The Van Buren press., 1866-02-24
Report of Gen. Sherman on the Con
dition of Arkansas.

With pleasure we give place to Geh'
Sherman's report on the situation ofai-
fairs in Arkansas 1t was sent to the
Senate by President Johnson in response
to resolution calling for the same, II
not incompatible with public interest. 1t
is manly, straightforward document,
and is. as far as we are able to judge, an
impartial statement of the situation of
Arkansas:
HID. QRs. MlL'Ey DIV MISSISSIPPI,
ST. LoUIs, No, Dec. -, 1860.
Gen. j. A. Rawl;ns, Washington ID. e.: =
GENERAL Il have just returned from
a partial inspection ofthe Department OF
Arkansas. 1t was my purpose to have
extended my visit up to Fort Smith, but
the Arkansas River was too low, and
limited it to Little Rock The route
usually travelled, remains substantially
now as it was during the war-by way
of White River, Duvall's Bluff, and hence
forty-eight mile ofrailrOad to Little Rock
The A rkansas is at all seasons too preca-
rious to be relied on. But the White river,
living in the alluvium of the Missis-
sippi retains at all seasons depth of wa
ter of three and half feet as far as Du-
ualrs Bluff. The railroad hence to Lit
tie Rock is in good enough condition for
all present purposts, and has been restor
ed to the possession of the company who
built it, and is operated to the satisfac-
ton of General Reynolds and his Chief
Ouartermaster, Col. Noble 1t would
contribute much to the military cOnve-
nience, as well as to the general interests
of the State of Arkansas, if the railroad
could be finished to Memphis. | saw Mr..
r. c. Brinklcy, of Memphis, President OF
the railroad company, who seemed very
anxious to finish it, but said that the com
pany had lost so much by the war that
unless he could receive help from the
government, he feared he could not un-
dertake it. The road was once in opera
ton from Memphis to Madison OH the
St. Francis liver, with fine bridge com
pleted over that stream; and at the time
the Federal army occupied Memphis in
1862, he had thousand tons of railroad
iron on hand, ready to be applied on the
unfinished section between Madison and
DuValrs Bluff; but this iron was taken
by us and carried away to Columbus,
kentucky, and used in repairs on the Mo-
bile and Ohio Railroad, then in our mill
tarv possession from Columbus to Cor
NTH. The costly bridge over the St
Francis, was burned by the rebel Genera,
Hindman. Mr.. Brinkley agreed if We
could help him to grade the road from
Madison to DuValrs Bluff, and to cut in
the woods along the line the necessary
number of tiers, he would undertake the
purchase on credit, Of the necessary
quantity Of iron, and to construct a con
tinuous railroad from Memphis to Little
Rock. Gen. Reynolds has now, at Hele
ma, three colored regiments, at Pine Blut
one, at Little Rock another. He coul(
easily apply the labor of two or more o
these regiments to the grading OF thl
road, and in getting out the ties; ). and Nh
Brinkley agrees to pay for this labor il
land belonging to the company, lying ad
jacent to the road. Gen. Reynolds, com
manding the department, and Spragu
Commissioner for Freedmen in Arkansa
approve heartily Of this plan, and | thin
we are sufficiently Interested in this roa
to encourage it by all means. Accord
ingly, | ask that unless it be proposed t
muster out the colored regiments, tina
the War Department will sanction tn
plan so far as to authorize General Rey
nolds to order the execution of the wOr
during the present winter and sprin'
months.
found all the troops in Arkansas il
good condition, and well commanded
General Sprague is admirably adapted tt
AiGeommand. General Sprague has th'
pet, of the civil and military authori
t. he negsQes in Arkansas can al
find profitable Rcrative employment
and are protel all their rights am
property by th6lllM authorities. I m'
no one, citizen or soldier, who questioned 0
doubted TINT their freedom pas as ceN assa
red In Arkansas as IN Ohio. Gov. Muir
lphy said that negroes could acquire t
to real estate, or any kind of propof
and the Courts, both Federal and Stat(
would protect them There was a uni
versal expression of confidence in tn
present condition Of affairs, except b
the part of some former rebels VIII
thought the present test oath prescribe