This is what happened to the Court Records of Crawford County in 1877 and the reason we have an extreme amount of difficulty locating any previous records. The records were destroyed during the Civil War when General Blunt's forces captured Van Buren as well. $500 REWARD! Proclamation by the Governor, Whereas it has come to the knowledge of the Executive, that on the night of the 28th of March, 1877, the Court House at Van Buren, in Crawford County, in this State, was set on fire and burned, (thereby destroying the Records and papers of said County) by some unknown person or persons: Therefore, I, W. R. Miller, Governor of the State of Arkansas, by virtue of the authority as vested in my by the Constitution and laws of said State, do hereby off a Reward of FIVE HUNDERED DOLLARS for the arrest and conviction of said unknown person or persons, who committed said offense. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the State to be affixed at Little Rock, on the 30th day of March, 1877. W. R. Miller, Governor. Fran Alverson Warren