General Stephen Wheeler served as clerk of the United States Court for the Western District of Arkansas during the time that Judge Parker reigned as judge of that district. He was at the same time clerk of the Federal circuit court at Fort Smith, a division of the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Stephen Wheeler was born February 28, 1839, in Hammondsport, Steuben County, New York, He was an early volunteer in the Federal Army, enlisting as a private September 1, 1861. During his service in the army, he served alternately as private, sergeant, first lieutenant and captain in the engineer, infantry and cavalry branches of the service. He was attached to the seventh army corps and took part in the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove and Newtonia.

After his discharge in April 1866, he settled at Powhatten, Ark. While there he was appointed assistant assessor of internal revenue, then he was made assessor and later collector., He escaped with a bullet through his right shoulder when two would-be assassins tried to kill him in 1868.

In 1869 Mr. Wheeler was made quartermaster general of militia with the rank of brigadier general. He held this office until 1873. He was elected auditor of the state in 1872. This office was held by him until 1874 when he was taken out of office by the adoption of a new constitution.

In 1875 General Wheeler was appointed clerk of the United States Criminal Court for the Western District of Arkansas and also clerk at Fort Smith of the Federal Circuit Court for the Eighth Judicial Circuit. He held the latter office until his death on August 20, 1897.

As clerk of Judge Parker's court, he issued 18,877 writs for the arrest of persons charged with nearly every crime named in the decalogue, including those who were released after examination and those who were held with or without bail to await action by the grand jury. He held this position for twenty-two years.

Forty-seven of these letters and documents when purchased from a dealer, were pasted on sheets in a loose-leaf notebook. They have been detached, and arranged in chronological order. The table of contents prepared by the dealer, titled "Hell on the border," is filed at the end of the letters. The other 331 letters were purchased from Orion Book Store, Fort Smith, Ark. on Nov. 16, 1937.

The letters bearing dates later than Mr. Wheeler's death pertain to the clerks who followed him in office. All letters are to Stephen Wheeler, Fort Smith, Ark., unless otherwise stated.