Quitman, Van Buren County, Ark., June 10, 1865.
Lieutenant Colonel John Levering,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Seventh Army Corps,
Department of Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark:
General: I dislike very much to so often trespass upon your time, knowing the vast amount of business that necessarily comes before a district commander and of greater importance than this can possibly be, but seeing from your letter of the 25th ultimo that you did not understand me in regard to the kind of commands I wish disarmed, hence it is I trouble you again. It is not your home colony companies, composed of good, honest citizens, whose antecedents are clear and will do justice to all parties, I object to. Something of this kind I hope will soon be established for our protection, as we have been paroled in good faith and wish to return to our homes and again resume our several avocations unmolested; but it is these squads or companies that you call jayhawkers or marauders, which are very numerous in our country, and call themselves independent companies, I object to, headed by Chris. Denton, Thomas Kampton, Dick or Nath. Williams, and others, who say what they do is under the direction of the U. S. authorities. About the 1st of this month, after I had ordered my men to gather up all arms and U. S. property and report at Jacksonport, in pursuance to General Orders, No. 8, issued from General M. Feff. Thompson’s headquarters, for the purpose of being paroled, some of these illegal bands above spoken of caught one of my men, held him as a prisoner of war, and perhaps have killed him; did not at least permit him to report and be paroled; took four or five guns that had been collected, pillaged a house, and even took out of it feather beds. These are the squads or kind of men that our paroles are no protection for us in any way whatever, and when we lay down our arms at the same time we lay down our lives, should we offer to return to our homes. And these are the bands we are so desirous and respectfully ask that you disarm, and not any legal body of men that you may authorize, for we well know the position you occupy, and your better judgment would dictate that such men would not restore order and peace in the country, and, of course, are not recognized by you.
I am, general, very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
A. R. WITT,
Colonel Tenth Arkansas Regiment
[Indorsement.]
Headquarters U. S. Forces
Searcy, Ark., June 11, 1865.
Upon consultation with Colonel Witt, who desired me to indorse this paper without sending it through his intermediate commanders, to whom I generally report, I have the honor, in complying with his desire, to respectfully indorse his within-given opinion in regard to these bands calling themselves “independent companies. ” I have no doubt whatever that these depredators are jayhawkers and not members of home colonies properly authorized. These robbers are very quiet at present, but if some protection is not granted, paroled insurgents and other peaceably disposed men will be, to say the least, insecure in the pursuit of agriculture, &c. The case is therefore respectfully submitted to You.
…………..Very respectfully,
OTTO F. DREHER,
Captain, Third Minnesota Veteran Volunteer infantry,
Commanding Detachment, and Acting Assistant Provost- Marshal.