Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-14
MILITARY TROUBLES IN ARKANSAS.

From the message of Gov. Rector to the Ar:
kansas Legislature, delivered last month, it
appears that the State Convention, Legislature
and Governor, have been at variance with each
other ever since the Legislature met The
Governor complains chiefly of the creation of
a military board, which he terms as an :" nm.
merited rebuke to the executive incumbent f."
The following abridgement Of the message will
convey an idea Of military affairs in that Sec
ton:
"0n the 10th of May Gen. McCulloch was
put in command Of the Indian Territory west
Of Arkansas, and had with him two regiments,
one from Louisiana and one from Arkansas.
Before ne could prepare for any offensive ops.
rations, Gen. Lyon, In pursuit of Jackson, ap-
preached near the south boundary line of Mis-
souri,. and the Military Board of Arkansas
called out ten regiments for defensive purposes
On the 2lst Of June the Board dispatched a
messenger to Richmond proposing to transfer
the entire State force with their arms to the
Confederate Government, making a condition
precedent, however, that the arms were to be
used for the protection ofArkansas. The rebel
Secretary Of State was willing to receive the
men and arms, but would make no promise az
to their future disposition, and 80 the transfer
was not then effected.
"On the 4th of July the effort was again es.
sayed, one of the members of the board yisitinr
Gen. Hardee, then recently appointed to the
command of the northern border Of Arkansas,
and an agreement was made whereby vote
should be taken among the Arkansas troops,
ana IL majority Of each company consented
70 Sc transferred, those oonsentine we're to be
turned over as company; if, however, a ma
lority declined, the company was to be dis
banded altogether. One company of General
Yelis division disbanded; and two or three
hundred others, from various motives, re.
turned home This was for the eastern di
vision Of the army,
" The western division, under Gen Pc arce
however, was not SO easily transferred After
the battle of Springfield the Military Board
dispatched an agent to General Pearce to turn
over his troops to Gen. Hardee. The agent
proposed to submit the question of the transfer
but Gen. Pearce got mad and refused to allow
1t to be done, following this insubordinate
conduct up by writing a most abusive letter tc
the board. Not content with this, Pearce sep
arated his troops from McCulloch's command
and marched them back to Arkansas, where
they were informally disbanded and sent home
Gov Rector says that without Pearces com.
mand MsCulloch was left too weak for any
thing but passive inaction.'
As soon as Pearce's return to Arkansa.
was known, the Military Board, fearing a dis.
bandmsnt, directed him (Pearce) to suspend
all action in preference to the transfer, but the
dispatches were received too late, and only 'ir
tlAno " eIay INC waste VI puDllc properly scat
tered in ali directions
This narrative shows that the Arkansas
forces, claimed to be twenty-five thousand in
number, are in q complete state of demoral
isation and desuetude-if we may use that
expression
The following significant Recommendation
indicates that the Germans and Irish of Ar.
kansas are n no way disposed to exert them.
selves in behalf of JEFF Davis and his agents
1t is probable that the troops now in the
held will meet present emergencies, whilst il
may be safely calculated that q much larger
number will have to 90 into service before
spring. / beg to recommend that the execu.
tive authorities be authorized to organize two
class regiments one Of Germans and their
immediate descendants, and another of Irish
and their descendants. These
people, though brave and patriotic, have been
deferred from entering the army mainly be-
cause for them there was little chance for pro-
motion. 4 If / should be mista-
ken, however, in the causes that have deferred
them, and 1t is found to proceed from lack
of inclinstion, then authority ought 10 be given
to draft regiment from each class. It IS not
wise or just government which, in a war like
this, taxes native blood and energy alone
leaving the foreign-born at home, reaping the
fruits Of dear bought Victories