ARKANSAS. 



15 



for sale to the inhabitants and the troops. An- 

 other prohibited all officers and soldiers, other 

 than those on provost guard duty, or belonging 

 to the staffs or escorts of generals, from being 

 in the city without a pass ; officers and soldiers 

 were expected to remain constantly with their 

 commands unless absent on duty. Another 

 regulation provided that no house should be 

 occupied by any officer or soldier without the 

 order of the general commanding the city. 



Seven steamboats were'successfully destroyed 

 by the enemy. Four, one of which was a ferry- 

 boat, were saved. One of the largest boats on 

 the western waters was drawn up ashore, and 

 was receiving a plating of railroad iron. It 

 was also destroyed. 



The capture of Little Eock was a fatal blow 

 to the Confederate authority in the State. 

 North of the Arkansas river, and west of the 

 Cairo and Fulton railway of Missouri, the coun- 

 try had been desolated by the war, and subju- 

 gated by the Federal army so thoroughly, that 

 it had long been abandoned by the forces of the 

 enemy. The victories of Gen. Blunt in the 

 Indian Territory, had more decisively caused 

 the Arkansas river to become their defensive 

 line. But with Little Rock as a base, the 

 rebel Gen. Holmes had carried on a trouble- 

 some war by means of expeditions sent north- 

 east to Jacksonport, east to Helena, south- 

 east to Napoleon, west to the Indian Territory, 

 and south into Louisiana. At the time Gen. 

 Steele commenced his march toward Little 

 Bock, Gen. Blunt marched south of the Arkan- 

 sas river, through the Indian Territory, toward 

 the Eed river, and Gen. Stevenson advanced 

 from Vicksburg along the line of the Shreve- 

 port railroad to Monroe, and thence up the 

 "Washita toward El Dorado, in Southern Ar- 

 kansas. These combined operations alarmed 

 Gen. Holmes, especially when Gen. Blunt cap- 

 tured Fort Smith, in Arkansas, Gen. Steele 

 drove the army of Gen. Price across the Bayou 

 Metoe, and Gen. Stevenson took possession of 

 the southern border of the State. He, there- 

 fore, abandoned his position, and retreated 

 southwest toward Texas. 



In the western part of the State, Gen. Blunt 

 issued an address to the people, in which he 

 assured them that his occupation of the country 

 would be permanent, that the whole of the In- 

 dian Territory and Western Arkansas was un- 

 der the control of the United States forces, and 

 that the rebel troops had been driven be- 

 yond the Red river, and that hundreds of re- 

 fugees had arrived to enlist in his army. He 

 closed thus : 



Many applications have been made by citizens for 

 safeguard. None will be issued. The best safeguard 

 you can have is the American flag unfurled over your 

 premises ; and if you deport yourselves as good loyal 

 citizens, your conduct must be your safeguard. If it 

 be your desire to disenthral yourselves from the tyr- 

 anny and oppression to which you have been sub- 

 jected, organize a civil government under the author- 

 ity of the United States. Every facility will be afforded 

 you to accomplish that purpose. I leave the matter 

 with you, trusting that wise counsels may prevail. 



The inhabitant* of the northern part of Ar- 

 kansas were always warm friends to the Fed- 

 eral Union, and thus continued amid all the 

 desolation. The great opposition made to the 

 ordinance of secession (see ANKUAL CYCLOPAE- 

 DIA, 1861, Arkansas), showed a majority of the 

 people, Bunder a fair test, as firmly opposed to 

 it. Under the existing state of affairs, there- 

 fore, large numbers of men began to desert 

 from the enemy, and movements commenced 

 among the people in favor of the Union. These 

 movements were begun by those sincerely at- 

 tached to the Union, and were supported by 

 others, who thought that the Confederate cause 

 was lost. As usual, the fears of large numbers 

 restrained their action. At Little Rock, such 

 persons were afraid to risk the possibility of 

 the return of the rebel forces, apprehending 

 in such an event, injury to person and property 

 in case they had been active in the cause of the 

 Union. They pointed to the experience of 

 Union men in the northern part of the State 

 and in other localities. The cause, however, 

 moved forward, and constantly gained vigor. 

 A newspaper was established at Little Rock. 

 Union meetings were held, and resolutions, 

 pledging unconditional support to the Union, 

 were adopted. Regiments of citizens were 

 organized for the army, both white and col- 

 ored. Citizens of distinction came forward 

 to advocate the Union cause ; . among others, 

 Brig.-Gen. E. "W. Gantt, of the Confederate 

 army, once held as a prisoner of war. He thus 

 described the feeling of the people near the 

 close of the year : 



The people of Arkansas are ready to return to their 

 allegiance to the Government, and to renew their de- 

 votion, which shall know hereafter neither change nor 

 decay. The loyalty to Jeff. Davis in Arkansas does 

 not extend practically beyond the shadow of his army, 

 while the hatred of him is as widespread as it is in- 

 tense. The Union sentiment is manifesting itself on 

 all sides and by every indication in Union meetings 

 in desertions from the Confederate army in taking 

 the oath of allegiance unsolicited in organizing for 

 home defence, and enlisting in the Federal army. Old 

 flags that have been hid in the crevices of rocks, and 

 been worshipped by our mountain people as holy rel- 

 ics, are flung to the breeze, and followed to the Union 

 army with an enthusiasm that beggars all description. 

 The little county of Perry, that votes only about six 

 hundred, and which has been turned wrong side out in 

 search of conscripts by Hindman and his fellow-mur- 

 derers and oppressors, with their retinue of salaried 

 gentlemen and negro boys, sent down a company of 

 ninety-four men. Where they came from, and how they 

 kept their old flag during these three years of terror, 

 persecution and plunder, I can't tell. But they were the 

 proudest looking set of men I ever saw, and full of fight. 



In December, there were eight regiments 

 of Arkansas citizens that had been partly or 

 wholly formed for service in the Federal army, 

 besides' several thousand who had joined com- 

 panies of other regiments. Under the amnesty 

 proclamation of President Lincoln, issued De- 

 cember 8th (see PUBLIC DOCUMENTS), a pardon 

 was issued to Gen. Gantt, and, at the beginning 

 of 1864, preparations were made to reorganize 

 the State Government. For this the President 

 issued the following proclamation:- 



