Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-08
Arksusss Mattsrs.

The following official report, relative 4
affairs in Arkansas, has been received q
Gen. Grants headquarters from Gen
Porter, of his staff:
LITTLE Rock. December 2d 1868.
General Babcock aud / arrived here
two days ago.
So many contradictory reports have
been in circulation in regard to Governor
Clayton's militia that it may be well fol
you to know the facts. The present State
Government was certainly in some dan.
ger previous to the Presidential election.
Senator Barker had been shot and
wounded badly; Mr.. Upham, of the
lower house, was wounded; Mr.. Harris,
member of Congress, and Freedmen 9
Bureau officer, were KILLED, and United
States Marshal driven from his post by
threats. The Governor, Senator Rice
and Others had to sleep in the State
House, under guard, for fear OF sssassi'
nation.
The Governor wisely refrained from
taking any violent measures until after
the election, fearing that the opposition
might make capital out of it; but as
soon as it was over he organized for
militia force about eight hundred men,
one-fourth of whom were colored, under
General Catterson in the southwest and
General Upham in the northwest, with
orders to live off the country, taking
what was absolutely necessary, and
giving vouchers. His intention is to pay
all loyal holders of vouchers, and no
others. Two assassins have already been
executed oy sentence Of military COM
mission. Seven others are in prison,
and a great number have been run out
of the State; but the best result
is the disposition of all business
men to voluntarily enroll themselves
as a posse pledged to assist the sheriffs
to arrest all lawless characters, if the
Governor will relieve them from martial
law. He has accepted a great many of
such pledges, and martial law exists only
in parts of seven counties The entire
conservative wing of the Republican
party were opposed to the declaration OF
martial law, including Gen. Smith,
u. S. A., commanding the troops. They
admitted the reign of terror established
by the rebels, but wanted the United
States troops TO make the arrests.
Gov. Clsyton's argument in favor OF
his policy is as follows The United
States troops do not know the people
and the country, and that the people be-
have while the United States troops are
in the vicinity, and break out worse than
ever when they leave. The rebels are
generally anxious to have them, as it
creates an expenditure of money in their
midst of which they reap the benefit
The militia Furnishes all the disloyal,
and EFFORTS pledges from them to |
respect the laws; and as these people |
have threatened to break up the State |
government as soon as the United States |
troops are removed, this teaches them |
that the State is able TO protect itself.
The militia has been under tolerably good
CONTROL and the plundering reported in
the press is the taking of supplies under
orders. One negro militia man commit
ted a rape on white woman, but he was
arrested, and General Catterson, who
seems to be very good man, had him
tried, aud he was convicted and exc
cuted.'
The Governors policy has no doubt
seriously interfared stith business where
martial Law has been proclaimed, and
injured business men of all parties, and
hence the opposition from loyalists. 1t
has also interfered with travel and taken
off hands for the militia at a season when
they were badly needed, and created
many panics. 1t has, however, accom-
plished much more good than the most
sanguine expected, and Gen. Smith ac-
knowledged that the Governors judg-
ment was better than his, and that the
result would fully justify the action of
the former. The Governor is now disposed
to relieve each county from martial law
as soon as 1t can be done safely. The
Governor is certainly man of intelli-
gence and nerve, and has labored under
difficulties that would have deferred less
able officer. Four thousand of his arms
we're seized by the Ku-Klux and thrown
off a boat below Memphis. He could
seldom secure good men for officers, and
in the eastern counties he had to depend
entirely upon the negroes for soldiers,
Very respectfully,
HORACE PORTER, A. d. G.