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 16
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On the 29th of October, 1827, a duel was fought opposite the mouth of White river, on the Mississippi side, between Henry W. Conway and Robert Crittenden, in which Mr. Conway was mortally wounded.
The duel grew out of the Congressional election, held in August, at which Mr. Conway and Robert C. Oden were op- posing candidates. All the bitterness which existed between the Crittenden party, whose candidate Oden was, and the Conway party found vent in this canvass. Mr. Crittenden was a vigorous supporter of Oden. As it was much the cus- tom of the times to write bitter political articles for the papers
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
over impersonal signatures, the columns of the Gazette were filled with letters from "a voter of Pulaski county," attacking Mr. Crittenden on personal grounds, and from "a voter of the Territory," abusing Mr. Conway, and some of the let- ters being over Mr. Crittenden's signature. A great amount of bitter personality appeared in these publications on both sides, calculated to produce an extremely bad state of feeling, and agitate the public mind into a ferment of excitement.
After the appearance of these publications, Mr. Crittenden addressed the following note to Mr. Conway :
"LITTLE ROCK, August 28th, 1827.
Sir :- I had believed that the newspaper altercation be- tween us had closed with my last publication, and that you would have sought a different issue. Indifferent as to who should make the call, I now announce to you that I will chal- lenge you on or before the 20th of October, next. I regret, sir, that the ill-health of my family precludes an immediate settlement of our difference. Col. Oden will hand you this note and act for me for the present, Col. Benj. Desha will act as my first friend after his arrival, which will be in six or eight days.
Yours, etc., ROB'T CRITTENDEN.
HON. H. W. CONWAY."
It is stated in files of the Gazette subsequent to the event, that about the time indicated Mr. Crittenden sent the chal- lenge which he had announced in his note would be sent ; and that, Mr. Conway accepting it, the meeting took place. Col. Wharton Rector acted as second for Mr. Conway, and Cap- tain Ben. Desha for Mr. Crittenden. At the first fire Mr. Conway fell mortally wounded. He was carried to Arkansas Post, the nearest town, where he lingered until November 29th, thirty days from the time of the duel, when he died.
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FROM 1825 TO 1829.
He was buried at Arkansas Post, where a monument to his memory was erected by his elder brother, James S. Conway. At the time of his death he was in the 35th year of his age, and was unmarried. His death was a great loss to the pub- lic service, as he was active and zealous in the discharge of his duties, a faithful public servant, and was very popular.
Mr. Conway was born in Green county, Tennessee, March 18th, 1793, entered the United States Army as Ensign, in 1812, and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. He was re- tained in the Army after the war, but resigned in 1817, receiving an appointment in the Treasury Department at Washington. This he resigned in 1818, and emigrated to Missouri. He came to Arkansas in 1820, having been ap- pointed Receiver of Public Moneys, and was, at the time of his death, in his third term as Delegate to Congress.
Upon Mr. Conway's death, Ambrose H. Sevier, of Pulaski county, then 26 years of age, was elected to serve the unex- pired term, defeating Richard Searcy by 56 votes. Few men have ever been more honored with public trust than was Col. Sevier, and in all of them he discharged his duties ably and well, and was the means of accomplishing great good to the Territory and the State. He was born in Greene county, Tennessee, November 4th, 1801, and came to the Territory when but a youth. He was elected Clerk of the House of Representatives, October Ist, 1821, being then only nineteen years of age. In 1823 he was Member of the House from Pulaski county, and was Prosecuting Attorney in 1824. In 1825 and 1827, he was again Member of the House, and was Speaker of the House October Ist to 31st, 1827. He suc- ceeded Henry W. Conway in Congress, in December, 1827, and was re-elected over Richard Searcy, in 1829, by a ma- jority of 308 votes ; and in 1831 was again elected over Ben. Desha, by a majority of 453 votes; and in 1833 defeated Robert Crittenden for the office by 1,956 votes. After this, Col. Sevier was invincible in politics.
AMBROSE H. SEVIER. Congressman and U. S. Senator.
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FROM 1825 TO 1829.
When the Territory became a State, in 1836, he was elected United States Senator, and was a second time elected as such in 1842.
In 1847, at the conclusion of the Mexican War, he was ap- pointed by President Polk, United States Minister to Mexico. He resigned his seat in the Senate to serve as Minister, and Major . Solon Borland was elected by the Legislature as his successor for the unexpired term. Resigning his position as Minister, Col. Sevier was again a candidate for Senator, but was de- feated by Major Borland, the incumbent-his only defeat in ·twenty-six years of public service. He retired to his planta- tion in Jefferson county, where he died December 31st, 1848, in the 48th year of his age. He was a zealous and indefatig- able worker, and the Territory owed much of her advance- ment to his efforts. He procured the passage of the law allowing the people to elect their own officers ; the law author- izing payment of the expenses of the Legislature by the Gov- ernment instead of the Territory ; he procured the grant of the ten sections and of the 1,000 acres ; he procured the establish- ment of post offices, the opening of roads, the improvement of our rivers, etc. His services of this kind were so well appreci- ated, that the State caused a handsome monument to be erected to his memory at the place of his grave in Mount Holly Ceme- tery, in Little Rock. In 1827 he married Miss Juliet Johnson, a daughter of Judge Benjamin Johnson. His family con- sisted of a daughter, Ann, who is the wife of General T. J. Churchill, and a son, Ambrose H. Sevier, now a resident of Lewisville, Lafayette county.
In January 1828, the first steamboat to navigate the Ar- kansas river ascended the river, reaching Little Rock on the 24th day of that month. It was the Steamer "Facility," commanded by Captain Philip Pennywit. Steamboating at that date, or indeed steam navigation of any kind, was in its infancy. Robert Fulton had only invented the steamboat in 1803 to 1806. His boat, the Clermont, made its first trip
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on the Hudson, from New York to Albany, in August, 1807. The New Orleans, the first steamboat for use in the West, was, as we have seen, built at Pittsburgh, in 1811, by Nicholas J. Roosevelt, and made her first trip from Pittsburgh to New Orleans in the latter part of September of that year. The first ferryboat between New York and Brooklyn began running in 1813; the first steamboat on Lake Erie began running in 1818 ; and the first trip across the Atlantic ocean, by a steamer, was made by the Savannah, sailing from Savannah, Georgia, in June and July, 1819. Navigation of the Mississippi by steamboats at this date was not uncommon, but only recently had the demand for it so far arisen as to tempt navigators into the unknown waters of the Arkansas, and Captain Pennywit was the first to make the venture. He was the pioneer of the enterprise. He was born in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, in 1793, but emigrated west while quite a young man. Long before steamboating had fairly commenced on the Mississippi river, he engaged in navigating the western waters as the supercargo of a keel-boat, plying between Cincinnati and New Orleans. The method of such navigation was to float the boat down with the current on the down trip, and on the return trip to cordell it back-that is, push it with poles up stream. He settled at Cincinnati when there was only one other merchant in the place. He built the first steamboat ever built at that place, and named her the Cincinnati. He first navigated the Arkansas river in 1828, as stated, in com- mand of the Facility. January, 1831, navigated White river, in command of the Waverly. This was the first steamboat to ascend White river as high as Batesville, which place he reached January 3d, 1831. He continued actively in the navigation of the rivers until 1847, when he gave up steam- boating, and entered into mercantile business at Van Buren, and was of the firms of Bostick, Pennywit & Co., and Philip Pennywit & Co., large dealers. He erected a large flouring mill there, known all through the State as "Pennywit's mill."
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FROM 1825 TO 1829.
He was a bachelor, and during the last twenty years of his life lived in the family of his business partner, Charles G. Scott, at whose residence, in Little Rock, he died January 9th, 1868, aged 75 years. That he was the first to navigate the river, is definitely stated in his biographies, evidently obtained from authentic sources by others. It is said, that prior to his com- ing, a steamboat, called the "Comet," had entered the river, and at least ascended as high as the Post of Arkansas. But even under this state of the case, the credit of the first regular ascent of the river, and navigation of it, must be accorded to Captain Pennywit.
On the 17th of April, 1828, Congress passed an Act for the appointment of a fourth Judge of the Superior Court. The Legislature at this session provided the necessary circuits to accommodate the new arrangement. The counties of Clark, Hempstead, Miller, Lafayette and Sevier were formed into the first circuit, and assigned to William Trimble, as Judge ; Pulaski, Conway, Crawford and Washington were made the second circuit, with Benjamin Johnson, Judge; Izard, Law- rence and Independence the third circuit, with Thomas P. Es- kridge, Judge; and Crittenden, Phillips, St. Francis and Ar- kansas counties the fourth circuit, with James Woodson Bates as Judge, and in this order the circuits remained up to the time when the Territory became a State.
On the 22d day of November, 1828, Governor Izard died at Little Rock, after an illness of some duration, in the 53d year of his age. On his demise, the State Government again devolved upon Robert Crittenden, until a successor should be appointed.
A special session of the Legislature was held October 6th, 1828, in pursuance of a proclamation of Governor Izard, of June 20th, 1828, convening it. In the Senate, E. T. Clark was elected President of the Council, and Charles Caldwell, of Pulaski county, Secretary. In the House, John Wilson, of Hempstead county, was elected Speaker, and Daniel
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Ringo, Clerk. The Body concluded its labors October 22d and adjourned, having transacted matters of only special im- portance.
In the matter of new counties, two were created, to-wit : Sevier county, formed October 17th, 1828, out of portions of Hempstead and Miller counties ; and Washington county, formed October 17th, 1828, the latter being created to take the place of Loveley county, which had been abolished, as its territory was lost in making the Cherokee treaty of the 6th of May, 1828.
CHAPTER VIII.
FROM 1829 TO 1831.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR JOHN POPE .- PROGRESS OF THE TERRITORY.
THE opening of the year 1829 witnessed a number of changes in the territorial administration. President Adams nominated Hon. Hutchings G. Burton, of North Carolina, as Governor, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Governor Izard, but the Senate did not confirm the nomination, not from any objection to the nominee, but taking the ground that, as a new President had been elected, but not yet inaugu- rated, it would be a matter of courtesy to await the nomination. Governor Burton was a Delegate in Congress from North Car- olina, and shortly before his nomination was Governor of that State. It was next announced in the Territory that Hon. Charles A. Wickliffe, of Kentucky, was appointed ; but this proved to be unfounded, the appointee being John Pope, of Louisville, Kentucky, who was commissioned by President Jackson, March 9th. Governor Pope was a distinguished lawyer, and had particularly made a great reputation for him- self as a criminal practitioner. He was, at the time of his appointment, fifty-five years of age. He reached the Terri- tory the last of May, and entered upon the discharge of his duties. He went back to Kentucky, July Ist, and returned in October, bringing his family with him, and making the re- turn journey overland from the mouth of Cache river. He was welcomed with a public dinner given "at Major Peays," participated in by about 100 citizens. The people were ap-
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
parently pleased that he had come to make his home among them, bringing his family and possessions with him, the first of the Governors to do so.
He was born in Westmoreland county, Virginia, in 1770. In 1794 he located in Lexington, Kentucky, and began the practice of law, and soon went into politics. In 1806 he was elected to the United States Senate for the full term, and at the same time Henry Clay was also elected for an unex- pired term. Being now appointed Governor, he was re- appointed in 1832, and held till 1835, after which he returned to Kentucky, and was a candidate for re-election from his old district in Congress, but was defeated by Ben Hardin, the in- cumbent, who was a candidate for re-election. In 1838, however, he was elected, and again in 1840. He died in 1844, aged 74 years.
Judge William Savin Fulton, of Florence, Alabama, was appointed Secretary of the Territory, April 8th, to succeed Robert Crittenden, who had now served for ten years. He reached the seat of government, with his family, May 21st, 1829, and assumed the duties of his office; and Governor Pope not having arrived, served also as acting Governor. He held the office of Secretary until February, 1835, and was ap- pointed Governor of the Territory, March 9th, 1835, by President Jackson, and served as such until the State was ad- mitted into the Union, in 1836, when he was elected United States Senator, and served till 1841. He was born in Cecil county, Maryland, June 2d, 1795, and died at "Rosewood," his family residence, in Little Rock, August 15th, 1844, in the 50th year of his age. At Florence, Alabama, February 9th, 1823, he married Matilda F. Nowland. There was born of this marriage three daughters: Mrs. Moorehead Wright, who is still living; Mrs. James M. Curran, who af- terwards was Mrs. George C. Watkins, and Mrs. William Hunter. Gov. Fulton's name is preserved in the given
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FROM 1829 TO 1831.
names of descendants of these, but has otherwise passed away, from the failure of any male line to perpetuate it.
Two important Acts by Congress, which were secured through the efforts of Col. Sevier, in the early part of this year, were : to permit the people to elect their own officers, except such as were appointed by the President, as all such had, heretofore, been appointed by the Governor, and thus gave the Executive a tremendous power; and the other a grant by the Government of ten sections of land to provide the means for building a State-House at Little Rock. An- other Act also provided for the payment of the expenses of the Legislature out of the Government treasury, instead of out of the Territorial treasury, which was a great lessening of the expenses of the young Government. In fact, no Territory had ever been allowed so many and such important privileges as were extended to the Territory of Arkansas by Congress, and this condition of things was chiefly due to the zealous and untiring efforts of Col. Sevier in her behalf.
One of Governor Pope's first acts was to press upon the Post Office Department of the Government the expediency of establishing a weekly mail, by "steamboat," between Little Rock and Memphis, instead of the long and uncertain over- land carrying which had existed before that, and at his instance the carrying by this means was established. At that time there were only two steamboats which ran the river. The "Facility," commanded by Capt. Phillip Pennywit, ran to Louisville and to New Orleans, and the "James O'Hara," Capt. James Stewart, made occasional trips from Louisville, and was largely used in Government transportation, carrying troops and supplies to "Cantonment" Gibson, in the Indian country, or when the water was low, changing with the "Facility" at this point, as the "O'Hara" wasthe heavier boat of the two. A steamboat journey of that date was a formi- dable thing. The round trip between Little Rock and New
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Orleans was usually advertised to occupy between twenty-five and thirty days. Capt. Stewart, the old time commander of the "O'Hara," is still living, and was recently Postmaster at Van Buren. In October, 1839, Capt. Pennywit secured a new boat, called the "Waverly," with which he navigated the river for many years. In one of her early trips, December, 1829, the "Waverly" accomplished the trip from Little Rock to New Orleans and back "in a few hours over 20 days." To show of what magnitude a journey of that date was, it is recorded that Col. Sevier left Little Rock, October 28th, 1829, and traveling incessantly reached Washington City, Novem- ber 16th, and the "National Intelligencer" spoke of it as "the most expeditious journey by several days that has ever been made between Little Rock and Washington." The reason is it continued, "that the waters of the great rivers are in the best state of fullness for steamboat navigation."
In August, 1829, an exciting election for Delegate to Congress was held. Mr. Sevier having served out the un- expired term of Henry W. Conway, was a candidate for re- election. The candidate of the opposition was Richard Searcy. Col. Sevier's good record, made during his service in the two preceding years, was greatly in his favor, and after an active race he was elected by a majority of three hundred and eight votes. The total vote for him was 2,064, and for Searcy 1,756.
The sixth Territorial Legislature sat at Little Rock from October 5th to November 21st, 1829. Charles Caldwell, of Pu- laski, was President of the Legislative Council, and John Cald- well, Secretary. In the House, John Wilson, of Hempstead, was re-elected Speaker, and Daniel Ringo, Clerk. Upon their assembling, the Governor's first message urged upon them the importance of passing an election law, which should prepare for the election of officers to be held after December Ist, as the Act of Congress providing for elections by the peo- ple fixed that date as the time of taking effect. This sugges-
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FROM 1829 TO 1831.
tion was duly acted on, and a law was passed to meet the con- tingency.
The subject for the formation of counties was again upper- most in the Body. Pope county was established out of the territory of Conway county ; Hot Springs was formed out of Clark ; Union out of Hempstead and Clark ; Monroe out of parts of Phillips, St. Francis and Arkansas ; Jefferson out of Pulaski and Arkansas, all of date November 2d; and Jack- son out of Independence, November 5th, six counties in all. The seat of justice for each was established at the house of some citizen, until other selections should be made, but in all of them Commissioners were either appointed for that pur- pose, or else provision was made for their election.
On the 7th of November an election was held by the Legislature for Territorial Auditor and Treasurer, and Richard C. Byrd, of Pulaski county, was elected Auditor, to succeed George W. Scott, who was appointed United States Marshal for the Territory. James Scull was re-elected Treasurer, having now held the office for ten years, or since August 5th, 1819. Mr. Byrd held the office until November 5th, 1831, when he was succeeded by Emzy Wilson.
The year 1830 was one of great emigration to Arkansas. There were now several boats plying the river. The "Waver- ly," Capt. Pennywit ; the "Industry," Capt. Johnson, after- wards Capt. Gaskill; the "Saratoga," Capt. Strause ; the "Laurel," Capt. Baldwin, and the "Reindeer," Capt. David Miller, made regular trips on the Arkansas river, and were constantly loaded with emigrants coming from Tennessee, Ala- bama, Mississippi, Kentucky and Missouri. Many of these penetrated as high up as the counties of Washington and Craw- ford. In the southwestern part of the Territory, there was con- siderable emigration from Virginia, and some from South Caro- lina. The settling in the towns was frequent. In the Capital, not a week went by without its receiving one or more families,
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
and the papers of the day noted with exultation that there was not a single house or cabin in its limits unoccupied, and that as many as four steamboats a day landed on its wharf, on fre- quent occasions. It was a busy year with the steamboat men generally, for in addition to the white emigration seek- ing new homes, there were many Indians removing to the country allotted to them west of the Mississippi river, which greatly augmented business and travel.
In March of the year, Charles P. Bertrand began the publication of a new paper at Little Rock, called "The Ar- kansas Advocate." The first issue was made Wednesday, March 3Ist, 1830. Its prospectus announced that it would be Republican in politics; referring to the doctrines of that division of the original Republican party which, after the year 1824, took the name of National Republicans, and eventually became known as Whigs, the other division being known as Democrats. The word Democrat, had been adopted from French societies of the Revolution of 1798, and applied to American political societies, which were in sympathy with the French. Both of these divisions, when united, un- der the name Republicans or Anti-Federalists, had originally opposed the Federalist party, which maintained an existence until 1820, but which went to pieces as a national party of any strength upon the election of Thomas Jefferson as Presi- dent, in 1800. The "Advocate" expressed itself as not ap- proving of the abuse which was being heaped upon General Jackson, "the venerable patriot, who, by an overwhelming majority, had been elected to the office of Chief Magistrate," but its course eventually indicated a decided leaning towards Henry Clay. It became the organ of the party in the Terri- tory in sympathy with the National Republicans, and con- tinued such as long as it was conducted by Mr. Bertrand.
The paper yielded a mild support to Jackson's administra- tion in general, but once, in 1832, when ill health compelled Mr. Bertrand to leave the office for a time, and travel through
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FROM 1829 TO 1831.
the country for recuperation, he left his step-father, Dr. Matthew Cunningham, in charge as editor, and under his management the paper assumed a tone quite averse to the administration and condemning its policy. The Gazette called it "Throwing off the mask," in an editorial of that title, claiming that while seeming to support General Jack- son, the "Advocate" had been a Clay organ in disguise. On Mr. Bertrand's return, and after the second election of Gen -. eral Jackson, he endeavored to bring the paper more in har- mony with the course and policy of the General Government, though taking strong ground in local politics in behalf of those who were sympathizers with Mr. Clay. As the Territory had no voice in the election of a President, its only field of politics was in local affairs.
The politics of that day were extremely bitter, and the war of words between the "Gazette," as the organ of the Democrats, and the "Advocate," for the Whigs, at all times was hot and sharp. Everything moved on smoothly between the two pa- pers, until the "Gazette" let fall a casual remark about "new- light Jackson men," meaning persons who had come to the support of the President since his election, and the "Advocate" took umbrage at the remark; and from that time the course of the two papers became exceedingly acrimonious ; being a mere reflex, however, of the sentiments of the two parties on the subject. There is nothing in the journalism of the pres- ent day that begins to equal the bitter personalities with which the papers of that day and time were filled, and nothing in party strife that can at all compare with the hatred that ex- isted between the old parties, Federalist and Republican first, and Whig and Democrat afterwards. From the standpoint of present times, the length to which such matters went is al- most inconceivable. On the 27th day of January, 1835, Mr. Bertrand sold the paper to Albert Pike, who, from that time, became editor. Under his editorship the relations of the two papers were more amicable and harmonious than before.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
During this year a census of the inhabitants was taken, un- der the direction of the United States Marshal, and the total population of the Territory footed up 30,388 souls, an in- crease of 16, 104 over that of 1820, when it was only 14,276. By counties the enumeration was as follows: Lawrence county, 2,806 inhabitants ; Hempstead, 2,506; Crawford, 2,440; Pulaski, 2,390; Washington, 2, 182; Arkansas, 1,426; Conway, 982 ; Monroe, 461; Sevier, 634; Jackson, 333; Izard, 1,266; Miller, 358; Independence, 2,032 ; Chi- cot, 1, 165 ; St. Francis, 1,505; Union, 640; Hot Springs, 458; Crittenden, 1,272; Jefferson, 772; Clark, 1,369; La- fayette, 748; Phillips, 1, 152; Pope, 1,483; of these 25,670 were free whites, and 4,710 were colored.
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