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Date Original
1861 April 23
Description
Letter from C.C. Danley to W.W. Mansfield about the upcoming attack on Fort Smith with 500 men and eight pieces of artillery under Major Borland. Danley also requests Mansfield to return to the convention on the 6th of May so that the conservatives can maintain control.
Transcription
[Page 1] Steam Boat Tahlequah
Ap. 23rd 1861
Hon. W.W. Mansfield
Dear Sir:-
Enclosed I send
a slip from which you will
see that in our Judge Walker has
called the convention on the
6th of May. I hope to be at
home by that time. I think
the conservative men of the
convention should take
charge of the affairs of the
state, and prevent the
wild Secessionists from
sending us to the devil.
Lincoln's administra-
-tion has committed the
overt act and I am now
for war with it. We are
going to attack Fort Smith,
if it will not surrender
without an attack. We have
a battery of eight pieces of
artillery and when our
force concentrates, exp-
-ect to have about 500
men. The party(?) is under the
command of Col Bordland
the only man in the state that
I know to be fit to command
such an expedition
a reinforcement of 9 compan-
-ies is expected at Fort
Smith. If that has an [illegible],
we
[Page 2] We will have to cut off
their supplies and call
for more help from
the adj(?) counties.
In that view of the case,
our friends at Ozark, who
desire to do so, might form
a company and await
a call for their services
The war has commanded.
You know that, from the
first, I was for the Union.
Now that the "overt act"
has been committed we
should, I think, wield the
sword, and not sheathe
it until we can have
a guaranty[sic] of all of our
rights, or such then
as will be bearable to
the south.to go to the convention.
I think it of the last
importance that
conservative men should
continue to contrive this
action. Truly your friend
C.C. Danley
[Page 3] P.S.
The Union men above
I have met are all for
war. I think [illegible] [illegible]
there is a majority of
union men or those
who were union were a
few days ago.
Physical Description
Letter, 3 pages, 12.75" x 8"
Subjects
Correspondence; Civil War; Military maneuvers; Secession; Political activity
Contributor
C.C. Danley
Geographical Area
Fort Smith, Sebastion County (Ark.)
Language
English
Identifier
MS.000123, Box 1
Resource Type
Text
Collection
William W. Mansfield collection, MS.000123
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Letter, C.C. Danley to W.W. Mansfield, William W. Mansfield collection, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
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