Charles P. Bertrand

Publisher & Editor of the Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas Gazette

04/06/1830

No. 15 - Whole No. 535

A NEW PAPER - "The Arkansas Advocate," published in this place by Mr. Charles P. Bertrand, made its first appearance on Wednesday last. It is printed on a super-royal sheet, on new materials, and the arrangement of the matter which it contains, and its typographical execution, are highly respectable. We are particularly pleased with the Editorial Address, (which we publish below), and with the friendly and pacific disposition which it manifests towards this paper. Entertaining as we do, the strongest dislike for newspaper disputes, and desiring to cultivate peace and friendship with out neighbor, our readers may rest assured that it will be a long time before collisions will arise between the Gazette and Advocate, if they do not arise until they begin with the former.

Arkansas Gazette

05/24/1836

XVII - No. 23 - 1024 1836

MARRIED, On Thursday, the 28th ult., near Frankfort, Ky. by the Rev. Mr. Fall, Charles P. Bertrand, Esq. Treasurer of Arkansas, to Miss Mary H. daughter of John Morriss, Esq. of Franklin county, Ky.

Buried at Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas

Thank you for adding the piece on Charles P. Bertrand. He was my great x 3 grandfather on my mother's side and was one of the first settlers in Little Rock. His mother Eliza Wilson Bertrand Cunningham was the first "white woman" resident of Little Rock and his step-brother Chester Cunningham was the first white child born in Little Rock. His step-father was Dr. Matthew Cunningham the first mayor of Little Rock. Dr. Cunningham came here in 1819 and his family followed in 1820. They are all buried in Mt. Holly Cemetery.

Bertrand's father was killed during a slave uprising in 1809 while inspecting his coffee plantations in Haiti. The family lived in New York City at that time. His mother Eliza came from a wealthy Scottish family.

In addition to being the publisher of Arkansas' 2nd newspaper The Arkansas Advocate he was an attorney, mayor of Little Rock, state legislator, planter and businessman. He was acting mayor of Little Rock during the War for Southern Independence ( a.k.a. the U.S. Civil War) and surrendered the town to U.S. Gen. Steele when the state government fled to the southwest. Prior to the war he was able to prevent the Arkansas Militia from attacking the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock during the absence of Governor Rector who was out of state. Had the militia proceeded the war would have begun here instead of at Ft. Sumner in South Carolina.

Bertrand apprenticed in the original Arkansas Gazette office under William Woodruff beginning at a very young age. Woodruff stayed in the Cunningham home at 3 rd and Main prior to moving the Gazette from Arkansas Post to Little Rock. Chester Ashley (later U.S. Senator) and his wife were boarders of the Cunningham's at that time as well.

He was trained as an attorney under Robert Crittenden, Secretary of the Arkansas Territory, and sold the Advocate to Albert Pike, Esq. upon his entering the legal profession. He was married to the niece of Robert Crittenden, Miss Mary Hannah Morris in Frankfort Kentucky. The Crittendens were a powerful political family in Kentucky who were allied with Andrew Jackson.

Bertrand corresponded with Abraham Lincoln during the federal occupation and at least 4 of his letters are in the Lincoln Archives of the Library of Congress. He met with Mr. Lincoln in July of 1864 on behalf of the citizens of Little Rock. He was thankful to Gen. Steele, for during the federal occupation, women and children were not molested, nor was the city burned, sacked, or pillaged. He has been credited for preventing Little Rock from coming to the same fate as Atlanta under Gen. Sherman.

Although wealthy land-owners, powerful politicians, and southern aristocrats before the war, the Bertrand's lost everything in a very short period of time at the conclusion of the war. It is a part of the family history but thus far unproven that Charles P's father, Pierre Bertrand was the brother of Napoleon's General and Aide du camp, Henri Bertrand who followed Napoleon into exile and brought his body back to France after his death. Henri Bertrand is buried in a tomb next to Napoleon in Paris. It is rumored that Henri's wife Fannie was a mistress of Napoleon, but whether or not this is true, it is a fact that they were very close.

My father's family is from Polk County where they homesteaded after the war. They were Primitive Baptists and shunned society; living as simple farmers and craftsmen. They were preachers but accepted no compensation for their religious work. Prior to moving to Polk County they lived in Johnson County. The McMillans settled in the Carolinas during the "evictions" imposed upon the Scottish by the British during the mid to late 1700's and moved west with the Cherokees during the famous Trail of Tears as they did not trust the government and wanted to be as far from government control as possible.

My father's mother's family were in Polk County prior to the war. Part of their family settled in Texas in the 1830's and established Fort Parker. This is where the famous raid by Comanche and Kiowa Indians resulted in the capturing of Cynthia Ann Parker and others. Cynthia Ann later became the wife of Comanche Chief Peta Nacona. Her son became Chief Quanah Parker, the fierce and last chief of the Comanches. My father heard the story of Fort Parker and Quanah Parker from his grandmother as a very young child. His family was uneducated and he dismissed the story as another Indian story until he learned as an adult that the story was historical fact.

I am proud to be a 5th and 6th generation Arkansan on every branch of my family tree. My ancestors were pioneers and fiercely independent. Many people do not understand why I remain in Arkansas when I could make a better living elsewhere. I guess it's just in the blood.

Thank you for all that you do to promote Arkansas!

Sincerely,
Mike McMillan
330 Madison Place Cir.
Benton, AR 72015

Mike.McMillan @ arkansas.gov
 

1815 - 1850