, and I amused my- self by ascending the ridge, which, at the first approach, ap- peared to be inaccessible. At length I gained the summit,
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FROM 1819 TO 1825.
which, at the highest point on the bank of the river, might be 300 feet. The rock was a massive sand-stone.
"From the summit opened up another sublime view of the surrounding country. Again, to the south and southwest, I could distinguish three of the four chains of mountains, which were visible from the high hill of the Petit John, and still, to my surprise, distinctly appeared the Mamelle, though by water near upon 100 miles distant, and not less than 60 by land, which would appear to argue an elevation more con- siderable than that which I had at first imagined. The Magazine Mountains to the west, though at first apparently so near, not less than 10 miles distant, looking, if anything, more considerably elevated than the Mamelle, and probably not less than 1,200 feet high. In this point of view it ap- pears isolated, gradually descending into the plain, and ac- cumulating in magnitude to the northwest, it here descends rather more abruptly, though the highest point is still to the south, where it appears to rise in broken façades unconnect- edly with the auxiliary ridge.
"Nearly opposite Vache Grass Creek we passed the rapids, over which there is scarcely more than 12 inches of water at the lowest stage. No hills now appear on either hand, and a little distance in the prairie, near Vache Grass, stands the last habitation of the whites to be met with on the banks of the Arkansa, except those of the garrison.
"24th. This morning we passed the hills of Lee's Creek, which, for a short distance, border the Arkansa, and about noon arrived at the garrison, which comes in view at the dis- tance of about four miles, agreeably terminating a stretch of the river. Rising, as it were, out of the alluvial forest, is seen from hence, at the distance of 35 miles, a conic mountain, nearly as blue as the sky, and known by the French hunters under the name of Point de Sucre, or Sugar Loaf.
"The garrison, consisting of two block houses and lines of cabins or barracks for the accommodation of 70 men whom
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it contains, is agreeably situated at the junction of the Pottoe, on a rising ground of about 50 feet elevation, and surrounded by alluvial and uplands of unusual fertility. The view is more commanding and picturesque than any other spot of equal elevation on the banks of the Arkansa."
The following concluding extracts relate to the return jour- ney down the river, by Mr. Nuttall :
"6th January, 1820. This evening we arrived at Mr. Dan- iels', an industrious farmer, and provided with a rough look- ing, but comfortable, winter cabin. About 2 miles from hence Mr. Daniels, who lives upon a confirmed Spanish right, had erected a grist-mill; saw-mills were also about to be erected at the Cadron, and two or three other places.
"The establishment of a town was now contemplated also at the Little Rock, by Colonel Hogan and some others. They had not, however, sufficient capital, and no doubt expected to derive some adventitious wealth from those speculators who were viewing various parts of the newly formed Territory.
"On the 15th (January) we again arrived at the Post of Ozark, or, as it is now not very intelligently called, Arkansas, a name by far too easily confounded with that of the river, while the name of Ozark, still assumed by the lower village of the Quapaws, in memory of whom this place was so called, would have been perfectly intelligible and original.
"16th. This morning we observed the newly appointed Governor, General Miller, going up to the town from his boat, which appeared to be very handsome and conveniently fitted up, bearing for a name a motto, 'I'll Try,' commemorat- ive of an act of courage for which the General had been distinguished by his country."
Governor Miller did not remain a great while in the Ter- ritory. He was appointed Collector of the Port of Salem, Massachusetts, and assumed the duties of that office. His first term expired March 23d, 1823, and his re-nomination was not sent to the Senate until December 16th. Robert
AmMinton
BENJAMIN JOHNSON. Federal Judge for twenty-nine years.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Crittenden served as Governor pro tem. not only before Gov. Miller's arrival, but also in 1821 and 1823, and up to the ap- pointment of Governor Izard, in 1825.
On the 23d of January, 1820, Judge Benjamin Johnson, a native of Scott county, Kentucky, was appointed by President Monroe Judge of the Superior Court of Arkansas Territory. He held the position by four different appointments, to-wit : Again by President Monroe, December 12th, 1824; 3d, by President John Quincy Adams, January 2d, 1829; and 4th, by President Jackson, December 12th, 1832. On the State entering the Union, in 1836, he was appointed District Judge of the United States Court, and held as such to his death, in 1849, a period of 29 years' service on the Bench.
His associates of the Superior Court Bench were Andrew Scott, who was appointed 1819, and served till 1827; Joseph Selden, of the United States Army, formerly of Virginia, ap- pointed 1821 ; William Trimble, 1824; Thomas P. Eskridge, 1827 ; James Woodson Bates, who was the first Delegate to Congress from Arkansas Territory, and served as such from 1820 to 1823, appointed Judge 1828, under an Act of Con- gress of April 17th, 1828, providing for the appointment of a fourth Judge of the Court ; Edward Cross, appointed 1830; Charles S. Bibb, 1832; Alexander Clayton, 1832; Thomas J. Lacy, 1834, and Archibald Yell, 1835. Joshua Norvell was Prosecuting Attorney for the United States, and had been such from 1814, while it was Missouri Territory. He was succeeded, in 1819, by William Trimble, who held the office till 1824, when he was succeeded by Samuel Calhoun Roane, who served from 1824 to 1833.
The first session of the Court was held at the Post of Arkan- sas, in January, 1820, Judge Andrew Scott presiding. It was first held in Little Rock, in June, 1821, by Judges Johnson and Scott. After being removed to Little Rock, and until the State- House was built with a Federal court-room in it, the sessions of the Superior Court were held "in the Baptist Meeting-House."
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FROM 1819 TO 1825.
On the 7th day of February, 1820, the first regular session of the General Assembly, with Delegates elected by the peo- ple, was held at Arkansas Post, and organized by the election of Edward McDonald, Member from Lawrence county, Presi- dent of the Legislative Council, corresponding to the Senate in State Legislatures, and Richard Searcy, Secretary. The House of Representatives elected Joseph Hardin, of Lawrence county, Speaker, and J. Chamberlain, Clerk. , William Stevenson, Member from Hempstead county, was elected Speaker, and served one day and resigned, and Joseph Hardin was elected in his place. The Body sat until February 24th, and took a recess to the first Monday in October, and re- mained in session till October 25th. The session in February was held at the house of Robert Crittenden, but that of Oc- tober was held in a house rented from John Larquier. At this time many Acts were passed. Stringent laws were passed against dueling ; but a large part of the penalty, that which forbids any person fighting a duel from holding office, was taken off afterwards by a subsequent Legislature. Provision was made for securing the due observance of the Sabbath. The county seat of Pulaski county was directed to be estab- lished at the town of Cadron, now in Faulkner county.
The most important Act of the session, however, was that which looked to the selection of another place for the terri- torial capital.
On the 18th of February, 1820, Mr. Tyndall, of Pulaski county, presented a Bill for the removal of the seat of gov- ernment.
The subject was considered by the Committee of the Whole February 22d and 23d. After considerable discussion Mr. English, of Hempstead county, reported the Bill with an amendment which was read, concurred in by the House, and engrossed for a third reading and final passage. It was passed
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and sent to the Council for concurrence. The Council amended the Bill, and returned it to the House February 24th, for its concurrence. Upon the amendments being read in the House, Mr. Joab Hardin, of Lawrence county, moved that the further consideration of the Bill be postponed until the next meeting of the General Assembly, which was adopted, and so the Bill went over. On this date the Legislature took a recess until October.
The Body sat in adjourned session October 2d, 1820. A proposition was presented from Amos Wheeler, for himself and as agent for others, offering inducements for its removal to the Little Rock. The proceedings thereon, as stated by the Journals, were as follows :
"On the IIth of October, 1820. On motion of Mr. Stevenson, of Hempstead county, the amended Bill from the Council for the removal was taken up, and the amendments agreed to. Mr. Tyndall, of Pulaski county, moved that the House accept the proposals of Amos Wheeler, and others, 'proprietors of certain lands laid off as a town at the Little Rock' (offering a donation of certain lots for the use of the Territory), which was agreed to by the House, and the Coun- cil was informed thereof.
"On the same date the Council also accepted Amos Wheel- er's proposal, and informed the House of its concurrence. On the 13th, on motion of Mr. Tyndall, the House again re- solved to accept Wheeler's proposals, and that the Governor be requested to take security of Wheeler for the performance of the contract, and notified the Council. On the 14th of Oc- tober the Council concurred therein, and notified the House.
"On the 18th of October, a resolution was adopted in both bodies that the proposals of Wheeler be accepted, and the Governor take security of him in the sum of $20,000.00, 'for the faithful performance and good faith by which the seat of Government is moved,' and on the same day an Act for the removal to the Little Rock was approved by the Governor.
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FROM 1819 TO 1825.
"On the 24th of October, Mr. Tyndall, of Pulaski county, moved that the rules be dispensed with, and that he have leave to bring in a Bill explanatory of the Act for the re- moval of the temporary seat of government to Little Rock. Which was agreed to, and the Bill being read, on motion of Mr. Fish, of Clark county, was rejected by a vote of 4 to 3."
So without further legislation the removal stood determined on, to be put into effect after June Ist, 1821, in accordance with the terms of the Act.
In the matter of new counties, four were created, to-wit : Miller, April Ist; Phillips, May Ist; Crawford, October 18th, and Independence, October 23d.
In the early fall of 1820, about September, Rev. Cephas Washburn* established a Mission Station among the Cherokee Indians, to which the name of Dwight was given, in honor of Rev. Timothy Dwight, President of Yale College. He was assisted by his brother-in-law, Rev. Alfred Finney, and Messrs. Orr and Jacob Hitchcock. During September, 1820, two cabins were erected, and Reverends Washburn and Fin- ney departed for Elliott, a Mission Station in the Choctaw country, where their families and Miss Minerva Washburn, had been left in the month of January, 1820.
They returned to the Dwight Mission on the Ioth of May, 1821. During the summer of the year 1821, considerable was done in the way of putting up buildings and the making of arrangements for commencing a boarding school. In December, 1821, the Mission was re-enforced by the arrival of Misses Ellen Stetson and Nancy Brown, and Mr. Asa Hitchcock. Shortly after the arrival of the party, there were two weddings at the Mission. Miss Minerva Washburn mar- ried Mr. Orr, and Miss Nancy Brown Mr. Jacob Hitchcock,
(*) Mr. Washburn's name, in the Cherokee language, was "Oo-kuh-squah-tuh,"
1
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
the two latter having been affianced previously to his leaving New England.
At this time there was war between the Osages and the Cherokees. The Osages, as the prior possessors, looked upon the Cherokees as intruders, and soon after the arrival of the latter, waylaid a hunting party and slew them. The Cher- okees, wishing to be at peace, overlooked the outrage, and a delegation of their chiefs and warriors visited the Osage towns and proposed a treaty of friendship. This was agreed to by the Osages, and all seemed settled, but even on the return of the delegation from the conference another hunting party was waylaid and slain by a party of Osages, who had dogged their footsteps thus far. This treachery was even several times re- peated before the Cherokees declared war, but which they finally did and conquered the Osages, who sued for peace. Peace had been established but a short time, when the treaty was again violated by the Osages. This time the Cherokees again declared war, and under the leadership of Ta-kah-to- kuh, their war chief-John Jolly being the civil chief-declared that the war should be eternal. The Cherokees were always the victor, yet still they were the greatest losers, as they had houses, farms, horses and oxen, which the Osages destroyed, while the Osages had nothing. In this state of affairs, Gov- ernor James Miller, as ex officio Superintendent of Indian affairs, was directed to bring the war between the two tribes to a close. He visited the Osage towns for the purpose, in 1820, and would have succeeded, had it not been for the in- fluence of Ta-kah-to-kuh, who stood out against all induce- ments to peace, with the answer : "The Osages are liars, and no liar should ever be trusted. If we make peace with them, they will break it. Let there be perpetual war with the Osages."
Finding his efforts unsuccessful, Governor Miller appointed a second conference to be held in the summer of 1821. This conference was not held, and a third one was appointed to be
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FROM 1819 TO 1825.
held in the autumn. This time Governor Miller was present and the Osage chiefs, but Ta-kah-to-kuh would not attend. Governor Miller was highly exasperated, but neither threats nor persuasion could move the obstinate old chief, and he would not come. Finally, after a number of unsuccessful efforts, the matter was, in 1823, referred to General Pendleton Gaines for settlement. He appointed a council to be held at Fort Smith in the autumn of that year. Governor Miller, Col. David Brearley, agent for the Cherokees, General Gaines, the Osage chiefs, and many of the Cherokee chiefs attended at Fort Smith, but again stubborn old Ta-kah-to-kuh would not attend. The council, instead of effecting peace, provoked a fresh outburst of war. The Cherokee chiefs, ex- asperated at the high demands of the Osages, re-opened the conflict, and raising a small but determined party of 80 of their bravest warriors, commanded by Colonel Wat Webber, went on the warpath. They encountered the Osages in a narrow defile in the mountains, and utterly routed them. A council was now held, in which it was agreed to refer the question of peace to twelve of the principal warriors. To this Ta-kah-to-kuh assented. The council unanimously de- cided in favor of peace. Among them was one named Chih- kil-leh, who was greatly distinguished for his eloquence. He was appointed to deliver the decision of the council for the approval of Ta-kah-to-kuh and the other chiefs.
When the council was held to pass on the question, Chih- kil-leh made a speech in favor of peace, which was an irre- sistible torrent of eloquence. Overcome by its power and its melting pathos, Ta-kah-to-kuh's iron will gave way, and in an uncontrollable burst of emotion he shed tears-weeping, as he said contemptuously of himself the next day, "like a girl or like a woman." When the final vote was taken, which was just at the setting of the sun, terminating the day's proceedings, his vote, with the others, was for the conclusion of hostilities. The subtle eloquence of Chih-kil-leh had ac-
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complished what neither the threats nor the persuasions of Governor Miller and all the force of Government authority could move the resolute old chieftain to.
In August, 1821, an election for Delegate to Congress was held. James Woodson Bates' term having expired, he was a candidate for re-election, and Col. Matthew Lyon was his op- ponent. Bates was elected by a majority of eleven votes. His vote was 1,031, and Lyon's 1,020.
Col. Matthew Lyon, the defeated candidate, was a distin- guished man, and had been a prominent politician in the East- ern States. He was born in Wicklow county, Ireland, in 1746, and emigrated to New York in 1755. Being unable to pay for his passage, he was hired out by the ship captain to a Connecticut farmer, until his hire should equal the amount. He settled in Vermont in 1776, and entering the militia, rose to the rank of Colonel, serving in the Revolutionary War. After the war he married a daughter of Governor Chittenden, and became an active political leader. In 1797 he was elected to Congress from Vermont, by the Anti-Federalist party, and was re-elected in 1799 to 1801. At the expiration of his term of office, to-wit: about 1802, he moved to Ken- tucky, and was at once elected to Congress from that State, and served by subsequent elections till 1811. Subsequently he was appointed Agent of the Cherokee Indians by Presi- dent Monroe, and moved to Arkansas, settling at Spadra ; and at the Congressional election of 1821 became a candidate for the position, with the result stated. He died at Spadra, August Ist, 1822, in the 76th year of his age. Appleton's Encyclopedia makes the erroneous statement that "he was the Territorial Delegate elect to Congress at the time of his death." Vol. X, p. 756. The files of the Gazette of 1821 show the vote as above given.
In the territorial period of our history there is but little to interest the general reader. It was the formative period, the period of organization. The Legislatures, which convened
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during the period, were kept busy forming new counties, es- tablishing county seats, and granting divorces. They were called upon to do so much of these two latter, that it became necessary to govern the subjects by general laws. The prac- tice of the Legislature granting divorces, had become quite frequent, until Governor Izard broke it up by declaring that he would withhold his signature from any bill of the kind.
On the Ist day of October, 1821, the second session of the . Legislature was held-the first to be held in Little Rock. Sam. C. Roane, Member from Clark county, was elected President of the Legislative Council, and Richard Searcy, Secretary. Of the House, William Trimble was Speaker, and Ambrose H. Sevier, Clerk. Among the acts of this ses- sion, which were not numerous, were two of importance. One to authorize the Governor to borrow ten thousand dollars for the use of the Territory, and another appointing James Billingsly, of Crawford, and Sam. C. Roane, of Clark, and Robert Bean, of Independence, Commissioners to locate the county seat of Pulaski county.
As the Territorial Capital had already been established at the Little Rock, the Commissioners selected that place also to be the county seat, instead of the town of Cadron, and the county records were moved thither. In 1823 Henry Arm- strong, Archibald McHenry and Edmund Hogan were ap- pointed to superintend the repairing of the public jail at the new town. No public buildings had been put up at Cadron while it was the county seat.
In 1823 an election for Delegates to Congress took place. The contestants were James Woodson Bates, whose second term had expired, and who was again a candidate for re- election, and Henry W. Conway, one of the sons of Thomas and Ann Conway, the members of which family became so prom- inently connected with the history and public affairs of the State, as will be more fully noticed in its proper place. Mr. Conway was elected by a majority of 1,586. He was like-
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wise elected in 1825, and in August, 1827, defeated Robert C. Oden for the office, by a majority of 1,571. He remained a member of that body and filled the position ably and accept- able until his death, in November, 1827.
In the apportionment of the Courts, in 1823, Thomas P. Eskridge was appointed Judge of the First Circuit, Decem- ber Ioth, and served until 1827, when he was succeeded by Andrew Scott. Richard Searcy was appointed Judge of the Second Circuit, and served until 1825, when he was succeeded by James Woodson Bates; and Samuel S. Hall was ap- pointed to the Third Circuit, and served till 1836.
In the fall of 1823 Joseph C. Brown, a surveyor, ran the north boundary line of the State between Arkansas and Mis- souri. He began at the southwest corner of the State of Mis- souri, on the parallel of latitude 36 degrees, 30 minutes, and ran thence east 233 miles, to the St. Francis river. At this point he left off until the fall of 1824, when he again returned to the St. Francis river where the line struck it, and resumed the survey by meandering down the St. Francis to latitude 36 degrees, from whence the line was carried to the Mississippi ; but the country was all under water, and the line had to be traced in canoes, and hence was very indefinite and imperfect. The boundary line was not marked, but mile-posts were set designating the distance, and noted as 36 miles.
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