Date Original
1850
Description
This collection contains a special message written by Governor John Seldon Roane to John R. Hampton, President of the Arkansas Senate, regarding the Tutt and Everett War in Marion County, Arkansas. Roane writes about sending in Allan Wood, the Adjutant General of Arkansas, to maintain order in Marion County. Wood raised two companies of men, one commanded by Captain Mitchell and the other by Captain Denton. This document describes the events that took place from Governor Roane's perspective.
Biographical/Historical Note
John Seldon Roane was born in Lebanon, Tennessee, January 8, 1817. He moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1837, where he studied law under his older brother Samuel Calhoun Roane, a wealthy slaveholder. John Roane was active in politics and was elected the first prosecuting attorney of the Second Judicial District in 1840. In the Mexican War, Roane raised a regiment which became part of the First Arkansas Mounted Rifles, and was elected lieutenant colonel. After the war, he returned to Pine Bluff, where he practiced law. He became Arkansas's fourth governor in a special election on March 14, 1849, narrowly defeating Cyrus W. Wilson. In Marion County, Arkansas, between 1840s and 1850s a family feud was fought between the Tutts and the Everetts, also called the King and Everett War, that claimed the lives of approximately fourteen people. The Marion County sheriff, Jesse Mooney, was aligned with the Everett family and had been sheriff since 1844. On October 9, 1848, the feuding came to a head when Simmions Everett was killed ,along with several other people, in a shootout between the Tutts, the Kings, and the Everetts before what was to be a town meeting in Yellville. Some of the King family left the county, at which point Mooney and the Everetts went to bring them back to Marion County for trial in the murder of Simmions Everett. The group arrested the King men but before they could be brought to trail four of them were killed and two escaped. Governor Roane issued an order on September 16, 1849 to Allan Wood, the Adjutant General of Arkansas, to maintain order in Marion County. Wood raised two companies of men, one commanded by Captain Mitchell and the other by Captain Denton.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Arkansas; Tennessee
Language
English
Identifier
SMC.015.001
Resource Type
Text
Collection
John Seldon Roane address, SMC.015.001
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
John Seldon Roane address, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
