Date Original
1851
Description
This collection contains one federal court memorandum dated January 5, 1851, for proof of murder of "old man McCollum."
Biographical/Historical Note
A bill to divide the state of Arkansas into two judicial districts was passed on March 3, 1851, and signed by President Millard Fillmore. The two districts became the Eastern and Western District Courts. The Western District was centered in Van Buren. Judge Daniel Ringo of what had become the Eastern District of Arkansas traveled to Van Buren in May and November of that year to preside over the court. The document from this collection is from one of the early cases in the Western District court. In 1851, Richard and Anna Fool, two Cherokees, gave proof of the murder of "old man McCollum" for the case. Dick Benge, a half-blood Cherokee, was sentenced for the murder of a white man, to be hung on the 1st day of April. The crime was committed in the Cherokee Nation. A stay of execution was granted in this case, and it is not clear if he was ever executed.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Arkansas
Language
English
Identifier
SMC.026.001
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Richard and Anna Fool federal court memorandum, SMC.026.001
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Richard and Anna Fool federal court memorandum, 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
