The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-17
The Desolation in Western Ar
kansas.

kduSis.
The schoolhouse down the creek is
without doors or windows and the church,
mile and half distant, has been silent
to the echoes Of gospel preaching since
McCulloch used it for a hospital, and
then burned it, And McCuIloch was the
evil spirit, passing with the bosom of
ruin in his hand, along these ridges and
valleys. By every roadside black
ened chimneys, where he applied the
torch to the dwellings of loyal citizens.
Every village has his handiwork in heaps
of ashes and piles of rubbish. In one
of the bottoms, walled in by Pea Ridge,
nailed to tree, is rough board with
this inscription: "Here Ben. McCulloch
was killed." but il is no injustice to bis
memory TO say that Hindman's unburied
dead at Prairie Grove, and his hospital
riddled by shells from bic own batteries
at Van Buren,, were tender mercies COM
pared to the unsparing vandalism Of Nc
Cullocb You will recollect that the
vote on secession ia Northern Arkansas
was greatly against it. He was sent to
crush out the Union sentiment and he
did it with an iron hand. The youth
were conscripted, the aged were shot or
hung the dwellings, churches, colleges,
aud mills were burned, the land was
desolated. His bravery and skill as a
soldier were shown on many fields for the
country which he afterwards died to
ruin but let this record of the last acts
of his life be the post norton sentence for
his execution and his epitaph
Refugees are still coming in from the
South. They represent Hindman as
nearly deserted by his troops, but as
gathering up all that he can, and moving
down the Arkansas river, to cross the
Mississippi and re-enforce Joe Johnston's
army. Three or four came into camp
last n!ghL They were barefoot, had no
| blankets, were ragged and half starved.
They represent the hardships of the Con-
iederate army extreme. The loss Of
| their trains in their battles with our
troops, their long marches, their camps in
the open air, have left them without
many articles of necessity, with many
sick, and many unfit for duty, by reason
of loss Of clothing, arms and equipments.
There will be no Confederate army again
in Western Arkansas for our troops 10
encounter.
The exodus from all this part of the
State still continues. Many families are
daily leaving, by every train for tho
North, and every escort, conveying loads
and loads Of people who have been
starved out by famine, or driven out by
war, aud who are seeking new home
and means OF livelihood in the North
Some will stop in Missouri, some go to
Kansas, some 20 further north, but a
resting place for weary feet, and quiet
for harrassed minds, form the wished for
end TO their journey.
Here, there is literally nothing to eat.
Nowhere in Arkansas, north Of the river
could an army subsist a week. Forage
for horses and mules has 10 be sought a
Sabbath days journey distant, aud there
is no food but cora bread and fresh pork
for man. Every pound Of salt meat aud
other rations-eyen vinegar soap, and
oandles-haye TO come from St. Louis or
Leayenworth, l do not believe that
Hindman's conscripts ever could live here
in any great numbers.
The wesllhiest planters are as desti-
tute as the poorest squatters. They
raised bu, little the past year, and that
little has been consumed by the opposing
armies that have in turn visited them
How those that remain here are TO live
through, IL iI impossible 10 say. This
part OF Arkansas has been she battle
ground where the possession OF Missouri
has been contested, and those parts Of
Missouri most severely scourged by war
are gardens and a land Of pleuty CONE
pared 20 the impoverished waste pre-
scented from the Missouri line to the Ar
kansas river. Every road has formed a
line Of march-eyery valley a camp
ground. A generation cannot repair tine
rayages Of two years.