Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-08
ARKANSAS.
Full Account OF the Fulton
County Murder.
Horrible Outrages Of Missouri
DeSperadOeS.

The Fulton county raids and
murders have already been laid be-
/ fore the public, but there is an adj
dltlonal chapter and a moral. The
original cause of the outrages seems
to have been an old grudge, origin
atlng long before the war, between
one Simpson Mason, a shoemaker.
and family of Martins. What the
cause Of difference was, or whether
or not the cause was subsequently,
aggravated does not appear, and in
fact is immaterial, since the first
shr 1ding of blood occurred in the
spring of 1864, when party of men,
alleged to have been led by Mason
took James Martin and his son from
their home and deliberately shot
them down. 1t is unpleasant to rake
up old scores, but the reference is
pertinent to the conclusion. A few
days later Frank Martin was taken
from his home at the head of Polk
bayou, in Independence county, con-
Quoted about a half mile into the
woods and shot down in the same
manner. On the 18th of June, 1855,
subsequent to the surrender, party
of twenty men led by Mason killed
in similar manner Sam. Pogue and
John HollingswOrth. These two
men were taken about one and a half
miles into the woods and shot down.
The four murdered men, who
were residents of Fulton county,
now lie buried together in the
same churchyard. In September
last Simpson Mason was himself
shot down while passing along the
road, by unknown parties. Soon
after this the Sheriff of Fulton county
made several arrests, and desper-
ado named Monks, from across the
Missouri border - Fulton county
joins Missouri-made his appearance
so suddenly with a gang of men as
to induce the belief of preconcerted
action. Monks, under pretense of
assisting the Sheriff in the enforce
ment of the law took possession of
the prisoners, but released them on
writ of hGbeas corpus, issued from
the Circuit Court of that county,
Judge Baxter presiding. One of
these, Uriah B. Bush, Jared unfor-
tunately. He was delivered to
Deputy Sheriff Turner after dark
and shot down by party of men
in disguise, who are believed, on
the strongest evidence, to have been
portion of Monks band. Monks
then retired across the Missouri
border, too late for a posse of about
300 citizens, who gathered and of
fered their services as a posse, to
reach him, if indeed the Sheriff
would have consented to avail him
self of their services at all. 1t is
believed, of course, that he would
not, but a plausible excuse must
suffice for a test of the question,
and the Sheriff is welcome to its
benefit.
Thus matters rested until the 22d
of November, when one Col. Dale
suddenly made his appearance with
about one hundred militia, gathered
up in Fulton and adjacent counties,
and few days later he was Joined
by Monks, with a band of from ten
to twenty-five Missourians This
force made its headquarters at Tai
bert's mill, in the northwestern pOr-
ton of Fulton county, and after
quieting apprehensiOns in some
measure by treating the citizens fair
ly, they suddenly commenced a raid
on the people of 4 character seldom,
if ever, outdone in time of war.
Squads of from ten to twenty or
thirty, secuted the country far and
near, taking horses, clothing, pro-
visions of every sort, robbing,
stealing and plundering generally.
Necessity does not seem to have
limited the unlawful acts of these
desperate men. The waste caused
will doubtless far exceed what was
and the terrorism spread
far and near, resulting in a great
portion of the citizens leaving their
homes and neglecting their crops
and business. On the 18th, we learn
from private communications, they
were still there. Thus, for nearly
an hundred and thirty or
forty men, as we are informed, half
fed and half clad, have supplied
their wants in the way of food,
and horses, and have plum
dered and robbed Unfortunately
to satisfy eupidity and private re-
venge.
There is no excuse or pallistiOn
for these acts. We do not need
Missouri border ruftians to assist in
the peace, even if they
came by authority, and the sudden
and unofficial manner in which the
militia made its appearance is mex
cusable even if blood was intended
by it. When acts like these are to
end, none can tell. Thus far, the
sufferers in this revengeful work of
blood and carnage have been
Rebels" with the single exception
of Simpson Mason, who claimed to
be Union man, and who committed
his bloody acts under that cloak.
The dead, and the past, should rest
in peace, but for their inseparable
connection with the present. We
shall be glad to see this wantOn re-
taliation cease and justice melted out
to the odending.-LitHe Rock
Gazette.
PEERESSES.
The elevation of Mrs. Disrsel 10 the
Peerage, as Viscountess OF Beaconsfeld,