Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-18
POPE COUNTY, ARKANSAS.
All Quiet at the FrOnt-The Militia are
RepOsing in Stolen Beds and Eat
ing up Stolen Provisions
That's All.
Confession Of Williams and one OF n0d.
sons Militia-The Numbering
Scheme COncOcted at Lit
tie Rock.
Rev. J. NJ. 7. HiekersOn in AuOther Let
Ter Defends the People Of Pope
and Blames DOdsOn, HickOx
& Co.

The Little Rock Guzeftc saws there is but lit
Tie additional news from Pope county. II is
stated that General Upham Seut \ detachment
OF his guards to Dover on SATURDAY,, and that
everything is quiet, with fair promise of
We take the following cont fassion from sat
urday evenings Little Rock Journal. and the
letleT which follows from the Gazette OF
wILLIAMs's CONFESSION.
On the eighth instant, Williams made "a
confession before several persons, among
The following notes Of what he stated: MIR.
Williams expressed great desire TO make
confesslon- He said he had been an instigatOr
OF the troubles in pope COUNTY. and deeply
regretted having acted any part n them. He
uld not blame the men for shooting him. for
ne snOJ az Jlem first, and did not desire them
he had ordered his men 10 go home,
and never return again, and said that pOdson
and Cpham had better disbaud their men
He wished some one would tell them never
TO come about him again. al they should
come 70 see him. he would advise them 10
diShan1 their mc;l, for there was no necessity
for their presence, or for martial law in Pope
county. They were only making bad mat
terworse. He affirmed that the afiidavits OF
Perry West and ". %. Cox, as published i'm
me husseiiNllie I116HHe, were correct He eN-
pressed wish 10 say more and make further
disclosures, but was suffering such intense
misery that he could not continue.
CONFESSION OF a DODSON MILlTIAMAN.
Tho following letter, from former member
of DodsOn's militia, explains itself:
LITTLE Rock, September II, ls12.
-
the NTH day OF September, lS72, was sum
moned by one Of DOdsOn's men 20 appear at
Perry station on the following morning. I
told him that ] would not 20. He then told
me I would be made to go; that they were
summOnimg every man in the county. and
that they all had 10 60. ] then told him !
would be there, although had to walk about
eleven miles and left my wife sick at home.
with nobody 70 take care Of her; but rather
than be made 90 I went, and there met
about one hundred and fifty men (Con-
-crlptsl under the command OF the
marched 10 Mr.. X. POttS's, distant about ten
miles, where We camped for the night. Tie
men took everything about the place in the
eating Inc, and forage enough 10 feed I'VE
hundred horses, though / stepped of and |
went home that night, and back next morn /
ing- Some OF the men SwOue they would burn ]
the Tribune Office aud about one block OF
other buildings before week. We then
moved 10 the farm Of john Bradley "a [
brindlel, where we camped for two days, I'M I
Ill they plundered and took all he had. D0d- /
son then said they would have 10 move on 10 !
some other brindletail's, and eat him out. |
AlleI lhat We moved 10 Tue larIn OF olu
stuart. and commenced on Mr.. J. r. Wharton, D
killed the stock and captured an the catableS !
and everybOdy's cattle that they could ind I
tfOr they owned none themselves and Our
general orders We're not 10 take anything rom ]
"A minstrel or Clayton uuan-only from the |
brindles and Democrats. After finding out !
that was not legally summoned. and they /
could not hold me, l concluded that 1 would I
stay with no such a gang Of thiCving robbers, /
and Informed them thai ] was going home. /
They told me I was az liberty TO 60 but ] I
gave me 10 understand that they would kill /
me II they caught me: and I thought il ad- /
visible 10 leave the county, and accordingly /
moved 10 latte ROCK. could ten more ON 4
them than has ever been told yet. but through /
- fear OF being killed, refrain from say ing I
more. / have often heard Of Dodsons and /
Stnart's men and themselves, say and swear [
they would kill J. H Baucnheld the first 4
chance; that he and the Tribune Office should I
s'gO up:n II not now, there was a hereafter; I
and, believe they viii llill him II be stays I
al home where they can see him. II had the /
aaraHH Hs.1H sanHn
plots and schemes Of Vfllainy.. 1 was consid- |
cred minstrel, but / want Il thoroughly I'M
dersiood that after all their bloody work and
midnight murders, no more belong or SYM
pathlse with any such villains. am yours
for REFORM i
ANOTHER LETTER FROM HICKERSON /
DEFENDING THE PEOPLE.
The following letter from Rev. J. N. p. /
HickersOn explains ITSELF. We give II as "a /
part OF The history OF these Pope county |
LITTLE Rock, September llth,
EDirORs GAzErTE-As a citizen of Pope
county, and as one well acquainted personally
with the parties, propose 10 examine the
characters Of some Of those involved in the
Pope county troubles IL would be unpardon-
able IN me 10 say nothing ON this subject at
this time.
Therefore. 70 the thousands with whom
have been - Intimately associated as 9
travelling minister IN north Arkansas, and
70 the church Of God "a Tennessee, Ala
bama and Arkansas, by whom have
presiding officer, would say that during
the last few years my general health has
been 50 precarlous that have done but
little itinerant labor in the church; and, on
The fifteenth day of January, ls92, accepted i
a position for few months as deputy clerk OF
Pope county. Il was O meat and bread ques-
ton villa ue-there was no politics IN tL. I
remained in that Office until the thirticth day
of August, at which time was discharged for
the following reasons: After Wallace IA. Hil-
COX, county clerk, and > W Dod>on, sherln'
and W A. stuart, the school superintendent,
.T.-a.HH aF la fnrrHf toll
murdered Two of the unarIned prisoners they
had in charger they fed to Little Rock 10 get
martial l.sw declared hey Iepttsellt 20 ~
eNcellcncy that civil law could not DE en-
forced; that no civil ofhcer IN the county
safe IN the discharge Of his oihcia, du.
lies, etc. The citizens OF Pope county sent
me 10 the Executive with a different messlge.
performed my mission ana returned. No
martial law was the result. Ihe sheriff anc
clerk refused to come back % Dover 70 taze
charge OF their Office without troops 20 brace
them, said the country was fuH OF afhtu
men in resistance 70 civil process, ~ ne
meantime I had assured his eNceiiencgs ~
private letters two or three times each week
that there were no troops IN the county.
Governor Hadley sent General =. nv. hisi-
op TO Pope county 10 examine and ascertain
the facts, and report 10 him. General Bishop
and myself Travelled alone, unarned, 10 The
different townships and public places in the
county. We found no p0seeS Of armed men,
and my message and letters 10 Governor Had
ley were sustained. The next step taken to
get martial law was to close the clerk s Office.
Hickok ordered me 20 close It; said IL was
/ told him ! had no fears. He ordered it
closed. kept u open and done all the busi-
ness for month or six weeks-during which F,
time General Bishop was in Dover. And on
the morning that General Bishop was
20 address the citizens Of the county ,
in the courthouse at Dover, Wallace ii
Hickox came 10 my residence about daylight
and ordered me TO lock all the doors of the /
courthouse and not let Bishop enter IL. ] told
him Governor Hsdley had sent General
Bishop 10 the county ahd thought he ought
TO have the courthouse. HlckOx swore Bishop !
had no business in the county, and should not ,
speak in the courthouse. He LEFT, and al the !
proper time opened the courthouse and gave
General Bishop admission. About the NJ ,
feenth or tweufy-first Of August DOdson and
Hfckox came to Dover and nailed up all the
doors Of the courthouse except One-locked
that one and left. Hickox then sent certain
parties with deeds TO be recorded, thinking
that I had been fastened out and HickoX
could then report 10 Governor Had
lev that the Ofice was closed, that
MS deputy could not feel secure IN the
Ofice and had sent deeds and mortgages
away without filing or recording the
same. But, 10 his surprise, took the deeds,
unlock the door with the duplicate key ne
rave me when first went into the Oiflce-but
which he hed foFgOtten-i hled the deeds, and
sfnl he man away. Here he was foiled again.
on he thiriieIh day OF August HickOx came,
laid his pistols 0m table by his side in the
clerk y ONCE and abused me 10 hls hearts