[5] He moved to the frontier region of Sebastian County, Arkansas in 1858 and began practicing in Greenwood shortly thereafter.Upon his return to Arkansas, Fishback established a pro-Union newspaper called The Unconditional Union, urging voters to ratify the new state constitution that abolished slavery and repudiated secession.After serving as a federal treasury agent following the conclusion of the Civil War, Fishback returned to Sebastian County, reopened a law office in Fort Smith and spent the next decade building his practice into one of the most prosperous in western Arkansas.Failure to pay the Holford debt created credit problems for the state that lasted well into the 20th century.Fishback served as governor until 1895 when he left public office and worked to attract business to the state.