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Civil War in Arkansas I Introduction, Causes, And Beginning The Civil War • 1861-1865 • Began at Fort Sumter and ended at Appomattox Court House. • United States vs. Confederate States • Abraham Lincoln vs. Jefferson Davis • More than 600,000 deaths due to the Civil War. The Civil War (Cont.) • Cost the U.S.A. $6.19 billion. • Cost the C.S.A. $4 billion. • Destroyed property valued at $5 billion. • Gave freedom to 4 million slaves. • It still affects this country today. Long Term Causes • • • • • • • • • Economic DifferencesNorth-Industry South-Agriculture Beliefs about the role of governmentNorth-Strong central government South-States’ Rights SlaveryNorth-Opposed South-Supported Yellow=Free Light Green=Slave Talk of Secession • People in the South were beginning to discuss leaving the Union. • This made Arkansas very unstable. • There was a long standing division between slave and nonslave areas. • People new that to secede would mean war, but they believed it would be a short, two month war with a Southern victory. Party Changes in AR • The national Whig party had broken apart over the issue of slavery. • This left Arkansas Whigs without a home. • Also the Democratic “Family” that had ruled the state’s government was the weakest it had ever been. • In 1860 the first governor of the state of Arkansas not to be supported by the family was elected. Thomas Hindman • Hindman moved to Helena, AR, from Mississippi in the 1850s. • He was at first an ally to the “Family”. • He broke away from them in the late 1850s and gave his support to Henry Rector who was running for governor against the “Family’s” candidate Richard H. Johnson. • Rector won. National Politics • At this same time the entire country was focused on the Presidential race. • The Democratic Party had split and nominated two candidates-Stephen A. Douglas and John C. Breckinridge. • The new Republican Party had recently formed and was against the extension of slavery into new lands. • The Republican Candidate was Abraham Lincoln. • Lincoln was believed to support abolition and wasn’t even put on the ballot in the South. • Former Whigs in Tennessee nominated John Bell, a Constitutionalist, for president. • In the election of 1860, Arkansas voted along what was left of party lines. • Breckinridge-28,783 votes. • Bell-20,094 votes. • Douglas-5,227 • No votes in Arkansas went for Lincoln. Lincoln Wins • Lincoln won a clear victory with 180 electoral votes. • Breckinridge carried Arkansas and 10 other slave states but only received 72 electoral votes. The Question of Secession • Would the Southern states have to secede from the Union to keep their slaves? • The Southern doctrine of states’ rights was their means to justify secession. • Most Arkansans wanted to wait and see what would happen with this new president before deciding. • Governor Rector warned Arkansans they might soon have to make a decision, “the Union without slavery, or slavery without the Union. Stay or Leave • Even after South Carolina and three other states had left the Union, Arkansas was reluctant to act. • South and eastern Arkansans demanded quick action to secede. • North and western Arkansans pleaded for caution and patience. • January 15, 1861 the General Assembly called for a vote of the people. • They voted to have a secession convention to decide. Meanwhile… • While Arkansas was still deciding the seven states that had seceded formed the Confederate States of America. • They elected Jefferson Davis their president. • Some Arkansans got tired of waiting. • A group of armed extremists took over the U.S. Army Arsenal in Little Rock. • The commander there surrendered to avoid bloodshed. The Convention • Met for two weeks of debate and turned down the chance to secede by a vote of thirty-nine to thirty-five. • Soon after this vote, South Carolina fired on Fort Sumter. • In response for this Lincoln called for troops. • In Arkansas Governor Rector refused Lincolns request for volunteers. • The question was now if it comes to war, which side are we on? Arkansas Decides to Secede • David Walker called the convention back into session on May 6, 1861. • After a few hours of discussion all but five men voted to secede. • Walker called for a second ballot in effort to make the vote unanimous. • Only one man, Isaac Murphy refused to change his vote to stay in the Union. • Ladies threw bouquets of flowers at him from the balcony for his courage. Rushing Off to War • Young men who feared the war would be over before they could join rushed to enlist in the Confederate and Union armies. • In almost all Arkansas towns military companies formed, chose officers, and picked fancy names. • Some units had uniforms, others wore homespun. • The men brought their own weapons. Support for the War • Women sewed bright flags and made uniforms. • They urged men on. • If a man was to slow to sign up, a woman would send him a petticoat, a symbol he wasn’t a real man. • Before it was all over, 60,000 Arkansans would serve. • This was more than 1/3 of the adult white male population in Arkansas. Units in Arkansas • The state had… –36 infantry regiments. –15 cavalry regiments. –13 artillery regiments. Most of these would end up serving outside of the state. Part of the Confederate Army • The Third Arkansas Infantry Regiment joined the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862. • As the war continued volunteers quit coming and the confederacy began drafting soldiers. • Sixteen Arkansans reached the rank of general in the Confederate army. • The most famous general was Patrick Cleburne, who was said to be the best division commander in the Western Theater. Fighting for the Union • Not all men from AR fought for the C.S.A. • 8,289 white Arkansans served in the Union Army. • This was more than any other Confederate state except Tennessee. • One of these men, William Ellis, was the first Arkansan to win a Medal of Honor. • More than 5,500 African American Arkansans also joined the Union forces. First Fighting • The divided state of Missouri would set the stage of the first major battle for Arkansas. • Confederate supporters called for help. Arkansas responded along with Texas. • Along with the troops from Missouri, they formed a fighting force of 12,000 men. • These amateur armies met the Union army of 5,400 at a place called Wilson’s Creek. The Battle of Wilson’s Creek • The Battle of Wilson’s Creek took place on August 10, 1861. • The battle lasted all morning. • The total casualties-number of men killed, wounded, or missing-were 1,300 on the northern side and 1,200 on the southern side. • Wilson’s Creek was an early example of an indecisive battle. The Union had left, but the Confederates were to weak to follow up on their victory. • Missouri was still controlled by Unionist.