tered voters were torn up and thrown under the table. Others were more peremptorily refused without any assigned reason. All these allegations have been duly and conclusively proven by competent and reliable testimony. Does the act of Congress furnish no remedy? I believe the people of this State are ready to accept of congressional reconstruction; that the opposition to the constitution offered them pertains to matters foreign to reconstruction, and not necessarily involved in it. To sanction the shameless frauds committed in this election, and to say that the constitution has been ratified, will bring no peace to the people of the State. The indefinite continuance of military authority was preferable. Were Congress to frame a constitution for this State, in the spirit of the reconstruction acts, and offer it to them, I believe the people would readily accept it. I think I have given expression to sentiments entertained by a large majority of the Union people of this State-not counting those who are candidates for office. I trust such steps may be taken as may be necessary to correct the frauds on the elective franchise, and that the will of the registered voters of this State may be ascertained according to the letter and spirit of the acts of Congress upon reconstruction. I have the honor, General, to be your obedient servant, Official copy: J. M. TEBBETTS. WM. ATWOOD, First Lieutenant 19th Infantry, A. A. A. G. No. 9. [Telegram.] LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, April 19, 1868. Brevet Major General ALVAN C. GILLEM, Commanding Fourth Military District, Vicksburg, Miss.: Evidence of frauds by registrars in all parts of the State continue to accumuWill forward by mail. Colonel Tourtelotte left yesterday morning. late. Official copy: FRANCIS A. TERRY. WILLIAM ATWOOD, First Lieutenant 19th Infantry, A. A. A. G. No. 10. [Telegram.] LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, April 21, 1868. General GILLEM: Frauds accumulate. Will send by express to-morrow. FRANCIS A. TERRY. Official copy: WILLIAM ATWOOD, First Lieutenant 19th Infantry, A. A. A. G. No. 11. We, the undersigned, commissioners of election for Johnson, La Pile, Jackson, and Cornie townships, Union county, Arkansas, do state upon our honor that at an election this day held in La Pile township, in the above State and county, for and against constitution, under General Orders No. 7, dated headquarters fourth military district Mississippi and Arkansas, Vicksburg, Missis sippi, February 14, 1868, fraud and intimidation were practiced upon the rights of freedmen, deterring them from voting to the extent that out of twenty-five registered voters in the township only three voted, and they evidently against their sentiments; and we verily believe that could a fair and full investigation be had that it would be shown that bullying, and threats of being thrown ont of employment by white employers, and with threats of personal violence, and did intimidate the freedmen of La Pile township from exercising the rights of suffrage to the above extent. And further, that we do believe, upon our sacred honor, that a general conspiracy has been entered into by what is known as the white man's party of this precinct to prevent freedmen from voting at al hazards; therefore we hereby enter our solemn protest against the vote of La Pile precinct being counted in the general result of the aforesaid election in this State so far as the adoption or rejection of the constitution is concerned. The above applies with equal force to Johnson township election, held March 13, 1865. W. A. COIT, Registrar. H. A. MILLER, Clerk. LA PILE T'P, UNION CO., ARK., March 14, 1868. WM. ATWOOD, No. 12. We, the undersigned, commissioners of election for Johnson, La Pile, Jackson, and Cornie townships, Union county, Arkansas, do state, upon our honot, that at an election this day held in Cornie township, in the above State and county, for and against constitution, under General Orders No. 7, dated headquarters fourth military district, Vicksburg, Mississippi, February 14, 1868, fraud and intimidation were practiced upon the right of freedmen, deterring them from voting to the extent that out of 65 registered voters, colored, in this township, only eleven voted, and they evidently against their sentiments; and we verily believe that could a fair and full investigation be had, that it would be show that bullying and threats of being shot, and if sick physicians would not wait on them, and of being discharged from employment, were freely used, and did intimidate the freedmen of Cornie township from exercising their right of suf frage to the above extent. And further that we do believe, upon our honor, that a general conspiracy has been entered into by what is known as the "white man's party" of the precinct to prevent freedmen from voting at all hazards. Therefore, we hereby enter our solemn protest against the vote of the Cornie precinct being counted in the general result of the aforesaid election in this State, so far as the adoption or rejection of the constitution is concerned. WM. A. COIT, Registrar. CORNIE PRECINCT, UNION COUNTY, ARKANSAS, March 18, 1868. Official copy: WM. ATWOOD, First Lieut. 19th Infantry, Acting Ass't Adj't Gen'l No. 13. SMITH TOWNSHIP, BRADLEY COUNTY, DEAR SIR: Having been, as we conceive, defrauded out of our rights to vote against the constitution, lately adopted by the convention of this State, as good loyal citizens we deem it our duty, in accordance with your request, to report to you all irregularities; that we were excluded from voting alone on the ground that we had not registered in this election precint or this county, notwithstanding said constitution most clearly allows us to vote anywhere in the State; see page 25 of said constitution. D. W. WARDLAW. G. W. ENGLAND. R. D. MASON. E. W. PICKET. T. W. HALL. GEORGE B. KIBLU. Also, the undersigned were refused their vote alone on the ground that we had lost our registering certificate, notwithstanding we offered to prove by undoubted witnesses our registration, and notwithstanding the judges are clearly authorized by said constitution to allow any one to vote that can satisfy them of their registration &c. General GILLEM. P. W. DEADRYH. P. S.-Copy also sent to the President of the United States. Official copy: WILLIAM ATWOOD. First Lieut. 19th Infantry, A. A. A. General. No. 14. JONESBORO', ARKANSAS, March 26, 1868. DEAR SIR: I have the honor to report as follows: During the late election at this precinct three soldiers were left to guard the polls, and if necessary preserve order, who, together with the sheriff, William W. Nisbett. hoisted a flag at the court-house on the morning of the first day of the election; and soon after a flag, composed of calico, was hoisted by a woman, which was taken down and deposited in my office. On the second morning of election the soldiers again hoisted the national flag, and immediately thereupon the same woman hoisted a flag close by, which was composed of soiled domestic and bore upon its surface some inscription, the picture of a negro, &c. These flags were evidently intended as an insult to the American flag. In the formation of the first flag some attempt had been made to imitate the lost confederate flag. I have never in my life seen a people more quiet than the loyal men of this county. Each one seems to be intent on doing his duty on his farm, and in walking uprightly when he may visit our town. The freedmen especially deserve praise for their prompt action in coming forward and discharging their duty at the elections of November and March. I regret to say that from the best infor mation I can obtain from Sheriff Nisbett and other reliable persons of sober habits, some of the leading men of that faction which are opposed to reconstruction, are riding through this county exciting and assuring the weakminded that there will very soon be another war. They are also obtaining, so far as possi ble, the names of all persons who voted for the ratification at the late election, asserting that their lives shall pay the forfeit. Now, is it possible for myself and others to discharge the duties of officers while we are surrounded by this disloyal element, whose threats are calculated to intimidate the bravest of the brave? Even my children are grossly insulted and beaten by larger ones while on their way from school. The main agitators do not exceed ten or twelve men. I am, sir, very respectfully, Lewisville, ARKANSAS, March 15, 1868. MAJOR: I forwarded to you yesterday, the 14th instant, the result of the elec tion for and against the constitution in this precinct. The total vote polled at Lewisville precinct was only (182) one hundred and eighty-two; 81 against, 101 for; whereas there are 316 registered voters in it. High water was one cause, the removal of voters from the precinct another, and there are others not cer tainly known, probably restraint. I have the honor to report, also, that upon the urgent solicitation of the commissioners of the civil polls, the judge and clerk of the military polls and the agent of the bureau, I took upon myself the responsibility to postpone the election on the 13th instant at the Cut-off precinct until Saturday, the 21st, in consequence of the present overflow of Red river, and the different bayous, thus preventing a great many voters from getting to the polls. I remained at the polls all day. The postponement had my entire approbation, but I seriously doubted whether I had the power to do so; I however concluded to risk the consequences and postponed. I hope it will meet with the approbation of the general commanding. I wish I could be instructed what to do in case the river continues as high as it is. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant. E. O. CHAPMAN, Registrar, Lafayette county, Arkansas. Brevet Major JOHN TYLER, 1st Lieut. 43d Infantry, A. A. A. General, Through S. M. MILLS, A. A. A. G. Sub-district Arkansas. SIR: At the election held at Atlanta precinct, Columbia county, Arkansas, this day, there were sixty-five (65) votes against constitution, three (3) votes for constitution. The undersigned cannot let this opportunity pass without calling attention briefly to the improper appliances used to prevent a fair expression of the will of the legal voters: 1. Colored voters were set upon by a self-appointed vigilance committee and ordered to be one mile from there in five minutes and driven from the polls. 2. Diligent inquiry was made for the deputy sheriff, Mr. H. D. Phillips, but he could not be found or heard from up to half past 10 o'clock, when, upon the arrival of a detachment of United States troops, under command of Lieutenant G. H. Raditski, 28th infantry, we opened the polls without having seen him, and indeed we did not see him only three times during the day, and then only for a few minutes at a time. 3. As soon as the polls were opened a man by the name of Thomas C. Tatum stood immediately by with book and pencil, demanded to see every ticket and to know how every man voted, and recorded the names of every vote and the kind of tickets voted during the day. About half past 12 a violent speech was made by W. F. Wallace, a disfranchised rebel, and one Parson Fuller, (disfranchised,) in which the most violent denunciations of the United States were freely used; who we heard call upon his hearers to resist, using the most violent and bitter invective, which caused the crowd present to become very much excited; indeed, to an alarming extent, so that violence was feared. This man Fuller would have been arrested, as a violater of public peace, if it had been possible to have done so in the excited state of those present. 4. Colored voters were made drunk, and bullied into voting directly contrary to their wishes, as they afterwards privately informed us. One of them informed us that he had been threatened with death in case he did not vote as he did; at the same time he asserted that he had been compelled to vote directly contrary to his wishes. Drunkenness prevailed to quite a general extent, produced by liquor from an illicit still two or three miles from here. 5. Deadly weapons, both guns and pistols, were very generally carried by the greater portion, if not by all, of the crowd present, thus making it impossible for the undersigned to prevent the irregularities above referred to; it being impossible to have made an arrest with the force at our command, when there were fifty or sixty armed men present, drunk and disorderly, determined, and sworn, even, to resist it. Finally, the very meagre vote cast-sixty-eight (68) out of one hundred and fifty-seven registered voters-is prima facie evidence of the want of a fair expression of opinion of the legal voters of the precinct. This conclusion comes with greater force when we consider that there was no freedom of choice, but that the election was degraded into a mere registry of the decrees of a drunken and disorderly mob. Hence we feel compelled to make this report. Very respectfully submitted. Official copy: D. REEVE, Registrar, THOS. H. CLEMENS, Clerk, WILLIAM ATWOOD, First Lieutenant 19th Infantry, A. A. A. G. ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERAL. No. 17. COLUMBIA, CHICOT COUNTY, ARKANSAS, March 17, 1868. SIR: In pursuance of orders from headquarters fourth military district, dated the 10th instant, I left Vicksburg on the morning of that day, and proceeded, H. Ex. Doc. 278-3 |