Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-10-03

! | ton. 4le spurs or Boston Mountain, II
northern Pope county, were frequentl,
the advanced posts Of the Nertherl
soldiers, and a good many Of tn
people there went by the nam
Of the Mountain Feds" D0dson haS
held surreptitious communication witt
the party Of invasion before he fOrmeI
q guerrilla band, known by the name 0
/, Independent Federals." At one timi
he was apprehensive that his name haC
been discovered on some captured rolls
and that be might be shot as a spy. Few
men came out Of the army with record
80 Indifferent for good service. He tO0R
! little farm above NOrristown, and the
first step he made was to cut down the
slash timber in and around il to prevent
/ enemies approaching under cover. Fol
a while he removed to Washington
| county, in the northwestern part Of the
/ State, near the battlefields of Pea Ridge
and Prairie Grove. His present abode
/ is at REssellville. In Bishops re-
port he il writted down as follows:
"Elisha W. DOds0n, Captain, appoint
/ ed from private to First Lieutenant, De-
tober IS, 1868; dismissed February l3,
/ 1s64u
He therefore left the army in as bad
| order Is be entered it.
The Third Arkansas Cavalry, towhieh
he was attached, was organized at Little
/ Rock and disbanded at Lewisburg, in
the immediate region Of Pope county,
June 80, 1865. The Adjutant Generals
historical memorandum says of the
Third regiment:
1.-Two battallions were sent up the
Arkansas river to hold q large scope of
territory infested by numerous guerilla
bands, who were rObbing and numbering
Union families in the most barbarous
manner that human depravity could in
vent. The territory held by these ma
rauders was soon wrested from their
hands. The regiment had been gener-
ally engaged in Kidding the country Of
the numerous predatory bands which
have cursed this district with their in
famous operations since the inception OF
the rebellion. It was long stationed at
Bewisburg, on the Arkansas river, and
detachments were constantly alert
securing the country and breaking up
the lesser haunts Of the enemy.n
This description accounts both for the
predatory and assassinating youth Of
Pope county and for DOdsOn. He is
fellow Of inferior intellectual capacity,
but Of q sinister and manifest brutality
and ferOcity. His head is large and des-
tructive-looking, with enormous ears,
heavy Jaws, a large, blAckish-gray mus
tache and beard dropping straight upon
his breast; he is wiry, strong and I'M
easy, and be wears heavy arms and bes-
peaks the desperate. This man is the
surviving ally and confederate Of
HickOX, and the master and associate Of
Williams. He lives but in fear Of his
life, yet be says that he will die in Pope
county and viii not fly beyond it. He
is almost universally believed 10 have
massacred Tucker and Halle, his priso-
ners, on the night Of the eighth of July,
and the bullet which passed through
Hickox's brain was, perhaps, aimed at
DOdsOn.
Since Hickoz's death Dodson's men
tai reliance is
STEWART, THE PIOUs SUPERINTENDENT,
a man Of a practical turn, but OF posi-
tive opinions and great activity, Of
whom shall say more hereafter.
DEPUTY SHERIFF WILLIAMS.
John Williams lived at the foot Of
Boston Mountain, some two miles above
the Halle family. He was twenty-fOur
years Of age at the time of his death,
and possessed commonplace charac-
ter-neither good or bad. He was not
thought to be very shrewd nor self-re-
Liant, and the people generally said that
he mad "the head'-lneaning that
be thought more Of himself then his ca
pacity justified. The Hailes, vino never
liked the Williams folks, started a story
that during the war, when provisions
were scarce, young Williams and
others had gone to Haile's house,
and, in the absence Of the
males, helped himself to lard. They
gave him the name Of "Greasy VIII
iams, - or "Fat-G0urd Williams''-the
latter because the lard is Kept in gourds.
Beyond this general expression Of con-
tempt, the Hailes and other Confederate
families entertained no ill-wAl to Viii
iams, until DOds0n appointed the boy
his deputy. This deepened the ill-wiU
and increased Williams's self-impor-
tance. He became quite imperious and
offensive, and, il was thought, laid to
the door Of the Hailes and others the
murder Of his brother, Morris Williams,
ex-Lieutenant in the Federal army,
who had been shot dead in his yard in
a eowardly way by parties till Of late
unknown.
Mr.. Williams's greatness has cost him
q ball through the throat and Jaw and
few probabilities Of leading an inter-
rupted and secure domestic life. 1t was
for an alleged attempt TO sssassinate him
that the citizens had been arrested who
were slain near Shiloh Church by the
Sherif's posse. That measure cost
Hickox and Brown their lives, plunged
Pope county into civil war, and gives it
up 70 outlawry and the perilous protec-
ton Of the militia to-day.
EDITORIAL COMMENTS OF THE HERALD.
.
When Congress commenced its re-
constructionCourse for the States lately
in rebellion the difficulties which lay
in the way were manifest; but il was
nevera secret that the partisan majority
never faced those difficulties in an hon
est spirit. Their duty lay simply 10
handing over to these States once more |
their sovereignty when once they had |
given full assurance 10 the nation that |
they would rebel No more. The dom |
nant party added ot'>~r conditions, and /
lbe first Of these in Il 7ical evangel |
was that these States shouna be secured |
10 the party for all time. In the con-
Dict which followed between the ratives |
IF these States and the satrsps foisted on |
them and held there, the promised olive /
branch was time and again made q /
nOckery in the eyesof civilization. The /
contest deepened until it took In every /
traction Of political strength on either /
ide. Where one side acted as a ruth
ess cOnqueror, the other either plotted /
secretly and acted furtively, but blood /
ly, 10 be met with new repressions
Rom their superiors IN the political field.
All this kind Of performance, no matter
where the justice lies, takes money, and
he mass Of the people in the end found
hey were paying very dearly for their
lassion Of contention. The aVariciOus
reed Of the earpetbaggers naturally
this eYh, and the rapid rise
+ their fortunes added 10 their inso-
ence, and fed the fame with still
more combustible fuel. Counting on
be support Of the Federal gov
rnment, and In many cases getting
/, the carpetbaggers throve In worldly
oods and haughtiness. The party who
opposed this at the North, now gained
ecessiOns frOm disguised Republican,,
nd the movement which began ia Mis-
onri, spread into the wider Aeld ena-
raced fu the Conventions Of Cincinnati |
nd Baltimore. IL Is needless now 10
scant. for it is one Of the evolusions Of /
be hour. how the Federal Government
lade q show Of abandonment Of the
and how thepeople Of the
rebel States plucked up
ope from the Liberal coalition all over
be Union. Thus far the chsnge Of
respect has been accepted in a spirit Of
aankfulness by them. They rejoice that
here are people outside Of their tradi-
lonl party who syapathise with them, I
nd have buckled on an arnor Of brave
ndurance, which they promise not to
nharueas even II victory should not
rewn their efforts this fan. Yet, while