During the Civil War, thousands of Arkansas civilians became displaced and relied on either the Federal or Confederate governments to provide basic necessities. This strained military resources and commanders searched for ways to make these refugees self-sufficient. With many Unionist families in northwestern Arkansas, Federal commanders created a program that allowed groups to grow subsistence crops and work together to provide mutual self-defense from enemy units. The colonies in northwestern Arkansas were established around the families of white Unionists, while other colonies in central and eastern Arkansas were populated by freedmen and their families.The land used by the families was not officially seized by the Union army or any other organization. Rather, the civilians at the farm colonies were technically squatters.
By the spring of 1864, the war had taken a toll on the agricultural output of the area; thousands were forced to move to Federal posts for subsistence. By May 1864, about 1,000 refugees were at Fort Smith and another 1,000 were at Fayetteville, relying on support from the Union troops. Some commanders distributed food while others gave cash to women and children in need.
US Col Harrison of the First Arkansas Cavalry wanted to help refugees provide their own sustenance and by May 1864 was using a home-guard company to guard farms near Pea Ridge. An order soon followed that authorized the establishment of companies to guard loyal farms. Harrison set out to create a system of military farm colonies across the region. At the same time, Gen Reynolds ordered the commander of Fort Smith, Gen Bussey, to establish units of soldiers to farm using government-supplied implements and animals. Any food grown at these farms would take some of the pressure off already stretched Federal supply lines.
Harrison set out instructions for establishing the colonies. To begin the process for each colony, at least 50 men who were capable of bearing arms and who would sign an oath of loyalty to the Union were required. Their families would settle together and farm one large tract of land; each was responsible for their own crop and relied on one another only for mutual defense. The land was distributed by vote, each family received all they wished to farm. In order to defend themselves effectively, the colonies were required to construct a blockhouse or small fort. All people living within 10 miles of a colony were required to be recorded on a roster; any who refused were deemed to be rebels.
The colonies grew a number of subsistence crops, corn, potatoes, onions, and wheat and fodder crops such as hay and oats for farm animals. Other services were offered at some colonies. A blacksmith shop, church, and public school were all available to members of the colony.
Four colonies were created in the areas of Fort Smith and Van Buren under the direction of Bussey. Another 17, spread over several counties, were under the command of Harrison. About 1,200 men, along with women and children, lived in these 17 colonies. The colonies under Harrison put around 15,000 acres of land back into agricultural use, taking some of the supply strain off Federal forces. Governor Isaac Murphy recognized the success of the project and pushed Harrison to establish additional colonies, but the officer was unable to do so because he lacked enough men to protect the colonies.
The colonies were successful in offering mutual protection for Union families while providing for their own protection from possible Confederate and guerrilla threats. Some of the men did participate in active field operations against Confederate forces during the war, although most never saw action. One company operated in the field for almost a year, while 2 others participated in defending Fayetteville from enemy attack on Nov 3, 1864.
Gen Bussey did not approve of the colonies and worked to undermine any success that might come from the experiment. Col Harrison was Bussey’s direct subordinate, and the two did not agree on the necessity of the colonies. Although Bussey consistently reported to Little Rock that the experiment was not only unnecessary but likely to fail, he was unable to stop Harrison from supporting the colonies. Despite this lack of support, the colonies were successful in easing the strain on Federal outposts and in providing self-defense forces that could effectively protect the civilians in northwestern Arkansas.
The end of the war saw the end of the colonies. As landowners returned to reclaim their property, families working the land were forced to leave. While the colonies existed for only a year during the war, they did provide an effective way for civilians to become self-sufficient.
No comments:
Post a Comment