The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-09-30
GOVERNOR FOR A DAY WAS
POPULA "DICK" HALVES
BY r. S. Cotterill,
Gin Louisville Herald)

Gin Louisville Herald)
On Saturday morning october 4,
/ 1862, the capital of Kentucky wore
highly contradictory appearance Of
military grimness and holiday festivi-
~. Soldiers were parading the
streets. the State House was a bar
racks and the hills around we're
crowned with artillery. Many of the
houses were closed while their own
ers we're looking fearfully out from
behind barred windows; others were
| decorated with bunting and in gala
dress. Some of the citizens on the
streets were scowling but for the most
part both men and women appeared
to be in high good humor. The ex-
PLANTATION of all these contradictions
was that Braxton Bragg was in town
with a Confederate army and had
Halves to be inaugurated as Confed
herate Governor of Kentucky.
Halves had been chosen by the pro-
visional executive council" as the
successor of G. w. Johnson after that
gallant soldier had been killed at
Shiloh Up to this time his activities
as governor had been greatly ham
pered by the fact of his being unable
to approach the people he governed.
But when in the late summer of 1862
Bragg plannd his invasion of the
state, the senators and representa-
tives of Kentucky in the Confederate
| Congress wrote to jefferson Davis re-
uuesting that as many Kentuckians as
possible might accompany the invad-
ing army and lend their influence to-
ward holding the state for the Con-
fedoracy. Halves had his headquar-
tiers at that time in Chattanooga, but
he at once set out 'for his native state
with the promise from Bragg that If
the invasion should be successful he
would be put in control of the civil
government. 1t was no doubt due to
the representations of the Kenucky
congressman that so many Kentucky
Buckner and Breckenridge and Pres
ton, with John Morgan riding fast on
their heels.
Meanwhile as Bragg's army made
its way into the Bluegrass the Legis-
lature of Kentucky hurriedly trans
ferred its activities to Louisville and
held its sessions there in September
with in the lines of Buell's armies.
Governor Robinson had also felt con-
strained to abandon his capital and
so when the Confederate army came
to Frankfort there was no hostile
state government there to feel en-
barrassad by it's presence.
Halves and his cabinet made their
way to Kentucky from Chattanooga
and on the last day of September
held conference with General Bragg
at Danville. At this conference the
details of the proposed inauguration
were taken up and the date for the
installation of the governor was fix
. | l.
October Bragg issued the following
general order from Lexington: Head
quarters Army of Kentucky, Licking
ton, October 2, 1862. Installation of
the provisional governor at Frankfort
on Saturday October at IL p. m.
Mai. Gen. Smith is charged with the
! Co. hn mi
escort guard and salute. The gov
ernor will be escorted from his quar-
tiers by a squadron of cavalry and &C
r companied by the commander OF the
Confederate States forces, Mai. Gen.
Buckner Brig. Gen Preston and their
respective stats. The commanding
generals will present the governor to
: the people and transfer in behalf Of
the Confederate States the civil order
: of the state and public records prop
r erty."
Bragg and Halves, with the cabinet
, of the latter, went to Frankfort on
the third and there the next day, ac-
: cording to program, the Inauguration
= ceremonies were gone thru with.
Kirby Smith had gathered nearly co.
900 troops in the little city and if
we can trust the Woman of that
date the ceremonies were more i'm
posing than have ever heretofore
attended the installation of a chief
magistrate of Kentucky" Hardly
were the ceremonies completed, how
ever, when the rumor was spread that
Buell's army was advancing on the
town and both civil and military Of