The New York herald., 1872-09-30
! ARKANSAS ILIAD.
The Reign Of Blood and Anarchy
in Pope County.
Legacies Of Internecine Hate Left
by the War.
| CARPET-BAGGERS vs.. EX-REBELS
The Mountain Feds and the
Brindle Tails.
STATE OF CIVIL WAR.
Sheriff Dodson and the Militia
Camped Out.
The Natives PrOwling Round Them
in Armed Bands.
xsu.-....
WHO ARE THE OUTLAWS ?
What Dover Village Has Seen of
iaz Murder.
Two SheriGS, One Deputy and Two County
4 r, Clerks Murdered.
Hickox and His Iron Rule and
Leaden Ending.
A Specimen of Executions in
Arkansas.
The Lew of the Trigger and the
Hickox and His Iron Rule and
Leaden Ending.
A Specimen of Executions in
Arkansas.
The Lew of the Trigger and the
Ethics of the Bowie Knife.
Terrible Recital Of Border Ruffianism, Private
Feuds and Every Day Assassination.

LITTLE Rock, Sept. %, 1872
At this wide distance from New York city find
myself saturated with the theme of the hour-the
war in Pope county. 1t is the theme of everybody,
And Is at the same time q new theme and an old
one. for some new occurrence happens daily to
swell the bloody account of that most demoralized
neighbOrh0od, where now the commander Of the
State militia holds the county seat, with part Of
the Governors guard. The region Of Illinois Bayou,
the chief stream of the county, is commanded by
the shifting encampments OF the outlawed Sheriff,
DOdson, and his 240 militia the young men of Dover
haunt the mountain spurs and the dens and bot
toms of the north and west Of the county, armed
TO the teeth, and sworn to kill Dodson, the
Sheriff, and Stuart, the Superintendent Of Public
Instruction.; and, finally, all the old and stable
people Of the community are hungry and apprehen-
sve little business OF any sort is done; the mails
still 60 and come, but people go and do not return
It s martial law without the name and outlawry in
fact. Such is the condition Of an old and well
known county OF Arkansas, whose county seat is
less than eighty miles from Little Rock the State
capital
As shall recite at considerable detail the late
startling incidents in that county the present letter
will aim to do no more than to recapitulate the
successive crimes which make this dire condition
Of things.
HOW TO REACH POPE COUNTY.
Passing from the relatively imposing county Of
Pulaski, which Little Rocks $1,000 people swell up
TO A, 600 inhabitants OF the county, the traveller by
rail- must cross interesting county, Conway, to
reach Pope county. Conway county is even Of less
consequence than Pope, though larger, possessing
only about eight thousand one hundred
people. Lewisburg the only settlement Of
any note, has ceased to be the county seat,
and that woful honor belongs to spot called
Springfield, on the southern side Of the Arkansas
River. Opposite Lewisburg is Perry county, with
only 900 people, and next above and west Of
Perry Is Yell county, which faces across stream
the county OF Pope on the northern bank. Yell
county has, perhaps 5000 residents, and its chief
river town Of Dardanelle is right opposite Norris
town, which is the river base OF supplies, news,
groceries and canards for the present warfare
against the misbegotten pagans Of Pope.
If one should go still further up stream, on one
of the slow and oft-grounding steamers, he would
see little to interest him except bluffs and distant
mountains for all the remaining 100 miles toward
the Indian Territory. It is said that very many
settlers are encampcd and waiting along the line OF
the Indian Territory to cross into that red mans
reserve when the law or war breaks the barriers
down; but this may merely show a commendable
spirit to get out OF Arkansas.
THOUGHTS BY THE Way
On every side, as the traveller goes toward Pope
is the unexpungable nomenclature Of the old
French occupation, which leads the travellers mind
back only seventy years to the century and more
OF French occupation of these waste premises, and
the resonance and sgaintness Of the French names
II streams and ponds are the only p6eflcaf features
of this wild, hard region. 1t is the Illinois Bayou
which Is the main entry to Pope county; but
Fonrche la Fave and Petite Jean are neighborlng
streams. Fifty years ago, when we had occupied
this province of France as our purchase, all Arkan-
sas possessed only 14o 900 souls; In twenty years
more Arkansas had 100000 OF the ofscourings Of
the Gulf States the Caroinas Georgia and Ten.
nesee and between 1s4O and 1850 1t more than
doubled these figures. No state had a pioneer
period more ruffanly than this, and none have
fallen so supiney into the hands Of the most indif
ferent type Of carpet-baggers. Its literature
the Arkansas Travellers lazy banjo pick
and its Had, hundred cowardly ARRAYS
and duels. Nearly the size of England, settled
since 1870, and made State of the Union as long
ago as 1886, the United States still owns more than
thirty millions OF acres here-a testimony to the
Indifference OF the immigrant upon thdr subject of
the ARKANSAS toothpick." When Colorsei Bowie
invented his knife he gave Arkansas so,uething
enectual to defend itself against occupaxion.
Boosting that she possesses $4,000 square miles OF
COAL the State Is without manufactures or even
mines worthy of the name and cotton and politics
are the staples OF thought and subsistence here.
in these days few passengers go by river to Pope
county, but the majority take the Little Rock and
Fort Smith Railroad, which passes half dozen
stations in the woods and stops at Pcrrys, store
and water tank right out In the wilderness sixty
miles from Little Rock. Here there is mail and
passenger hack waiting to start for Russeville,
sixteen miles westward, the chief village Of Pope
county, and perhaps few teams and
saddle mules are htched around the station
10 bear individuals OFT to more distant points. 1t
10 ride OF the best Of the afternoon TO Rnssevile
over rutty clay road which passes the site OF sew.