Page 23 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

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*] 138 HISTORY O F ARKANSAS. . -- .... ..
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how was not generally decided upon. Two inde- vous for a large surrounding territory. From time

pendent strictly Union candidates were in the tield to time companies of the First Arkansas Infantry

also--Anthony A. C. Rogers and Horace B. Allis, were formed here by Cul. John M. Bradley, and

but the election fell to Grace and Yell, who entered about four of these companies were composed of

the Little Rock convention of March, and Mr. Jefferson County men, while some were scattered

Grace was made chairman of the ordinance com- ; through all the rest. The county court supported

mittee. After the well-known recess before May / them. A few went independently, and in various

6, Mr. Grace and his committee drew np the ; directions, to Little Rock, and still others into

ordioanae of secession which was passed as the / Mississippi, many serving gallantly in some of the

best thing that Arkansas could do under the circum- most famous actions of the war. I n the Confeder.

stances, and with the one dissenting voice of Isaac ate troops they were known as the Fifteenth d r .

Murphy, as elsewhere noted. kansas.
:Meanwhile, it mast be remembered, the county
The year 1862 was passed in much the same

had two companies of State militia, which had way, m that by its close about all the fighting force

been organized before war was thought of; one I of the county was gone. The law directing the

1'was the Jefferson Guards, formed by Capt. Charles I raising of less cotton and more corn gave thecoun-

Carlton and L. Donaldson; the other, formed ty an abundant supply of the latter commodity,
early in 1861 by Capt J. W. Bocage, was known as which fell to ten cents a bushel. This kept the
1the Southern Guards. During April a war meet- ; @lavesfully oecnpied.

ing was in session a t the court house at Pine Bluff, The early part of 1863 passed rather mevent-

and among the speakers for secessionwere Messrs. , fully, but early in October Gen. Powell Clayton

Roane, Bell, Sorrells, Boaage, and others, while came down with a small force from Little Rock

Anthony Rogers was the exponent of the corporal's and took peaceable possession of Pine Bluff, with-

guard of a Union following. Dhriug the meeting . out any attempt a t fortification, merely holding it

Capt. Frank NcNally reported to Capt. Bocage a as a post. He had b n here but a few dayswhen

telegram from Gen. Hindman that boats loaded Gen. Marmadnke marched upon the town with a

with national supplies had passed Helena, were much larger force, and, sending in a flag, asked

bound up the Arkansas River, and should be cap- Gen Clayton to surrender. The General, of

lured by him at Pine Bluff. Capt. Bocage called c0n.e, took time to consider the matter, and also

on the meeling asking volnntenn to stop the b a t used that precious time in hastily fortifying the

Ias she was reported in sight. The assemblage re- court-yard and streets leading to it with the

sponded with alacrity, and Gen. Roane was placed numerow and almost omniprment cotton bales.

in command. As the boats entered in front of the ' After he had "considered," he sent Qen. Marma-

city they were ordered to stop, and by a shot across duke a refusal to snrrender, whereupon the latter

1the bow of the one in the lead, the vessels came to made an attack on all ides against the effective

and their s h e s were captured. Capt. Bocage cotton bales, and a f t a few hours of severe fight-
telegraphed Gov. Rector of the action, to which : ing and the death of fifteen Confederates and

Ithe latter responded that .Jefferson County had : eleven Federals, Marmaduke withdrew. This

"taken a high-handed ~ t e pand must foot the re- ooaurred in the forenoon of October 25, 1863. I n

(Isponsibility." They decided to "foot" it, and the Methodist Episcopal Church recently torn down

held the goods, which were soon after ordered into were found many of the bullets of that fight.
the State service by the Governor. Supplies were h n . Clayton m n thoroughly fortified Pine
d m captured a t Napoleon. Bluff, as it then stood, by a series of probably two

During 1861 there obtained the constant hurry , and a half miles of intrenchmeuts, in an irregular

and hustle of recruiting and organization at Pine figure, about the town. He held the town during

Bluff, which became the headquarters and rendez- the remainder of the war, and, excepting occa

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