Nevada County picayune., 1889-08-07
More "sCROPs OF HISTORY. :"

Hotel yesterday was Col. Charles $. Cameron. formerly lnspector-Gener- al of Cavalry in the Union army. Col. Cameron was living in Chicago at the time he entered the army, and has since returned there, but during the troubled period following the war he resided in Arkansas, and no man. either in or ont of the State, is more familiar with the infamics and the outrages of the reconstruction era in the State. When found by q reporter of the Republic yesterday, Col. Cameron had just finished read ing the letter in the morning Repub- lie detailing some of the Outrages committed by Clayton's militia, and seemed very much interested In it. In response to questions by the re- porter, Col Cameron said:
 Yes; I remember the reign of ter, TOT instituted by Gov. Clayton In December, 1868, after the congress sional election of that year, and the outrages committed by his militia in Crittenden and other counties in the 1st Congressional district. l was myself a nominee of the conservative or Democratic party for Congress that year. was nominated twice, first at Searey, White county, which nomination declined, and 1 was af- terward nominated by representa- tive convention from the 24 counties in that district, which convened in Augusta, Woodruff county, some time in the latter part of September, 1868. l made canvass of the dis trct and had larger majority than my opponent, Mir. Roots had votes. But the then Governor, Clayton, struck out II counties in the north. ern part of the district and refused to count their votes at all. This ac tion was without warrant either of the constitution or by act of the leg islature. It was simply way they had of carrying elections in that country.
 It was just after the election that Gov. Clayton declared martial law in that lst Congressional district, and sent a regiment of militia, under Ma jor-General Upton of Augusta, Wood ruff county, to Marion, the county seat of Crttenden county, nine miles above Memphis and about eight or nine miles back from the river. In their progress from Woodruff coun- ty to Crittenden county, they ar rested all the prominent citizens in their line of march and brought them to Marion. Among those ar rested that I remember was young MT. Harney, Dr. McAllister and Will liam Ticer. Harney was young gentleman, who had herd of cattle which he had brought from Texas, and which he was keeping in the swamps there and selling them in the Memphis market as they were wanted Dr. McAllister was a young physician of reputation, and just married William Ticer was born and bred in that county, his ia ther living there and being man of considerable means. He was less than Fl years of age. These three citizens were accused by the militia of being ringleaders of the ku-kluX Klan. They were kept in the stock ades with others, and brought out, sometimes separately and sometimes together, and put to torture by being hung up by their thumbs and by be- ing lashed on their bare backs, with view of getting them to confess to crimes supposed to have been com mtted in the Ku-Klux Lodge of which the militia said they were members. Harney was fine young fellow, about 2j to 27 years of age, of good address and excellent edu- cation. He told them:
 "YOu have no right to use me thus. If have broken any of the laws of my country you should try me by the laws of my country; but 1 protest against this treatment. I am not entirely unknown. I am the adopted son of Maj.-Gcn. Will liam s. Harney of the United States Army. You can write to Arlington, Va, and find all about me.
 After keeping these people thus for some two weeks or more the mil itary authorities gave out that they had confessed their connection with the Ku-klux Lodges, and in their