The National tribune., 1905-12-21

lnquisitor, he had the soul Of Torque-
mada, the founder Of the Spanish In
QUESTION. When he once determined
upon an object no amount of human
suffering that It's attainment would
cause had on him the slightest effect
He was emphatically one of those who
would
Wade through slaughter to a throne,
And shut the gates of mercy on man
kind
He was born I'm Tennessee in 1918,
and served in the Mexican War as Sec
Ond Lieutenant of the I'd Miss. Rifles
He took up his residence in Arkansas,
and became a Representative I'm the
Congress just before the beginning of
the war. Jefferson Davis had him ap-
pointed a rigadier-General, with the
to the rebellion, and keeping her firm
ly In line. After Van Dorm was brought
East with his army, succeeding his de-
feat at Pea Ridge, Hindman came into
complete command in Arkansas and
used his power there with ruthless en-
the State to the support of the South
ern COnfederacy. He began this by a
very dishonorable trick by which he
obtained $1,000,000 from the bankers
of Memphis. They went to the Confed-
crate Congress with their grievance,
and Jefferson Davis was forced to re-
lieve Hindman from command; but he
took the first opportunity, after the
clamOr had subsided, to quietly restore
him to duty. Hindman showed fierce
energy and some ability in his work.
He seized the cotton mills and started
them to manufacturing cloth for the
soldiers, levied upon the tanyards for
leather for shoes, started powder fac
tories, cartridge shops and arms re-
pairing establishments. The Confed-
crate Congress had recently passed the
universal conscription law, and Hind
man put IT in operation in way that
was as thorough as 1t was cruel. The
people of the western part Of the State,
like those in Missouri, numbered
among the better settlers a large pro-
portion of Union men. Nowhere in that
part Of the State was the Secession
spirit very demonstrative. Under Hind
mans tyrannOus administration the
whole State was covered with con-
scripting bands made up Of men who
were anxious to save themselves from
going to the front by compelling others
TO do so. They shot, hanged and burn
ed wherever they went to spread terror
among the Union men.
Hindman could not cover up all his
atrocities under the excuse OF devotion
to the cause Of the Southern Confeder-
acy, and he speedily became intensely
unpopular among the rebels them
selves. SO that there was loud demand
for his removal Instead jefferson
Davis promoted Theophilus H. Holmes
TO the rank of Lieutenant-General and
sent him to command in Arkansas
Holmes was born in North Carolina,
had graduated from West Point near
the foot of his class and had seen con-
siderable service in the Indian wars
and Mexico, rising to the rank of
Major of the 8th u. S. in 1855. He was
the very antithesis of Hindman-a gen.
ial, good-natured man with just
enough brains to enable him to squeeze
through at West Point. and especially
fond of the bottle, which led to his
early end. He was, however, brave
man and fairly energetic in any en-
terprise when he had finally set out
upon II.
With all Of Hindman's unsparine
cruelty, with all his absolute disregard
of all means to secure his ends, he
was singulariy unsuccessful both In
building up his department into an
efficient organization and in leading
troops upon.@the battlefield. He was
defeated by much inferior forces al
Prairie Grove, where he had all the
advantage. He reported to the Con.
federate War Department that he haG
an effective army of $1,000 men, ye
Schofield, Blunt and Heron did what
ever they set out to do In northeastern
Arkansas and Sherman had taken th'
important position of Arkansas Post
which Hindman had officially namet
after himself. Holmes had done a lit
tie better in some respects, but had no
kept the army as full as Hiadman haG
managed to do. The Department o
Arkansas was put under the jur
isdiction of Gen. Kirby Smith anoth
er one of Jefferson Dayis's favorites
whom he created full General and pu
I'm command of all the country west O.
the Mississippi. Kirby Smith was
man of many great plans and few per.
formances. He was accused by some
of meditating a separate Empire fol
himself in the Trans Mississippi One
Of the first steps in the new regime wa.
the relief Of Hindman and the appoint