Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-09-10
ARKANSAS.
The Fruits of Blair's Letter-Open Re-
beIIfon in Three Counties.

The Fruits of Blair's Letter-Open Re
belIion in Three Counties.
Special Correspondence of the Gin. Gazette.
LITTLE Rock, August 80.
/ There are not only rumors of war, bu
there is actual war in reconstructed Ar
kansas. Conway, Perry and Columbi,
/ counties are in open rebellion; the civi
authorities are defied, and are wholly
powerless. \ Court was broken up il
/ Conway, and a general onslaught was
made on Union men. Finally the rebel:
proposed to desist, if the Union mer
would surrender their arms until after
| the election. This was refused, and the
disarming commenced, which was re-
sisted by the. Uuion men, and fight
ensued. The rebels had greatly the ad-
vantage in numbers, and were being
reinforced from other counties, and the
| Union men were falling back, but fight.
| ing considerably. Firing was heard at
| Lewisburg all day Tuesday. The Gov
ernor has gone TO the scene of action
with a small force, hoping to restore
order. He will exhaust all peaceful
means first, but will suppress the rebel
lion at all hazards, cost what it viii He
has issued the following proclamation:
PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR.
WHEREAS, 1t has been made known
TO me that large number of lawless
and evil disposed persons in the counties
of Conway, Perry and Columbia, in the
State of Arkansas, are in open rebellion
against the laws Of the State; that a
court of justice has been broken up, and
the civil authorities Overpowered in said
counties by bodies of armed men, who
have driven from their homes a large
number of peaceable loyal citizens; and
that the officers of the law are wholly
powerless to preserve order and protect
citizens from violence. within either of
said counties, and reliable information
having been received that quiet men
have been assassinated, and attempts
have been made upon the lives of others
in various other counties in this State,
in which the laws are set at defiance,
the lives of officers are threatened and
the civil authorities of the State are
openly detied and set at naught, render
ing it impossible for the constituted au-
thorities of the law 10 preserve order or
protect the lives and property of the
people. ~,
AND WHEREAS, By the provisions of
all act of the Legislature of Arkansas,
entitled AN Act to provide for the
ton and discipline OF the State Guards,
and for the public Defense" approved
July 14th, 1865, it is made my duty to
cause to be enrolled the Reserve Militia
of the State, to consist of all able bodied
electors OF the State who have not vol
unteered in the State Guards, and are
not otherwise exempt by the provisions
of said act, which Reserved Militia will
constitute portion OF the military forces
ofthe State. ,4
Now, therefore, 1, Powell Clayton,
Governor of the State of Arkansas, do
hereby enjOin upon all persons within
said State to keep the peace and COM
mand all bodies of armed men, not
organized in pursuance of the laws of
the State or of the United States, TO i'm
mediately disperse and return to their
homes; and [ hereby call upon and re-
quest all law-abiding citizens to use their
influence and efforts to prevent disorder
and preserve the public peace
L do furthermore make known that /
shall at once cause to be enrolled and
the Reserve, Militia, IN pur-
suance of said act, and shall use, as far
as may be necessary, all the power and
authority vested in me by the Constitu-
ton and laws of the State of Arkansas,
protect the lives and property of every
person within the State.
In testimony whereof, have hereun-
to set my hand and caused the seal of
the State of Arkansas to be affixed at |
Little Rock, this the twenty-seventh !
day of August, A. ID. one thousand, eight |
and siXty-eight.
Seal POWELL CLAYTON, Gov.
By the Governor: ROBERT j. Il. WHITE,
of State. .a
A colored man announced himself for
Grant in Columbia county, and was
taken to the woods in open day and I
literally shot to pieces, by about onel
and fifty white rebels. They I
boasting of the act. and defied |
the civil officers to arrest any one for
killing "nigger."
The Circuit Judge and all other Union
men here have been compelled to flee
for their lives. Several colored men
have been murdered in Lafayette coun-
ty, and Jr. Johnson, Union member of
the Legislature from Mississippi county, |.
was assassinated by the rebels as he re-
turned from the Congressional Conven-
ton. Senators Wheeler and Baker, who
were victims of attempted assassination
ut the hands of the rebels, will recover. I
1ue Ieuei speahelS anu press 'auNiSe
the murder of Union men, especially if
they are from the North. About half of
the rebels are enthusiastic for war as
they were in 1861. They publicly an
nounce that the Northern Democrats
will help them this time, and that the
war will principally be in the North
Blair's letter has done much to produce
This condition of things, and the igno-
rant, deluded creatures feel confident
hat the Democrats will help them out,
rsr HENRY