History of Arkansas Post, (Arkansas County) Arkansas United States of America

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Arkansas Post, Ark., Jan. 10-11, 1863. 13th and 15th Army Corps and Part of the Mississippi Squadron. After the defeat of Sherman at Chickasaw bluffs, in the last days of Dec., 1862, he was superseded in command of the river expedition by Maj.-Gen. J. A. McClernand. One of the first acts of the New Commander was to carry out the orders of the war department and divide the army into two corps, designated the 13th and 15th. The former, commanded by Brig.-Gen. George W. Morgan, consisted of Steele's and Stuart's (formerly M. L. Smith's) divisions. The Latter, Under Sherman, was composed of the divisions of A. J. Smith and Osterhaus. On the 5th the entire force left Milliken's Bend, on board the transports, accompanied by the gunboats Dekalb, Cincinnati, Louisville, Glide Rattler, Lexington and Black Hawk, and the ram Monarch for the reduction of Fort Hindman, at Arkansas Post, on the Arkansas River. McClernand's principal reason for this move was that armed detachments from the fort could easily descend to the mouth of the Arkansas, where they could seriously interfere with the opening of the Mississippi.

The village of Arkansas Post occupies the first high ground to be found on ascending the river, and the fort stood on the bluff, where it commanded an unobstructed view of the river for a mile each way. It was a square, full-bastioned work about 100 yards on a side. It had a parapet 18 feet across, was surrounded by a ditch 20 feet wide and 8 feet deep, was provided by strong casemates, and well protected by outlying lines of rifle-pits. The armament included one 8- inch and two 9-inch columbiads and 14 field guns, and the garrison numbered about 5,000 men under the command of Brig.- Gen. T. J. Churchill. The gunboats, followed by the transports, proceeded up the Arkansas River and late on the afternoon of the 9th halted about 3 Miles Below the fort. During the night and the morning of the 10th the troops were disembarked, and at 11 o'clock Sherman's corps began the advance on the Fort. Steele's division, after skirmishing with the enemy's pickets a while, encountered a swamp, and in passing around it lost the road and did not rejoin the corps until the following Morning. Stuart moved up the river road to the first line of rifle-pits reaching that point in time to see the Confederates in full retreat toward the fort, the line of defenses having been subjected to an enfilading fire from the gunboats. Lindsey's brigade of Osterhaus' division, with four 10-Pounder Parrott Guns and a company of cavalry, was landed at Fletcher's and moved across the bend to a position opposite the fort, to cut off retreat in that direction. De Courcy's brigade was left to guard the transports at the landing, and the rest of Morgan's Corps was united with that of Sherman for the general assault on the fort.

The night was passed without fires or tents and by 10:30 a. m. on the 11th everything was ready for the attack. The gunboats moved up to within a few hundred yards of the fort and opened fire with the entire armament of 66 guns. As soon as the sound of firing from the boats was heard by the land forces the 45 pieces of field artillery were also brought into action, and for the next half hour the roar of cannon was almost deafening. At the end of that time the guns of the fort were silenced, the infantry advanced with Steele on the right, then Stuart, next A. J. Smith, and Sheldon's brigade of Osterhaus, division on the extreme left. By 1:30 p. m. four brigades had made their way across a narrow space of cleared ground and found a lodgment in a ravine, within short musket range of the Confederate lines. The artillery was then pushed forward, Lindsey's guns on the opposite side of the river getting a position from which an oblique fire could be poured into the rifle pits, carrying away a battle flag and Killing A Number of men. About 3 o'clock the lines were reformed to some extent and preparations made for a general and final assault, when suddenly White flags appeared at several places above the ramparts. Orders were at once given to cease firing, though the Union troops were so disposed as to preclude all possibilities of escape, after which Sherman and Morgan Rode into the fort and demanded a surrender. One of the Confederate brigade commanders refused the demand and asseverated that the White flags had been displayed without authority. Churchill, however, took a more philosophical view of the situation and, as the Federals were already practically in possession of the fort, told his subordinate that there was nothing left but to comply with the demand. He then sullenly ordered his men to stack arms, and at 4:30 formally turned over the fort to McClernand. The Confederate loss was about 200 in killed and wounded, 4,791 were sent north as prisoners, while the fort, with all its stores of arms and ammunition, 17 pieces of artillery, 7 stand of colors, including the garrison flag, 563 horses and mules, and A Large Number of wagons fell into the hands of the victorious assailants. The Union loss was 134 killed, 898 wounded and 29 missing.

SOURCE: The Union Army A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. 8 vols. Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908.

History of Arkansas Post, (Arkansas County) Arkansas

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