Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-10-11
THS RAFTsmAn's JouRsA.,
State of Af9FFails II Western h,kansas.

State Of AiiailS Z + essaTD arkansas.
'tne ffeelaisn i.a,saa, ou Go,obsr 5th,
received from t5iisa Her tIeueral Swaxae,
Assistant Commissioner for tilc State Of Ar
kansas, 4 report OF Captain Chas n Miller
OF the I'd Maine Cavalry, recently sent out
through Western Arkansas for the purpose
OF investigating the affairs OF the freedmen.
and of giving necessary. instruction and In
formation relative TO the policy of the Gov
ernment with reference to the freedmen, to
both employer anu employee. The picture
being encouraging.
The freedmen generally are employed on
their old plantations. and appear TO be doing
we'll Frequent abuses occur. and during
his Journey Captain Miller investigated a
number OF brutal murders of freedmen. He
reports, among others. the murder of a ne
gro by a white man named Fletcher. who
made his escape 1t appears that the ne
gro, whose wife was living on the plantation
of this monster, Fletcher, went to his house
for the purpose Of retaining her, when he
was brutaliy shot dead by Fletcher, who al
terwards deliberately severed his head from
his body, and then succeeded in making his
escape.
Throughout Western Arkansas he found
the people generally ignorant, with the most
aboriginal forms OF government, and bitterly
hostile towards himself and the government
So far did they carry their menacing, that
Capt. NJ expressed tie belief that he could
never have safely accomplished his Journey,
had he not been escorted by company of
his regiment as guard. During his march
one of his men, Sergeant Mckinney, of the
2lst Missouri, was murdered by these ruff
fans, who rode up to farm house where
the Sergeant had called for a drink of water,
ard after deliberately shooting him several
times robbed him of his watch and money
and after cutting off his ears, mounted their
horses and made their escape The murder
ed man was in charge of the wagons Of the
expedition, and was a few miles in advance
of Capt. Miller's nartv On coming up to
the scene of the outrage, parties were I'M
mediately sent out in pursuit OF the murder
ers, but were unsuccessful.
Captain Miller addressed the people at
different POINTS and in some instances his
remarks were greeted with considerable ap-
probation by the lower class of planters.
At Claiborne, So decidedly insoent were a
gang of ruffians that it was with difficulty that
Captain NJ prevented a collision between
them and his men, Deplorable ignorance
exists throughout Western Arkansas rela-
tive to the policy of the Government in re
| latIon to the freedmen.
Gangs of horse thieves prey upon the
people with impunity, and their depreda-
tions, owing to the imperfect operations oi
| civil law, cannot fully be suppressed Cap
tain Miller strongly reeomr ends that mill
tary ferce be sent to different points in Ar
kansas for the protection of both whites and
| freedmen and for the preservation of law
and order. Many of the negroes complain
of separation from their families, and aver
that they don't dare reclaim them in many
instances from their former owners. Alarge
proportion of the freedmen cultivate planta-
tions, receiving from one-tenth to one fourth
I----,~-S--.<,.r5-s )
clothing. In Washington county the crops
are almost worthless, and Capt NJ. is of the
opinion that many will starve if not aided
by the Government. In conclusion, he ex-
presses as his belief that but little loyalty
exists in the region through which he tray-
| elled