Fort Smith: Cradle of The First Southern Free State

(Fort Smith: Cradle of The First Southern Free State - continued)

that those returning should have cheerful, not sullen, obedience to the laws and measures of the government.
     In the latter part of September, tempers still flared over injustices, real or perceived, during the Union occupation of Fort Smith.
     Valentine Dell, The New Era's editor, appears to have been a person who was willing to call a spade a spade and hang the consequences. On April 1, 1865, in The New Era Dell printed "The name of Blunt, like Hindman is to the people of Northwest Arkansas, all that is bad and despicable in human nature.
     May 6, 1865, found General Blunt in Fort Smith and he left the next day for his new command at Fort Gibson.
     Late September, 1865, Blunt was visiting in Fort Smith from Fort Gibson and met Dell on the street and accused him of slandering him in print in the April 1, 1865, issue of the paper. Dell reported that Blunt then attempted to have one of the disgraceful, rowdy scenes he was famous for, but he, Dell, would have none of it and walked away.
     On the next night, Blunt gathered a group around him, evidently where many could hear, and denounced Dell in "language that got the disgust and indignation of every man there present.
     Of course, the incident was reported back to Dell with the jibbing that 'Dell wouldn't dare publish any expose of General Blunt.' "Friends have warned me of assassination," Dell said, "but if I fall by the hand of the mid-night assassin, be he grey or blue or street ruffian, I die in the line of duty and defense of truth!" and he proceeded to print the expose.
     Dell printed a story of how Blunt's Kansas troops had been allowed to strip the country of clothing, stock, and valuables of every kind, even pictures. Immense stores of corn, wheat, and fodder were recklessly wasted and destroyed and houses burned as the Rebel guerrilla troops were doing. Some storekeepers with

    questionable practices had been allowed to come into the town under Blunt's administration and Dell said "volumes could be said about them.
     Through the previous years time, Dell had made several unfavorable references to people within Blunt's command such as Major E. A. Calkins, 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry who Blunt entrusted to important positions in the running of the Fort Smith post. Calkins had been carried over into General Thayer's Administration and Dell and others had warned Thayer that Calkins would be a problem for him. In fact, it was such a problem. that Dell had been prevailed upon by the town's citizens the year before to go back to Washington, after his trip to the National Union Convention, and see President Lincoln about the questionable things going on in Fort Smith under Thayer's rule. Dell said "President Lincoln said, 'Yes, your friend Blunt, too, has been swindling the government as much as the present command at Fort Smith ( Thayer)." Dell said he told the President that "Blunt is no friends of ours" and that President Lincoln told Secretary Stanton to inspect affairs in Arkansas. The result was a new commander (Bussey) who was not slow in reforming the crying abuses existing all over the state.
     Dell's parting shot in the September 30, 1865, article was that it was good to have a commander (like Bussey) who cared for something else besides cock fighting, fast horses, and fast women (like Blunt)!

Ms. Pollan listed numerous sources for her material. Due to time and space constraints we have not added them here. This piece was published, with complete footnotes, in The Journal, Vol VI, No. I, April 1982. She also included numerous maps and pictures of many of the military men & battlefields she commented on. We hope to add these in the near future.