THE KUKLUX

The lawless bands that had been roving through the counties of Howell,

Oregon, Shannon and Dent had been captured, killed or driven out of

these counties by the officers of the law, aided by the militia forces

of the state. All classes of persons and men of every political faith

were secure in their person and property. The civil law was enforced

to the letter and the people generally looked to the bright future of

Missouri.

In the fall of 1868, in the month of September during a political

campaign that was being made in Howell county, while a political

speaking was going on at Black's store in Benton township in the

southwest part of the county, a courier came with a dispatch stating

that Captain Simpson Mason, registering officer of Fulton county,

Arkansas, had been shot and killed from ambush, near the state line

adjoining Howell county, by men who styled themselves Kuklux, and had

ordered all Union men, and especially the officers of the law, to keep

inside of their doors and to tender their resignations as such officers

or they would fare the same as Mason had. It was stated that the

law-abiding citizens were without arms and that the Kuklux were raiding

the whole country; the whole country was being terrorized by said men

and in God's name asked us to come and bring men and arms to aid the

civil officers to enforce the law. The writer advised the people to be

cool; that if there was an organization in the state of Arkansas to

overturn the state government and the loyal people of said state were

helpless, since the rebels at the commencement of the Civil war had had

no regard for state lines I thought that we would have the same right

to go down and help our loyal brethern to enforce the civil law.

A committee of twelve men was selected to say what action we would

take; among the committee were Benjamin Alsup, Rev. Adam Wright, Rev.

John Collins, David Nicholass. Old men were placed on the committee.

The committee retired to deliberate upon the matter, and in a short

time returned and made the following report: "That we, the loyal

people of Howell county, go at once with all available men and arms."

The writer had in his possession at that time one hundred Springfield

rifles, with one thousand rounds of cartridges for each gun. During the

night and the next day about seventy-five men were organized into a

temporary company and were placed under the command of Uncle Benjamin

Alsup. On the night following we made a forced march reaching the

Widow Pickrum's farm, situated on Bennet's river, in Fulton county,

Arkansas, the next morning. We found Captain Richardson, with one

company of state guards, fortified in a barn. On our arrival we offered

our services to Captain Richardson, which were readily accepted. They

were looking for an attack to be made by the Kuklux at any moment, as

Colonel Tracy was said to be at Jackson Port with three hundred and

fifty well armed Kuklux.

While waiting for further orders from Governor Clayton a vigorous

search was commenced for the murderers of Captain Mason. We soon

learned that on the day previous to the murder of Mason he was

registering the voters on the Big North Fork, at what was known as

the Calhoun mill, and on the next day he was to meet the people at

the Harbor Precinct for registration. And on the previous night the

Kuklux, according to a general move that was to be made throughout the

state, met at Colonel Tracy's, at the Widow Pickrum farm. Among them

were Colonel Tracy, Dow Bryant, U. R. Bush, and about forty others;

they selected about twenty men to do the shooting and divided them into

three bunches and erected three blinds, as they did not know which road

Captain Mason might travel. They placed about seven well armed men in

each blind, who had been sworn by the Kuklux and after they had been

placed in their blinds one of the men who did the shooting said, "Let

him come; I am sure to get him for I can hit an old gobbler's neck that

distance." The blind was erected where the road made a short curve with

very thick brush on the left side of the road. When Captain Mason and

posse had approached within about thirty yards of the blind they fired

a volley, five of the shots taking effect in Mason's body. Captain

Mason fell from his horse and expired in a few moments. The assassins

fled through a thick bottom growth. Bryant, Bush, and two or three

others were arrested, charged with being a part of the men who did the

shooting. They were arrested by the state guards, as the civil officers

were afraid to issue a single warrant on account of the threats of the

Kuklux. On an investigation it was proven that Tracy, Bryant, Bush and

about forty others were present the night before Mason's murder. And

that Bush was the man who remarked after he had gone into the blind

"Let him come. I can get him. I can hit an old gobbler's neck that far."

In the meantime, the governor had gotten a dispatch through to

Capt. Richardson that the Kuklux in large numbers were organizing

and threatening to attack the state officers; that he and the state

officers were barricaded in the state house and that he was organizing

the state guards as fast as possible. Capt. Richardson was ordered to

recruit every available man and protect the civil officers as far as

possible; that he had made arrangements to send arms and ammunition

up White river on a boat. I suggested to Benjamin Alsup and others

who had come down from Missouri that the only way we could make our

acts legal would be to join the state guards and be mustered into the

state service, to which proposition my old friend Alsup objected and

remarked: "That's the way with Monks; he is afraid he will hurt some

rebel, contrary to law. Now, by the living, I came down here to hang

some of these old rebels and murderers to the first limb we come to,

and if we have to join the state guards and wait on the civil and

military law to punish them, they never will be punished. I am going

back to Missouri." About two-thirds of the men who came down enlisted

in the state service; Alsup and others returned to Missouri.

As soon as Governor Clayton learned that the writer had come into the

state with men and arms, he sent another dispatch stating that he

and all the law-abiding people of the state would ever be grateful

to him for furnishing men and arms at a time when they were entirely

helpless and at the mercy of a secret and bloodthirsty enemy, bent on

overthrowing the state government; that if I would remain in the state

with my men and arms he would make me lieutenant-colonel of the seventh

regiment of state guards.

We were watching the movements of the Kuklux, and in about eight

or ten days after the murder of Capt. Mason, late one evening, the

deputy sheriff of the county came to headquarters and informed Capt.

Richardson that there were three hundred and fifty Kuklux, well armed,

in camp at Salem, the county seat of Fulton county, and intended to

attack Capt. Richardson before day, the next morning; they had ordered

him, the deputy sheriff, under penalty of death, to bring Bush and

turn him over to them. A brief consultation was held by the officers,

and being satisfied that they were not able to meet the force of Kuklux

then marching upon them, it was agreed that the writer should take the

men from Missouri and recruit men for the service and get all the arms

and ammunition that were left at home and return with all possible

speed. In the meantime, they would retreat to some secluded place and

watch the movements of the Kuklux. They turned Bush over to the deputy

sheriff and he started in the direction of Salem, and Capt. Richardson

broke camp and retreated. The deputy sheriff had not traveled more than

two miles when a posse of armed men met him and demanded Bush, and he,

supposing that they were a part of the Kuklux command, turned him over.

They took him about two hundred yards and shot him to death. The next

morning, before daylight, Col. Tracy charged upon the late camp of

Capt. Richardson, but found it had been vacated.

The Kuklux began a regular, organized system of raiding the Union men's

houses, especially the officers of the civil law, posting written

notices, ordering their resignations at once, and if they attempted the

arrest of any Kuklux, death would be the penalty. They posted a picture

of a coffin with the notice, at the same time ordering all influential

Union men to leave the state at once, under the penalty of death. In

about two weeks the governor ordered a part of the seventh regiment of

state guards to Fulton county, to be stationed on Bennett's river, and

to complete the organization of the regiment with all possible speed;

Col. Dail was placed in command.

After my return home, I organized three companies, commanded by Capt.

F. M. Monks, Capt. Nicolas and Capt. Rice. About three days after the

regiment reached Fulton county, the writer rejoined his regiment with

three companies, one hundred Springfield rifles and one thousand

rounds of cartridges for each gun, and soon completed the organization

of the regiment; he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the regiment.

The governor had sent arms and ammunition up White river, but the

Kuklux captured and sunk the boat with all the arms and ammunition. The

governor said that my arrival saved the north part of the state from

the control of the Kuklux, as he would not have been able to procure

arms for months. The regiment began an active campaign at once, by

which they came into possession of the intentions, aims, secrets and

oaths of the order; found that the order extended up into Missouri,

along the state line. It was a complete military organization. The

intention was to overturn the state government by intimidating the

civil officers of the state, and with this purpose in view they

procured a human skull and two thigh bones, and while the member was

looking on these bones the following oath was administered by the grand

cyclops:

"We (or I, as the case might be) do solemnly swear before Almighty God

and these witnesses, and looking upon these human bones, that I will

obey and carry into effect every order made by any cyclops or assistant

cyclops, and if I fail to strictly conform and execute every order

made as above required of me, unless I am prevented from some cause

which shall be no fault of mine, or if I shall give any information to

any person or persons except members of this order, that the doom of

all traitors shall be meted out to me, and that my bones may become

as naked and dry as the bones I am looking upon. And I take this oath

voluntarily, without any mental reservation or evasion whatever, for

the causes set out in said order, so help me God."

After the oath had been taken the persons taking said oath were

ready for duty. The intentions and aims of this organization were to

intimidate the civil officers and, if necessary to the accomplishment

of their aims, to kill and murder all officers of the state by

assassination or drive them from the state. All civil officers of

the state were at once notified to tender their resignations and to

cease to discharge their official duties as peace officers, and if

they failed to comply with said order, death would be the penalty The

governor and all the state officers received the same order; all Union

men that were influential in the state were ordered to keep themselves

in doors or be driven from the state, or be murdered by assassination.

The following words, with pictures of coffins, were attached to said

notices:

"If you fail to comply with this notice, this coffin will be your final

resting place."

The Kuklux organization, having but one object and aim, to turn the

state government over to the control of the late rebels or Democratic

party of the state, was a complete secret military organization with

the most desperate means to-wit: Murder, by assassination whenever

ordered by a cyclops or assistant cyclops.

A grand cyclops took the place of a colonel. An assistant cyclops

lieutenant-colonel. An order from one of these officers to shoot any

man was final, from which there was no appeal; and men were selected to

execute said order by the most desperate oath known to man or history.

This kind of warfare, being inaugurated throughout the whole state,

with a thorough understanding that their organization would revolt

against the civil authorities of the state government, and had the day

set throughout the whole state.

On the same day that Captain Simson Mason was assassinated in Fulton

county, Ku-Klux attempted to assassinate Governor Clayton in Little

Rock. They were seen in considerable numbers near the state capitol,

after night, all wearing masks. They notified the governor, that they

intended to capture and take possession of the state capitol by a

force, if he did not resign his office as governor; the danger became

so great that he barricaded the state house, as he had but few state

troops. The whole state was invaded by the Kuklux at the same time

and they commenced raiding the state in bands of from twenty-five to

two hundred and fifty men; all wore masks and large rubber pouches

concealed by a cover. They visited the Union men and colored men's

houses and raided the whole country generally, proclaiming that they

were dead rebels who had been shot on the different battlefields during

the civil war and that they had come back to rid the state of black

republicans and carpet-baggers.

They would claim that they were very thirsty, that they never had a

drink of water since they had been killed at the battles of Gettysburg,

Corinth, Vicksburg, and other big battles. They would call on the

colored people to bring them a bucketful and one of their number would

pour the whole bucketful into his pouch and called for more water,

making the colored people believe that they drank the water; then

they would give the colored people orders not to be caught off their

plantations, and if so caught, the penalty of death would be inflicted;

many of the influential colored people were shot down. The author saw a

number of fresh graves of the colored people that had been shot by the

Kuklux; saw holes in windows in houses in towns and villages that had

been shot through after night, while men were reading, who had been

notified to resign their offices or stop using their influence in favor

of the enforcement of the civil law.

The author remembers passing some colored people on the side of the

road; one old colored woman cried out at the top of her voice "Lawd,

massa, massa are you men hunting dem dar Kuklux? Wi, da told us dat

bullets wouldn't kill them. I fought we could fight live men but

when it come to fightin dead men, don't know what to tink about it.

Wi dey come to our house, rode up to de fence called for water; said

they hadn't any water since the battle of Shiloh. Wi, one man drank a

bucketful, and den call for mo. I thought to my soul that they would

never get enuf water." The author replied, "Auntie, when these rebels

are killed, they never get back here; the bad man keeps them to build

fires for him. These Kuklux are the men that ran away from the battle

of Shiloh and have just crawled out of their dens. That's why they are

masked." The old woman said, "Dat what I thought bout it." While the

Kuklux were raiding the country they visited an old darkie's house and

gave him three day's notice to leave the country; and if he failed to

leave they would visit him again and death would be his penalty. In

about three or four day, twenty-five or thirty Kuklux rode up to his

cabin in the night and called for him; he was armed with an old U. S.

musket; he fired into the crowd and killed one of the band and then ran

and made his escape.

Part of the regiment received orders to report to General Upham,

who was stationed at Cottonplant, on White river, leaving Captain

Richardson in charge of the forces in Fulton county and Captain Toney

in charge of the troops in Izard and Sharp counties. The regiment broke

camp and marched by way of Jacksonport and on their arrival went into

camp on the Wadel farm, two miles below Jacksonport. The Kuklux had

declared that we should not march through Jacksonport. A brother-in-law

of Mr. Wadel from North Missouri invited the writer to supper; the

writer believing that a trap had been fixed to decoy him outside of the

lines took one lieutenant and a posse of men and went to his house; on

our arrival, we found a bountiful supper; had every thing that a hungry

man could wish; had eggnog served in silver cups with silver spoons.

The residence was about forty-two by twenty feet; two large rooms with

a ten-foot hall between, with kitchen on west side, fine portico, with

about ten or twelve negro cabins, about sixty to one hundred feet from

the dwelling-house. Just before supper I noticed eight or ten men

come in on foot dressed in gray clothing. I at once ordered my men

to be ready at any moment and to not let them get the drop on them.

Just about the time that most of my men were through eating supper,

I noticed that some of the men that came in to the supper table had

arms on their persons and noticed that the negroes were excited. I

stepped out at a back door and just as I entered the hall door I saw

the landlord approaching the room where my men were seated at the table

with a navy pistol cocked in his right hand, holding it behind his

back. Just as he attempted to open the door where my men were seated at

the supper table, I sprang forward and grabbed his pistol and wrenched

it out of his hand, and said to him, "Don't you dare to attempt to

shoot one of my men." He turned around facing me and said "I went all

through the Civil war and you are the first men that ever disarmed

me." In a moment my men had pistols in hand ready for action, and I

noticed some of the men that came dressed in gray had pistols in their

pockets. I remarked to them, "I came here on an invitation; I am here

as a guest, I wish to treat all persons as gentlemen, especially the

landlord and his family; but this hostile move made upon the part of

the landlord and the presence of these armed men shows me that there is

something wrong." I ordered my men to fall in line and return to the

camp. His wife appeared to be a perfect lady and her husband appeared

to be under the influence of whiskey. He agreed that if I would release

him, he would go into his room and stay there until my men had all

returned to the camp. After he had gone into his room, I gave his

revolver to his wife on her promising not to give it to him until the

next morning.

I learned from Mr. Wadel's brother-in-law that he came from northern

Missouri at the commencement of the war and at about the close of the

war he married his sister; that he was a cyclops and came to Fulton

county in the Kuklux raid, and that the men who came that evening were

all Kuklux, that if I had gone alone to his supper, I would have been

killed.

The next morning we broke camp and resumed our march. On the regiment

arriving at Cottonplant, Col. Dail reported to Gen. Upham and we were

ordered into camp. As soon as the citizens of the city learned of my

arrival, they requested Gen. Upham that I be invited to deliver a

speech in the city hall; that they had heard and read of Col. Monks

and they wanted him to deliver an address to the people at early

candle-light on the present condition of the state. There were about

seven or eight hundred men stationed at the post. After supper, the

adjutant sent an order by an orderly to detail about fifty men for a

patrol guard; that the soldiers had broken into the warehouse and were

taking out whiskey and other articles. I ordered the detail to be made

and report at headquarters for further orders. Our headquarters were

not more than forty yards from the warehouse. I spoke in an audible

voice, "Now, we claim that our mission as soldiers is to protect

persons and property. I want you to see that your guns and pistols

are well loaded, and go direct to the warehouse first and arrest all

soldiers that you find in or about the warehouse and take them to the

guardhouse and there keep them safe until further orders, and patrol

the city closely. Order all soldiers and officers who have not passes

to be inside of their quarters in thirty minutes, and if you find any

soldiers on the street after thirty minutes, arrest them and take them

to the guardhouse; if they resist you, shoot them; and if you have to

shoot, shoot to kill." About that time some man near the warehouse

called out: "Who in hell are you? This whiskey is Kuklux whiskey,

and we will take what we please." I replied, "If we cannot enforce

discipline over the soldiers, we will go back home and send others; you

will find out who I am if you wait until the patrol gets there."

I ordered the officer to sound the reveille. Inside of thirty minutes

every soldier was inside of his quarters. The citizens said that such

a thing had not occurred since the post had been established. Capt.

Sharp was reckless when drinking; he had mutinied and the men that were

disposed to be wild had terrorized the people of the city. Gen. Upham

had failed to enforce discipline over Capt. Sharp and his company.

Capt. Sharp had ridden up and down the streets before the regiment had

arrived and proclaimed, "when Colonel Monks arrives we will clean all

the Kuklux up." The citizens were considerably frightened on my arrival

in August, but after they saw how completely I enforced discipline

everything became quiet, they appeared to be perfectly secure in person

and property.

On the next night, at early candle light, the large hall was filled.

After being introduced by Gen. Upham, I spoke in part as follows:

"Gentlemen and fellow citizens of Arkansas: I am from your sister

state, Missouri, and I am very sorry to find you people in the state

of war. War is not very pleasant; it has its effects upon society;

demoralizes the morals of the people, besides the great sacrifice

of life and property. Besides this, it alienates those who should

be brethern and makes them bitter enemies. Your people may ask the

question, what right have you Missourians to come down into our state?

My first answer will be, Captain Simpson Mason was but recently

assassinated in Fulton county, near the state line, while in the

discharge of his official duty. At the commencement of the civil war

he was a citizen of Fulton county, Arkansas, and I was a citizen of

Howell county, Missouri. Both of us were unconditional Union men.

Both of us were driven from our homes and posses of men from your

state, regardless of the state lines, scouted our county, murdering

and driving out Union men, women and children and hung and shot down

loyal men. Captain Mason and I met in the early part of the war of

the rebellion and soon become fast friends. Served together during

the war. When peace was made we determined to go back home. Men would

meet us and say "If you men go back among the old rebels who hate you

so badly they will kill you." Our reply would be, "Damn a man that is

afraid to go back and enjoy the fruits of his victory." We met and

pledged our sacred honor to each other that if, after our return to our

old homes, either one of us was killed by the late rebels, the other

would do all in his power to bring the guilty parties to justice. A

better and truer man never lived than Captain Simpson Mason. Each of

us came back with the olive leaf in his mouth. Now I don't say that

all rebels are Kuklux, but I will say all Kuklux have been late rebels

and have organized a secret organization, the objects and aims of

which are to overturn the civil government of your state by murder and

intimidations, through the most vile and desperate means known to man,

the savage not excepted. Besides your organization extends into the

border counties of Missouri and as the rebels thought right to cross

the state line during the Civil war, we think it right to cross it

now to help our loyal brethern, and these are the causes that brought

us to your state. We don't want booty. We want to see the civil law

enforced, and we ask your cooperation, and promise you, that all law

abiding citizens, be they Union or rebel, shall be protected in person

and property during our stay in your state and we intend to enforce the

very strictest discipline among our troops. I hope by the cooperation

of the people of your state this unholy war will soon cease." At the

conclusion of the speech they gave three cheers for Missouri troops.

[Illustration: MAKING A PLEDGE--Col. Wm. Monks and Capt. Simpson

Mason.]

On the third day after our arrival at Cottonplant, Captain J. B.

Nicholas' and Captain Sharp's companies were ordered to be detached

from the regiment and placed under the command of the author and

ordered to march at once and report at Marion, the county seat of

Crittenden county for further orders. On our arrival at Marion we were

ordered to proceed directly to Osceola, the county seat of Mississippi

county, Arkansas and to erect a military post and issue an order

ordering all the persons that were armed to come in and take the oath.

On our arrival at that place to report the same to the Governor of the

state. I issued the following general order:

"To the people of the state of Arkansas, especially the citizens

of Mississippi county; greeting; whereas a part of the people,

disregarding their duties as good law-abiding citizens, have by

and through a secret organization known as Kuklux revolted against

the civil government of the state of Arkansas and are now armed

and attempting by murder and intimidations to overthrow the civil

government of the state, now therefore, by the authority in me vested

and as commander of said post, do order all persons who may be in

armed hostility to the present government and those who may be by act

or deed aiding or encouraging those who are in arms against the legal

constituted laws of the state to return to their allegiance and aid in

enforcing the civil law. And any person who may be found from and after

this date armed or aiding or abetting those who are in arms against the

civil law of the state will be promptly arrested and punished to the

extent of the law.