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 17
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Toward the close of the year the boundary line between Arkansas and Louisiana was surveyed in pursuance of the Act of May 19th, 1828, directing it to be done. James S. Conway, of Lafayette county, and William Pelham, of Batesville, were appointed by the President to make the sur- vey on the part of Arkansas, and the State of Louisiana ap- pointed R. A. Crane, of Alexandria, Louisiana, to make the survey on her behalf. The parties appointed met at Ville- mont, Chicot county, and began their labors November Ist, 1830. They were much delayed by bad weather, but fin- ished the survey January 30th, 1831. The line commenced on the west bank of the Mississippi river, on the 33d degree of north latitude, and ran west until it struck Red river, one hundred and forty-nine and one-half miles from the place of beginning. The line as it progressed was mutually agreed upon by both parties, and the entire survey was pro- nounced satisfactory by all. It was a season of very great hardship and exposure for the surveyors. During the whole time, owing to the great amount of rain and snow, there were only three whole days in which the party was not con- tinually wading, and oftentimes breaking the ice, to make progress. The line ran through an interminable stretch of
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FROM 1829 TO 1831.
flat, marshy country, made all the worse by the wet season in which the survey was made. Mr. Conway's health was seriously injured by the exposure he endured in doing the work.
In February 1831 a fatal duel took place. It was between William Fontaine Pope, nephew of the Governor, and Charles Fenton Mercer Noland, of Batesville, Independence county, formerly of Virginia, in which Pope was mortally wounded, so that he died from the effects of it the following June. Politics had much to do with occasioning the en- counter, but the immediate cause of it was a newspaper con- troversy in which the two had engaged. Mr. Noland had published, in the columns of the "Advocate," a series of arti- cles with a political bearing, signed "Devereux," a nom de plume, taken from Bulwer's novel of that name, which had been published two years before, and was then all the rage ; and in one of them, dated December 15th, 1830, made a severe attack on Governor Pope, and in another referred in a sar- castic way to Major Pope. The latter replied by a published card in the "Gazette," of January 5th, 1831, which was most caustic and bitter in its terms.
Mr. Noland replied in a card to the "Advocate," January 12th, 1831, and which was couched in terms calculated to provoke a conflict.
To this card Major Pope answered with force and severity, whereupon Noland sent a challenge, which Pope accepted. Considerable effort was made to prevent the meeting by friends of both, but came to nothing in the end. The parties met on Saturday, February 5th, 1831. They traveled 200 miles for the purpose in a season of very severe weather. They went south of Red river into the State of Texas, and fought at the distance of twenty feet apart. Both behaved with the utmost courage. Col. Benjamin R. Milam, Thomas W. Johnston, Jacob Buzzard and several others were present. As the combatants faced each other on that cold February day, the
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scene presented a forcible comment upon the evils of dueling. Both were young men, just upon the threshold of life, both were men of ability, and would undoubtedly in time have risen to high place, as men were few, and positions in those earlier days generally found the men capable of them. Mr. Critten- den said of them afterwards, that he did not know of any two men in this or any other State who were men of any greater promise, yet they were there with the design each of taking the life of the other, and each one risking the loss of his own, all the outgrowth of political bitterness descending into personal insult.
At the first fire Major Pope fell, shot in the right hip. He was carried first to Washington, Hempstead county, where he remained awhile, and was then brought to Little Rock. Here he lingered until June 17th, when death terminated his sufferings, thus making another victim sacrificed upon the false altar of the Code. The occurrence made a profound and painful impression throughout the Territory, and was never forgotten in the generation in which it occurred. As the party spirit of that day ran exceedingly high, Governor Pope was made the subject of much harsh criticism by his political opponents, but he was far from deserving it, judging him by his public and official career.
Looking through the lapse of nearly sixty years, the charac- ter of Governor Pope stands revealed as that of a faithful pub- lic servant, and who through all the flood of party abuse which was cast upon him, verified the estimate which was given of him by the "Gazette," that the people of the Territory had cause to thank General Jackson for sending them so good a Governor. Even his political enemies-out of the Territory -spoke nobly of him. The Russellville (Kentucky) "Cham- pion of Freedom," after reviewing the correspondence with Mr. Crittenden said : "Politically, we are opposed to Gover- nor Pope, but personally we esteem him on the score of every good quality that can possibly recommend a human being.
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FROM 1829 TO 1831.
To the noblest generosity of heart, and the highest integrity, is added a mind profound, capacious and discriminative. From our knowledge of his character, we conclude that his gener- ous and manly nature is incapable of doing injustice to any one. In the present unfortunate controversy, we think he is not to be censured. An enlightened and high-minded peo- ple will stand by and sustain him, for they cannot be ignorant of his worth or insensible of his wrongs."
And the Harrodsburg "American" said of him :
"There is no man who possesses a more benevolent heart than the Governor, nor who has borne with more becoming forbearance and fortitude the efforts of aspiring men to in- jure his political fame. As to his moral character, envy itself dares not reproach him. We trust the good people of Arkansas will know how to appreciate the worth of a man, such as he is."
Col. Sevier, in a speech on the floor in Congress, paid a high and just tribute to his worth. Undoubtedly such en- comiums would not be passed by friend and foe alike, without there being good ground to warrant it.
On the 29th of June, 1831, Col. Benjamin R. Milam, of Lost Prairie, Miller county, who afterwards became the "hero of San Antonio," navigated a steamboat, "The Alps," through the raft of Red river and up the river beyond, being the first boat of the kind that ever ascended Red river above the raft.
The seventh Legislature met at Little Rock, October 3d, and organized by the re-election of Charles Caldwell as Presi- dent of the Council, and Absolom Fowler, of Little Rock, Secretary. In the House, William Trimble, of Hempstead, was elected Speaker, and G. W. Ferebee, of Helena, Clerk.
In politics, the Crittenden men were in the majority in this Body; for, although on the Congressional issue Sevier had been elected, yet dividing on local issues and personal popu- larity, a majority had been chosen who were the other way.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
One of their early acts was to take the public printing away from William E. Woodruff, and give it to Charles P. Ber- trand, of the "Advocate" office.
Act of date November 7th was to incorporate the town of Lit- tle Rock, the first town to be incorporated in Arkansas. But what produced the most interest and excitement in their pro- ceedings, was the legislation attempted to be had with refer- ence to the ten sections of land granted by Congress.
As has been mentioned, Congress, of date March 2d, 1831, granted ten sections of land, to be selected by the Territory out of any unoccupied Government lands in its limits, the proceeds of which, when sold, should be applied to the build- ing of a State-House at Little Rock. At the time of the sit- ting of this Legislature, the lands themselves had not been selected and located, but merely the grant of the right to se- lect extended. The necessity for public buildings for official use was very great. Every since the organization of the Ter- ritory, there had been no house in which the Superior Court or the Circuit Court could sit, but such as could be tempora- rily obtained. They had frequently to sit in the depth of winter in miserable hovels, destitute of every comfort. The Clerk's offices of those Courts, with all their valuable records and papers, had been kept wherever the incumbent could find food and shelter, packing his papers under his arm from place to place, as whim, caprice or necessity directed. The offices of Territorial Auditor and Treasurer were kept in the same way. It was a common thing in Little Rock to see strangers search- ing for those offices on important business, when they had to spend considerable time in minute inquiry, before the offices could be found, and when found, would be located in some merchant's counting house, to which all had access. The records of the executive office of the Legislature, and Secre- tary of the Territory, were kept in the same way until 1827, when Mr. Crittenden built in the suburbs of the town, his family residence, which has been mentioned as being now
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FROM 1829 TO 1831.
known as "The Old Johnson Place" on east seventh street, and as was the custom of that time, and even much later, built a small office on one corner of the square. These buildings were of brick, the first brick houses to be built in the town, and in this brick office, Mr. Crittenden kept the records of the Gov- ernor and Secretary as long as he was in office. When he was succeeded as Secretary by Governor Fulton, these records were moved into a little frame building about fourteen feet square, which served as Governor and Secretary's office, and office of the Clerk of the Superior Court. The accommoda- tions for the Legislature, also, were insufficient, and altogether abominable. They were compelled to sit in a wretched un- furnished frame building, entirely too small for the purpose, and devoid of a solitary comfort, not even having a fire-place, and so open that the smoke almost precluded the use of stoves. When the previous Legislature assembled, the one of 1829, the first day of the session was a day of excessive rain, and as Hon. Edward Cross, Judge of the Superior Court, stood in the Legislature to administer the oath to members, he was quite drenched with rain, which fell upon his head, and satu- rated not only his clothing, but the credentials of the members as they were presented-so bad was the roof. The liberality of Congress, however, had now provided a means of being free from such misery at an early day.
As the time for the session of the Legislature was approach- ing, Secretary Fulton, lamenting that he had no better quar- ters for the use of the Body, remarked in casual conversation to Robert Crittenden, that it would be a good thing for the Territory, and provide them with an immediate house, if he would exchange his residence for the ten sections granted by Congress. Mr. Crittenden did not at first take to the idea, but in a few days he called upon Judge Fulton, and said that he had reflected upon the suggestion of the exchange, and that it presented itself to him thus : that he was poor ; that he had invested nearly all he was worth in the house; that the
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building was much in advance of the Territory, and that if constrained to sell, no private individual of the community could afford to give one-third of its value, that he could sell the ten sections for from six to eight thousand dollars, and that although this would be less than the value of the house, it would probably be the best disposition he could make of the house after all, and for these reasons he had de- termined to offer to the approaching Legislature to make the exchange. After this the matter was talked of publicly, until it became generally known that when the Body met the offer of exchange would be made.
When the Legislature met, the proposition of Mr. Crittenden for the exchange was presented. He was to convey to the State his residence, in return for which he was to have the lands. He offered to make an agreement that whatever se- lection he should make would be with due regard to any acquired rights, and would not conflict with any locations on entries previously made. The proposed measure met with some opposition in the Body, and particularly in the columns of the Gazette, which took strong grounds against it. But the necessity for public buildings was very great and immediate : and based on this State of case a Bill for the purpose ultimately passed both the Council and the House.
The final action of the Legislature, acceeding to the propo- sition of Mr. Crittenden, was promptly vetoed by the Gover- nor, on the ground that the action seemed to be chiefly in the interest of Mr. Crittenden, and would really sacrifice the in- terests of the people. The veto of the Governor greatly offended that element in the Legislature which had carried the measure through, and gave rise to a memorial to Con- gress, requesting the removal of the Governor, and ask- ing the privilege for the Territory of electing its own chief magistrate. This memorial had hardly a hearing at Washington, where the character of the man who placed integrity and the public good above all personal interests
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FROM 1829 TO 1831.
was too well known to be so easily overthrown. The re- ply of Congress to the memorial of the Legislature was the passage of a bill directing that the "powers previously vested in the Territory, relative to the 'ten sections,'"' should here- after be exercised by the Governor personally; and that he should make selections, sales, etc.
The time so fruitlessly and heedlessly consumed in this con- troversy, prevented any action during the session relative to "Public Buildings"-and in different ways proved disas- trous to the territorial interests, and goes on record only as an instance of the strange blindness with which newly rising communities work their way through weakness and perplexi- ties toward strength and a clear field, and as bringing to view another of those regal characters whose self-reliance and resolute faithfulness to convictions are here and there ap- pearing in the histories of developing States, whose individual influence often contributes more to the general weal than the wisdom of Assemblies. The bitterness of interested par- ties made his discharge of public duty the ground of per- sistent personal attack. The war of opinion spread over all the Territory ; when all was quiet, the Governor stood em- phatically endorsed by the general government, and hon- ored by the people as a man faithful to their interests.
CHAPTER IX.
FROM 1831 TO 1834.
EMIGRATING INDIANS-TERRITORIAL AFFAIRS-STATE HOUSE, ETC.
THE year 1832 was notable on account of the unusually large number of Indians who passed through the Territory. More than 13,000, chiefly Choctaws, Cherokees and Semi- noles, came under conduct of various U. S. officials, going westward in search of new homes.
In the autumn these travelers were much distressed by the ravages of Asiatic cholera, which had been prevailing in sev- eral of the Eastern cities. From the Indians the disease spread to some extent in the Territory, but such wise and energetic measures were adopted as prevented great prevalence or fatality among citizens. Among the honored names, remembered with sorrow, when the anxiety had passed by, were those of Austin Kendrick, Judge Charles S. Bibb, of the Supreme Court, and Captain David Miller.
The number of migrating Indians contributed largely to the increasing river navigation, which began to attract atten- tion during this year.
In addition to the boats which ran regularly, there were trips made by the "Elk," Capt. English; the "Volant," Capt. Kelly; the "Spy," Capt. Clarkson; and two new boats were built expressly for navigating the Arkansas river, to-wit : the "Little Rock," Capt. Rudd, and the "Arkan- saw," Capt. J. B. Thompson. Capt. Reese Pritchard, af- terwards well known in steamboat circles, and who was an
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FROM 1831 TO 1834.
active steamboatman up to 1884 or 1885, ran on the "Little Rock" in this year. In one of the early trips of the "Little Rock," Washington Irving, the distinguished author, was a passenger. He visited Fort Smith in the autumn of 1832, and stayed some little while there. One of the characters in his "Sketch Book" is taken from General E. B. Bonneville, who lived at Fort Smith.
In January, 1832, Sevier procured the passage of a Bill in Congress, by which one thousand acres of pulic land were do- nated to the city of Little Rock, for the building of a court- house and jail. A part of this grant was that now known in the city, as "Pope's Addition"-the total receipts from the sale of the grant were $20,000. The buildings were erected.
In March, Charles S. Bibb succeeded Judge Bates on the bench of the Supreme Court. An honor which he was per- mitted to wear so short a time before falling a victim to the fatal epidemic.
In October, Governor Pope issued his proclamation, di- recting that the ten sections granted by Congress should be ex- posed for public sale on the third Monday of February, 1833, unless sooner sold at private sale at the assessed value, to-wit : $15,000.00 for 5 sections, and $15.00 per acre for the re- mainder. When the time arrived, the public sale was post- poned. Col. Sevier had bought $15,000.00 worth, 30,000 acres, and the remainder had been sold in parcels to other parties, until only a small amount remained undisposed.
With the funds in hand, which now amounted to $24,- 504.00, and $400.00 subscribed by Chester Ashley, Joseph Anderson, R. C. Byrd, Wm. E. Woodruff, and A. H. Sevier, Governor Pope proceeded to purchase a site for the State- House building. Blocks 80 and 81 of the town were selected. Chester Ashley, David G. Eller and William Russell donated a portion of the ground, and Governor Pope bought the re- mainder from Russell for $800.oo, and conveyances from Eller and Russell of date January 4th, 1833, were taken in
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the name of Governor Pope, in trust for the Territory of Ar- kansas, and with a guarantee of title to such persons as the same might be vested in when the Territory should become a State. Governor Pope then set to work to procure plans for the building. Application was made to a Mr. Gideon Shryock, architect, of Lexington, Ky., who had designed the capitol building of Kentucky. He prepared the plans, and sent them by a Mr. George Weigart, who was recommended to superintend their being carried out. The plans proved to be of a splendid building, but far in excess of the funds available to build it with. Accordingly, Governor Pope and Mr. Weigart abridged and reformed the plans to bring them within the means applicable to the object.
The plan being agreed upon, a contract for the brick and stone work was made with Thorn and Cook, and the work was begun. Mr. Weigart was retained as architect. Col. Chester Ashley had been made agent to superintend the sale of the ten sections and court-house lands, and to him also was assigned the duty of superintending the work of erection of the public buildings, and it was prosecuted by him with a zeal, fidelity and discretion which elicited from Governor Pope a warm encomium in his report to the Gen- eral Assembly, as to the progress of the work.
Of the site selected for the buildings, Governor Pope said, in a public letter :
"It is a commanding situation on the river, with a street on every side, and the view from the river or the town can never be obscured by other buildings. It is equal, if not superior, to any place on the river."
The work on the building was prosecuted as diligently as cir- cumstances would permit during 1833, 1834, 1835 and 1836, when the exterior of the main building was completed, but the buildings were unfinished inside. The plastering and other in- side finishing of the main building was completed, however, in time to permit the occupancy by the first State Legislature,
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FROM 1831 TO 1834.
which assembled September 12th, 1836; but the entire work was not completed until 1840. In 1839 and 1840 Rev. W.W. Stevenson, superintendent of public buildings, enclosed the grounds and set out trees, had them graded, etc., in the process of carrying on the work. The entire proceeds of the sale of the ten sections was $31,722.00.
In November, 1833, Mr. Crittenden sold his house and grounds, which it was proposed to exchange for them for $6,700.00.
By an Act of Congress of the 23d of June, 1836, supple- mental to the Act admitting the State into the Union, an ad- ditional grant of five sections of land was made, to be located at any time, as the General Assembly might direct, on any of the unappropriated land of the United States, within the limits of the State. This grant of lands yielded on sale the sum $38,000.00.
In the year 1877, the coat of arms of the State, which had been used on the Arkansas building by the Commissioners at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia the year before, was placed in position on the front of the central building over the main entrance, and the fountain which was also used by the Commissioners there, was brought back and set up in the centre of the grounds opposite the front of the main build- ing. This fountain was purchased for use at the Centennial by the organized efforts of various Ladies' Centennial Associa- tions throughout the State, organized to prepare for the cele- bration. During the incumbency of Col. Jacob Frolich as Secretary of State, the grounds were much beautified, and largely brought to the present state of attractiveness.
In the year 1885 the Legislature provided for the making of certain alterations, improvements and repairs in the build- ings to be done under the superintendency of the Secretary of State, E. B. Moore ; the State Land Commissioner, Paul M. Cobbs, and the Clerk of the Chancery Court, J. W. Callaway.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
The plans adopted resulted in an entire change of the arrange- ment of the rooms, amounting almost to a remodeling of the whole of the interior. The room formerly used by the Pulaski Circuit Court when occupying the east wing, was con- verted into the Supreme Court room ; the Supreme Court room became the Chancery Court room. Chambers were built for the Judges in the second story, where Probate and County Court and juries formerly sat; new offices were made for clerks, and for land and educational departments; the Secre- tary of State's office became the Governor's office, and an ad- dition was made for the Secretary. The Governor's office be- came the office of Attorney-General. The Senate Chamber by additions was made the Hall of the House of Representa- tives, and the Hall of the latter became the Senate Cham- ber; steam heating was introduced; new floors and new pavements made, and the whole upholstered and furnished in a comfortable and elegant manner, so that there was no part of the former interior of the buildings but what was made the subject of change in some respect. On the outside sky- lights were placed in the roof for better lighting, new roofing was put in, and the finish of the front was completed by the placing in position of figures of statuary.
The amounts expended on the builings have been : From the sale of the ten sections, - - $31,722.00 From the sale of the 1,000 acres for Court-House,
- - 872.00 160 acres, -
From the sale of the 1,000 acres for Court-House, 840 acres, - - - 15,785.00 - From the sale of the five sections, - - 38,000.00 From appropriated by the Legislature 1840 to finish, - - - - 37,000.00 From appropriated by the Legislature 1885 to repair, - - - - 35,000.00
Total cost, $158,379.00
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FROM 1831 TO 1834.
In December, 1832, by an Act of Congress, the office of Surveyor-General of the Territory of Arkansas was created, and James S. Conway, of Lafayette county, was appointed by President Jackson, Surveyor of Public Lands. Mr. Conway went to St. Louis, where the office of the district embracing Arkansas had previously been located, and there received the records pertaining to the Territory, and caused them to be conveyed to Little Rock, where they were received the latter part of January, 1833, at which time the office was estab- lished and opened.
The extent to which party spirit of the times went, is shown in an effort which was made before Congress in this month, to secure the impeachment of Judge Benjamin Johnson, who was now serving his twelfth year on the Bench. William Cummins preferred charges against him, some of which were against his official conduct, and others against him per- sonally. When the charges were brought before the Senate for consideration, Mr. Sevier met them in a strong and manly speech, and refuted them by the opposing testimony of Gov- ernor Pope, Secretary Fulton, Judges Cross and Eskridge, Sam. C. Roane, who for twelve years had been under Judge Johnson as United States Attorney, and a large majority of the officers of the Courts and Members of the Bar of Judge Johnson's circuits, and the territorial officers generally. The result was that the Judiciary Committee, to which the matter was referred, made a report completely vindicating Judge Johnson, and holding that the charges were not sustained ; and Congress adopting the report, disposed of the matter en- tirely. The extent to which Judge Johnson possessed the confidence and respect of the people and authorities is shown in the fact that, having served as Judge for twelve years before this incident, he was continued as such for nearly eighteen years afterwards.
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