The Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Little Rock Arsenal
In Response To: Re: Little Rock Arsenal ()

It would seem that when we back away from the "microscope" of Arkansas in our studing, that the whole south was "on fire", in January with 6 additional states seceeding. I believe that the "Star of the West" had a great influence on those decisions. They saw the Federal Government using the "Jackson Threat, of big stick diplomacy" a repeat of the 1832 Nullification Crisis.

Combine that with the fact that Totten had only recently arrived a couple of month's before and the fact that his arrival had closely followed the news that Lincoln had been elected and the political stance of the republican party and their praise of John Brown and his willingness to forment a slave rebellion had to have had the people of Arkansas on edge.

While Totten, because of his Arkansas connection was socially very popular in Little Rock, outside of Little Rock he was a repersentive of that same Federal Government. And while it was hoped that maybe he would not be hostile, he did in fact fortify the Arsenal building for defence.

The last part of this whole odd thing is that the majority of the voters in Arkansas were NOT in favor of secession. It wasn't until mid April that this attitude changed. And while everyone seems to think that this change was brought about by Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops after Fort Sumter, It would seem that it was the Governor of the State of Missouri, who informed Arkansas that Missouri was going to seceed and that Arkansas had better get off the way.

In effect if Arkansas didn't seceed and Missouri did, Arkansas would have been completely isolated from the rest of the United States by the "New" Confederate States.

Messages In This Thread

Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Correction!!!
Question for Bryan
7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: 7th Arkansas Battalion
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal
Re: Little Rock Arsenal