Memphis Daily Appeal
Tennessee
May 29, 1861
Reports have been circulated of the advance of Jim Lane and his men into Arkansas from the State of Kansas, but little attention was paid to them until yesterday, when some fifty women, many of them with children, entirely without protectors of the other sex, arrived in this city by way of the Little Rock railroad and ferry-boat. They were generally from Madison and adjoining parts of St. Francis county. One of the gentlemen on the same train stated that information had been received of the presence of Lane on Black river, between Pocahontas and Jacksonport. He said he was one of a committee appointed at a meeting of the citizens of Madison to request Gen. Bradley, and also Gen. Pillow, to send troops and arms to their defense. He also stated that Gov. Rector had telegraphed Gen. Bradley to hasten with what troops could be spared from his command, and meet the invading enemy. John D. Adams, of the steamboat Notrebe, yesterday received a dispatch from George Morrison, of Little Rock, informing him that great excitement existed there in consequence of the prevalence of a report of the same tenor as given above. We were informed that dispatches had been received from Mr. Morrill, editor of the Des Arc Citizen, which stated that the steamboat Mary Patterson had arrived at that place, and her people informed them that the story of Lane and his men being on Black river was false; also that a thousand Arkansas troops were on the watch on the Missouri line to prevent invasion. This dispatch came in last evening. The Mary Patterson had twelve tuns of lead on board, brought overland to a point on the river, from Iron Mountain, Mo.; there was more to come. It was also confidently stated that Gen. Harney with Lincoln troops was at Ironton, the termination of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain railroad.