Robert C. Newton
Encyclopedia
Robert C. Newton was a noted lawyer and Confederate
General in Arkansas
during the American Civil War
. He is most remembered for his involvement in the Brooks-Baxter War
. Robert C. Newton Camp # 197 of Little Rock was named for him and was the oldest continually run camp of the Arkansas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans
, as well as the oldest continually active camp west of the Mississippi River
.
. Son of Thomas W. And Eliza Allen Newton. His father had been a state legislator and a representative in the 28th Congress. Newton was also the grandson of Col. John Allen, who was killed leading his regiment at the Battle of River Rasin, January 22, 1813.
Newton was educated at the Western Military Institute in White House, Tennessee
. He studied Literature at the University of Nashville, Tennessee
and studied mathematics and languages with a private tutor. He was admitted to the bar in 1860 and practiced law in Little Rock.
in an article published in the Arkansas State Gazette
, on Saturday, December 22, 1860, announcing that, The young men of this city favorably disposed toward a Military organization which may do the ‘State some service,’ have formed under the title of the ‘Pulaski Artillery,’ and have elected Rob’t C. Newton, Captain; Wm. E. Woodruff, Jr., 1st Lieut.; L. B. Brown, 2d Lieut. and Wm. H. Causin, 3d Lieut. He resigned in early 1861 and went into the cavalry
service. He joined the Confederate army as a private in 1861 and was promoted lieutenant and assistant adjutant-general on the staff of Thomas C. Hindman
. He took part in the battles of Woodsonville
, Shiloh
, Siege of Corinth
, Prairie Grove
, Helana
, Little Rock, and Jenkin's Ferry. He was regularly promoted, becoming colonel of the 5th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, and was acting brigadier general in command of the Arkansas state troops at the close of the war. He was a commissioner from Arkansas to authorities at Washington in 1866 to secure representation for the state in congress.
for treason
during the Civil War and brought him to Little Rock
, the state capital. After the Civil War, when Elisha Baxter was governor, Baxter appointed Newton Major General
in charge of the state militia. During the coup by Joseph Brooks
known as the Brooks-Baxter War, Newton was the commander of the Baxter militia. After the war, Governor Baxter appointed Newton as state treasurer.
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He is most remembered for his involvement in the Brooks-Baxter War
Brooks-Baxter War
The Brooks–Baxter War was an armed conflict in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the United States, in 1874 between factions of the Republican Party over the disputed 1872 election for governor...
. Robert C. Newton Camp # 197 of Little Rock was named for him and was the oldest continually run camp of the Arkansas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans is an American national heritage organization with members in all fifty states and in almost a dozen countries in Europe, Australia and South America...
, as well as the oldest continually active camp west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Up bringing
Born in Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. Son of Thomas W. And Eliza Allen Newton. His father had been a state legislator and a representative in the 28th Congress. Newton was also the grandson of Col. John Allen, who was killed leading his regiment at the Battle of River Rasin, January 22, 1813.
Newton was educated at the Western Military Institute in White House, Tennessee
White House, Tennessee
White House is a city in Robertson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 7,220 at the 2000 census. According to the city website a special census was conducted in 2008 that placed the city population at 9,891 residents, with 3,587 households within the city limits...
. He studied Literature at the University of Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and studied mathematics and languages with a private tutor. He was admitted to the bar in 1860 and practiced law in Little Rock.
Confederate Service
Robert C. Newton is mentioned as the first commander of the Pulaski Light ArtilleryPulaski Light Artillery
The Pulaski Light Artillery was a Confederate Army artillery battery from Pulaski County, Arkansas, during the American Civil War...
in an article published in the Arkansas State Gazette
Arkansas Gazette
The Arkansas Gazette, known as the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River, and located from 1908 until its October 18, 1991 closing at the now historic Gazette Building, was for many years the newspaper of record for Little Rock and the State of Arkansas...
, on Saturday, December 22, 1860, announcing that, The young men of this city favorably disposed toward a Military organization which may do the ‘State some service,’ have formed under the title of the ‘Pulaski Artillery,’ and have elected Rob’t C. Newton, Captain; Wm. E. Woodruff, Jr., 1st Lieut.; L. B. Brown, 2d Lieut. and Wm. H. Causin, 3d Lieut. He resigned in early 1861 and went into the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
service. He joined the Confederate army as a private in 1861 and was promoted lieutenant and assistant adjutant-general on the staff of Thomas C. Hindman
Thomas C. Hindman
Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a lawyer, United States Representative from the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
. He took part in the battles of Woodsonville
Battle of Rowlett's Station
The Battle of Rowlett's Station was a land battle in the American Civil War, fought in the whistle-stop station of Rowlett's in Hart County, Kentucky, on December 17, 1861...
, Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, Siege of Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
, Prairie Grove
Battle of Prairie Grove
The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on 7 December 1862, that resulted in a tactical stalemate but essentially secured northwest Arkansas for the Union.-Strategic situation: Union:...
, Helana
Battle of Helena
The Battle of Helena was a land battle of the American Civil War fought on July 4, 1863, at Helena, Arkansas. Overshadowed by the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the Battle of Helena secured eastern Arkansas for the Union.- Union forces :...
, Little Rock, and Jenkin's Ferry. He was regularly promoted, becoming colonel of the 5th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, and was acting brigadier general in command of the Arkansas state troops at the close of the war. He was a commissioner from Arkansas to authorities at Washington in 1866 to secure representation for the state in congress.
Involvement in the Brooks-Baxter War
He arrested Elisha BaxterElisha Baxter
Elisha Baxter was the tenth Governor of the State of Arkansas.-Biography:Elisha Baxter was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Baxter received an appointment to the United States Military Academy but his father would not allow him to attend.In 1852 Baxter moved to Arkansas and opened a...
for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
during the Civil War and brought him to Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, the state capital. After the Civil War, when Elisha Baxter was governor, Baxter appointed Newton Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in charge of the state militia. During the coup by Joseph Brooks
Joseph Brooks
Joseph Brooks was a Republican politician in Arkansas after the Civil War. He is mainly remembered for losing the 1872 gubernatorial race in Arkansas and then leading a coup d'état, now referred to as the Brooks–Baxter War, in 1874.-Early life:Joseph Brooks was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and worked...
known as the Brooks-Baxter War, Newton was the commander of the Baxter militia. After the war, Governor Baxter appointed Newton as state treasurer.
See also
- List of Arkansas Civil War Confederate units
- Arkansas in the American Civil WarArkansas in the American Civil WarThe state of Arkansas was a part of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, and provided a source of troops, supplies, and military and political leaders for the fledgling country. Arkansas had become the 25th state of the United States, on June 15, 1836, entering as a...
- Arkansas Militia in the Civil WarArkansas Militia in the Civil WarThe units of the Arkansas Militia in the Civil War included militia organizations to which the current Arkansas National Guard has a connection: the militia, Home Guard, and State Troop regiments raised by the State of Arkansas. Like most of the United States, Arkansas had an organized militia...