Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-14
BLOODSTAINED ARKANSAS.

BL0ODSTAINED ARKANSAS.
III, v. RS First Experiences at Eittls
ROck-A TragicaI interruption 10
Breakfast-The Situation an Appal-
ling One-President Grants Duty,
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Commercial
Owing to the floods and the war, and
the reign of terror over the State, lit
tie Rock is not particularly easy of ,ac:
cess nor pleasant place TO stay after
you once get here. If it was all the
same with the Commercial, would pre-
fer TO be In some more quiet and civil
lied section, the Fiji Islands or Central
Africa for instance. There is hardly a
spot on our depraved globe more unin-
titing just now than the turbulent
capital of this distressed State.
attempted to reach here by way of
Memphis, but failed, as there are but
two trains week over that ROAD
sort of tri-weekly affair, so-ealled, be-
cause it goes to Memphis one week and
tries to Get back the reati Part Of tie
distance is made In boat, sections of the
road having been washed away, and the
route Just now is certainly hazardous
and uninvitine. Besides, the contend
ihg factions search trains at ghostiy
midnight hours, fire on boats, roam
over the State In squads, disregard
private rights and property, and make
1T generally uncomfortable for a
stranger. The condition of Arkansas
to-day is without precedent in the his
tory of the countrS-a DISGRACE to the
goTeinilent, The nation, the people in
it, the age and civilization. 1t is
wretched, criminal, appalling.
This morning / found that there
would be no breakfast at the hotel, so
l dropped into Gleason's. restaurant,
next d5oF, fronting Markham street:
Seated at the table were twenty or
thirty ladies and gentlemen, mostly
hotel dodgers, like myself. About one
hundred steps down the street were the
Baxter pickets, and the same distance
up the street the Federal sentinels. A
square further along is the State-house
where the Brooks party IS enttenched,
so that the eontestife forces are net
much more than two Squares apart.
The reason they do not rush together
and shoot each others hvers out is on
account of the Federal fierce occupying
position Immediately between them.
While was eating, with my back TO
the front door, little thinking OF iniiiiG:
date danger, bang. bang, bang, bang,
went pistols and muskets in the street
directly in front A Brooks man III
tee middle OF the street fired his pistol
twice, and then fell dead, his brains
splattering over the pavement. Bull
lets were singing about promiscuously,
and SCATTERING the windows on orr side
OF the street. The rapid firing all
about us, the man shot dead so near,
the SCATTERING of window glass, and the
yells In the street of course caused a
stampede in our breakfast room We
all ran into the kitchen, willie the panic
stricken cooks ran into the dining
room. To make a move IN some direc-
ton seemed to be the controlling i'm
| pulse. There were at least 80 shots
fired and as there were a number ef PEG
pie on tie Street it is strange that only
one man was killed. He was Brooks
negro who had ventured too far beyond
his lines and got picked off, although
net until he had fired three shots at the
enemy. Various accounts are afoat as
to Just how the shooting commenced,
but any and all Of them convince me
that we are near powder magazine.
The Federal soldiers rushed into the
street, formed a line across it, loaded
their pieces, pointed them, and would
have cleared the street of friend and
foe alike had the firing not ceased,
They seized the city fire apparatus,
barricaded the street with that and dry
goods boxes and cord wood, As write
they are working at the harricade, ex-
tending it down to the riverand demol-
ishing some mans wood-yard.
As | was writing, a porter appears
with request that l give up my room
to a lady who has been forced to leave
the east side of the house, and take one
| above.
"The people have to get away from
that side," says the porter, ''for they
will be shot at"
1 comply, and take a room above.
Looking into a bureau drawer l find a
dozen pistol cartridges and an empty
whisky bottle-two emblems of Ar
kansas civilization. If l was called
upon to make great seal for the
State, should have a whisky bottle,
pistol, bowie-knife and skull and cross
bones prominently in it,
On the streets / find men nervous,
excited and the most of them armed.
Many of the business houses are being
barricaded.. Rough plank is being
nailed over fine French plate glass win.
dows. No one knows at what
moment there may be an out
break. The bankers and property
holders are pale and uneasy. They
fear fire and pillage, and general
sacking of the whole city, should there
be fight. They tell me that the city
is full of robbers, pick-pockets, cut
threats and desperadoes, who have
tiocked IN here to ply their avoc atoms
while organized anarchy holds the
relns. They are anxious for fight
that they may have a chance for pill
lage. The prayer night and day among
the property-holders is that the General
Government may declare for one side
or the other, and stop this miserable
business. In case of a fire, for instance,
the condition of things is deplorable.
The Fire Department is disorganized,
and the new fire apparatus used for a
barricade. President Grant ought to
decide one way or the other without
further delay, and relieve this unfortu-
nate city from the reign of terror. 1t
is reign of terror here, and nothing
less.