C. F. M. Noland
Charles Fenton Mercer Noland was an influential figure in early Arkansas political and literary history, born around August 23, 1810, in Loudoun County, Virginia. He moved to Batesville, Arkansas Territory, in 1826, during a pivotal time when the territory was striving for statehood. Noland was an active political player, known for his vocal opposition to the Democratic Party, and served as the editor of the Batesville Eagle, where he shared his political views and sought various office nominations, although he faced repeated electoral defeats.
In 1836, he was selected to deliver the Arkansas Constitution to Washington, D.C., but upon arrival found that Congress had already admitted Arkansas into the Union. Despite his political setbacks, Noland found his niche in writing, adopting the pseudonym Colonel Pete Whetstone to craft humorous sketches that captured the essence of hillbilly culture in Arkansas. His work was published in the New York journal, The Spirit of the Times, and included over forty-five letters between 1835 and 1856. These writings have become an invaluable resource for understanding the early statehood of Arkansas. Noland passed away from consumption on June 23, 1858, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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Subject Terms
C. F. M. Noland
Representative
- Born: August 23, 1810?
- Birthplace: Loudoun County, Virginia
- Died: June 23, 1858
- Place of death: Little Rock, Arkansas
Biography
Charles Fenton Mercer Noland was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, most probably on August 23, 1810. In 1826, his family moved to Batesville, a town in the Arkansas Territory. At that time, the Arkansas Territory was attempting to establish statehood. Noland became heavily involved in politics and was known for his outspoken opposition to the Democratic Party.
After moving to Batesville, Noland edited the Batesville Eagle. As editor of the newspaper, he published his political theories and promoted his nominations for various political offices. He also was a candidate for several state offices but failed in every political race he entered.
In 1836, members of the Arkansas territorial legislature began pursuing statehood for the territory. That year, constitutional delegates wrote a state constitution, which needed to be approved by the U. S. Congress. These delegates nominated Noland to hand deliver this constitution to Congress members in Washington, D.C. However, Noland, fearing a winter storm, chose a southern route to the capital city. When he finally arrived in Washington, D.C., Noland learned that a copy of the Arkansas Gazette with a printed version of the constitution had already arrived in the mail and that Congress had already admitted Arkansas to the union.
Despite his many political misfortunes, Noland found success as a writer. He was best known for his humorous stories written under the pseudonym Colonel Pete Whetstone and published in a New York journal, The Spirit of the Times. These sketches, printed in a series between 1835 and 1856, depicted the hillbilly culture of Arkansas through fictitious letters written by Whetstone. Noland published more than forty-five Pete Whetstone letters, and in the following generations these letters proved a valuable resource for the study of early Arkansas statehood. Noland died from consumption on June 23, 1858, in Little Rock, Arkansas.