Statesmen, Scoundrels, and Eccentrics: A Gallery of Amazing Arkansans

Robert Crittenden

Robert Crittenden In the era of term limits, a thirty-year-old state senator might be referred to as a “veteran” legislator. Robert Crittenden, the man who essentially created the government of Arkansas in the first place, was only twenty-two years of age when he took office as the territorial secretary , the number two official in the new territory, in . Within the meteor that was Robert Crittenden can be found so many of the unusual characteristics that composed Arkansas’s messy frontier democracy. Born in  into a politically powerful Kentucky family, Crittenden’s brother, John J., was an influential U.S. senator. Young Robert joined the U.S. Army in  and served through , when he commenced the study of law. With the considerable political assistance of his brother the senator, Crittenden was named secretary of the newly created Arkansas Territory in , a position akin to being both secretary of state and lieutenant governor. Robert Crittenden was not the only ambitious young man in Arkansas.Andrew H. Scott, named a territorial judge the same year as Crittenden’s appointment, was all of thirty years old. William E. Woodruff, who was so small of stature that he was called “Little Billy,” was a mere twenty-four when he established the first newspaper in Arkansas. Robert C. Oden was appointed Pulaski County clerk in  but had to surrender the office when it was discovered that he was a minor. The Federal legislation that created Arkansas Territory took effect on July , , and Crittenden lost no time in relocating to Arkansas Post, the territorial capitol. In contrast, the newly appointed governor, War of  hero Gen. James Miller, did not arrive until the end of the year. In the absence of the governor, Crittenden assumed the duties of acting governor and set about to create a governmental structure for the new territory. The acting governor convened the federally appointed   ANTEBELLUM POLITICIANS territorial legislature, which soon adopted laws establishing a governmental infrastructure.When the legislature adjourned and the governor was still nowhere in sight,Crittenden began filling positions in state government . He also named all officials in the territory’s five counties. Crittenden’s most significant move as acting governor was issuing a decree that recognized Arkansas as a territory of the second class, a gesture that allowed the territory its own legislature and delegate to Congress—and set Arkansas on a fast tract to statehood. Crittenden immediately called a special election to select the legislature and congressional delegate. Governor Miller finally made his arrival in Arkansas Post on December , ,landing at the wharf in a large barge draped in flags. He was surprised and peeved to discover that acting governor Crittenden had already created a state and local governmental system and in the process had become the most powerful politician in the state. Crittenden’s power grew so strong that the various presidentially appointed governors were little more than figureheads. Gov. George Izard had the misfortune of arriving in Little Rock when Secretary Crittenden was out of town, and he was unable to get a briefing on territorial affairs until the secretary returned. Enemies referred to Crittenden as the Cardinal Wolsey of Arkansas politics, referring to King Henry VIII’s conniving lieutenant. Crittenden inspired intense loyalty from a wide spectrum of Arkansas residents. Albert Pike was a lowly frontier schoolteacher when Crittenden met him in  and immediately brought the young educator under his wing. Years later, Pike wrote of Crittenden: “He was a man of fine presence and handsome face, with clear bright eyes, and unmistakable intellect and genius,frank,genial,one to attach men warmly to himself, impulsive, generous, warm-hearted, an abler man, I think, than his brother John J. Crittenden [Kentucky governor, fivetime U.S. senator, and U.S. attorney general under three presidents].” The fluid nature of frontier politics allowed for flexible political loyalties .Congressman HenryW.Conway,the thirty-one-year-old scion of a large and powerful frontier family that included the shrewd and ambitious William Rector and Ambrose Sevier, was a loyal Crittenden lieutenant at first but later became Crittenden’s arch enemy. In  Secretary Crittenden and Congressman Conway met on the east bank of the Mississippi River in a duel that resulted in Conway’s death. Crittenden’s political power waned with time,especially after losing the support of the only newspaper in the state. His killing of Congressman Conway turned many of his old supporters...