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Re: ? on Arsenals
In Response To: ? on Arsenals ()

Pam

I can't help you on finding a "list", but I can say the article is incomplete.

The United States Arsenal at Little Rock, Arkansas was commanded by Capt. James Totten. It was lay siege by Arkansas Militia under the command of Maj. Gen. James Yell and surrendered by Capt. Totten to the Govenor of the State Henry M. Rector, on Feb 6th, 1861, three months before Arkansas seceeded, on May 6th, 1861, from the Union AFTER Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to fight against the southern states.

Capt. Totten's heritage, was that he was born in Pittsburg, Penn. 11 September, 1818 ; died in Sedalia, Missouri, 1 October, 1871. He was graduated at the United States military academy in 1841, became 1st lieutenant in 1847, engaged in the Florida war against the Seminole Indians in 1849-'50, and became captain in 1855. He aided in quelling the Kansas disturbances in 1857-'8, and in expelling intruders from the Indian reserves in Kansas and Arkansas in 1860. After his surrender of the Little Rock, Arsenal, He remained loyal to the Union and served during the War in Missouri under General Lyons and rose to the rank of Brig. General. Certainly he was NOT a southerner in command of this Arsenal.

In this surrender Govenor Rector assured Capt Totten that he would be personally responcible, as Govenor, for the United States Property in the Arsenal until Arkansas came to a decision on its official status. There were in fact three secession Conventions held in Arkansas, from January to May 1861. The result of the first two Convention were solidly in favor of remaining in the Union. It wasn't until war was certain, that Lincoln was going to use force rather than deplomacy to settle the southern states question, that the scales tipped to the other side.

In April 4th, 1861, local militia at Pine Bluff, in Jefferson County, Arkansas again under the command of Maj. Gen James Yell, Arkansas State Militia, stopped Steamboats on the Arkansas River to inspect and sieze U.S. Government stores being shipped to the U.S. garrison at Fort Smith, Arkansas. Again Governor Rector ordered that all Government store be held and secured by county officials, until a decision was made. This seizing of government stores at Pine Bluff was done in responce to military stores of Artillery, bought by the people of Pine Bluff, being siezed at Cincinnate, Ohio the previous month, March 1861.

All of this while Arkansas was still "Officially" a state in the Union of United States, and had said that it intended to remain so by the vote of TWO Secession Conventions.

I know that this all has very little to do with your quest for arsenal information, But I am simply pointing out that this thing of seizure or securing of Arsenal, military stores and goods was being carried on by both side. And was not as simple as we are lead to believe by general history books and newspaper articles.

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