Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-22
ARKANSAS HORRORS.
Atr0ciOus Outrages by Olayton's
. aA sest Militia. 81 "a 3
Fiends R0bblng and Numbering
DefenSeleSs Citizens. ~
From the Memphis Appeal. Dec. 10.

From the Memphis Appeal, Dec. 10.
From every quarter of unhappy Ar
kansas from which we are in receipt o.
news, the reports show q most deplorable
state of affairs. The militia, composed
of negroes and the very lowest order oil
whites, led by men who are the very
scum of the earth, convicted felons,
thieves and murderers, are holding a
carnival Of brutal outrage and cruel OPP
preston that supasses belief We have
already laid before our readers details Of
Upham's conduct in Augusta and that
neighborhood, and by late arrivals we are
able to give few more details of the
doings ofether gangs--if anything, more
deyilsh even than Upham's--in the ad-
joining regions and in the extreme South
western portion Of the State.
In Conway county, which our special
dispatch of yesterday morning informed
US, had been placed under martial law, a
man named Matthews, at the head Of q
band Of negroes is marauding and laying
waste the county around Lewisburg,
and has committed several most inhuman
and unprovoked murders. On Saturday,
two weeks ago to>day, he and his band
murdered in cold blood, on the high road
near Lewisburg, two men named Robert
Perry and Thomas Hooper-the latter
seventy years old. The circumstances,
as we learn by gentleman direct from
Lewisburg, were nearly as follows: Per-
ry, in company with another man named
jackson, was driving wagon loaded with
cotton into Lewisburg, and when near
the town they were overtaken by Matt
thews and his gang and taken from their
tsamE. A squad of negroes was ordered
by Matthews to take Perry to one side of
the road and another squad to take Jacks
son in another direction, and if they
would not tell what they knew about the
Ku>Klux to kill them. By some means
Jackson made his escape, and gave the
alarm to the citizens. of Lewisburg, some
Of whom, after several hours, reached
the spot, to find Perry lying in thicket
by the roadside, wounded terribly about
the head, apparently by blows from the
stock of gun, and also from a gunshOt
wound. He was still alive, and survived
long enough to give the names Of the
negroes who had shot and beat him.
Matthews, it appears, as soon as his
men could cut the horses loose from the
wagon, and plumber the body of Perry,
went with his whole gang to the house OF
an aged and infrm man named Thomas
Hooper, and took him prisoner. They
plundered the house and then left, cars
rying Hooper off with them mounted
bareback on a mule, with his feet dashed
under the mules belly. The next morn
ing his dead body was found in the road
between Springfield AMI Portland. A
gun had apparently been placed at the
back of his neck and discharged, the
load tearing his head almost completely
off his shoulders
Meanwhile the citizens, under the
guidance of the Sheriff, who is Radical
and who originally sent Matthews out on
his numbering expedition, are organized
for defense, and at last accounts quiet had
been restored.
In the Southwest, in Sewer county, s
"Gen.,, Gasecrson, with a militia forcs
from the adjoining counties Of Pike, Scott
and Polk, has been raiding between
Belleville and Psraclifta, numbering men
women and children, Unfortunately
About the first of this month he and hi
men murdered eight men at Center Point
and robbed their premises. Since thei
he has committed numberless outrages
but the region is so remote that we hav'
not been able to obtain authentic intorma
ton as to how matters stand.
Meanwhile, will the United States au
thorities stand idly by and allow these IN
famies to continue ? Shall the countr,
be converted into bowling wilderness
its people murdered or driven away, an
their property taken from them, only t
crafty the hates and satisfy the desir'
for plumber Of these wretches who cal
themselves "the loyal men"-men wit
whom to be "loyaP' is but the synonym
for license to crafty every vile passioI
that they, the scum of the earth, possess
We shall see.
| Special Telegraphic Correspondence Memph
|. Avalanche.
LITTLE Rock, Dec. 19.-Reliable infor
nation states that on the morning OF tn
10Th inst, at eight O'Clock, four compa
MES of militia, commanded by Ora!
Williams, Roane and Matthews, the latte
company composed of negroes, entere
Lewisburg, Conway comfy, yelling an
shooting in every direction. The
marched to the store Of Bruden L Casey
fired through the door and set fire to tn
building, pouring coal oil on the foo
Howard & Wells store was also burne'
Esgan's store being saved by great exer
ton.
During the fire Casey, of Bruden
Casey, was shot down by the militia, an
his pockets and trunk rifled, the bod
being afterwards thrown into the flame
All this time the militia were engage
pIuudering. The town is still occupit
by the militia, who shout, shoot, an
curse through the streets. No one
allowed to get out without pass.
| A few days before the raid the either
had organized company to keep Il
peace 1t was sworn in by the Sherll
who notified the authorities OF his actio
and assured them he could execute II
law without military interference.
| All is quiet at Augusta. 1t is said tn
prominent citizens are engaged IN pr
| venting an attack upon the militia By Il
outraged people, fearing misinterpret
ton of their motives abroad. The Poop
desire an interference by the Unite
States troops in their behalf.
| There was a large meeting at Bate
vile to-day. Five hundred persons of 9
parties participated in declaring for pea
under all circumstances, promising su
port to the civil authorities, deprecatii
violence, aud calling on other counties
hold similar meeting.
The arrest of William Meriweth6r,
prominent Radical of Independent
county, by Gen. Upham, at Augusta,
the charge of discouraging the enlistmen
of militia, created quite sensation.
Respectable members OF the Radio
party are denou ncing the Governor f
his course withthe militia.
The Little Rock Gazette publishes
lengthy letter from highly respectful
citizen living near Belleville in the sout
western part of the State, giving fl
account of outrages committed by Cate
son and his band of lawless maraude
We extract a portion of the letter.
EDITORS GAZETTE Gen. CattersC
with his militia from Pike, Polk, SCI
and elsewhere, after killing eight men
Center Point, taking all their horses a
tearing all their goods to pieces, left the
and struck the old Fort Townson roa