Battle of Fort Hindman

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Fort Hindman /
Battle of Arkansas Post


caption="Bombardment and capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, Ark. Jany. 11th 1863", by Currier and Ives.
partof=the American Civil War
date=January 9 – January 11 1863
place=Arkansas County, Arkansas
result=Union victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1861 United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA|1861 CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=David D. Porter
John A. McClernand
commander2=Thomas J. Churchill
strength1=Army of the Mississippi
strength2=Fort Hindman Garrison
casualties1=1,047
casualties2=5,500|

The Battle of Fort Hindman, or the Battle of Arkansas Post, was fought from January 9 to January 11 1863, near the mouth of the Arkansas River at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War.

=Background= The Confederate Army constructed an earthen fortification near Arkansas Post, forty-five miles downriver from Pine Bluff, to protect the Arkansas River and as a base for disrupting shipping on the Mississippi River. The fort was named Fort Hindman in honor of General Thomas C. Hindman of Arkansas. It was manned by approximately 5,000 men, primarily Texas cavalry and Arkansas infantry, in three brigades under Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Churchill.
Union Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand was an ambitious politician and had permission from President Abraham Lincoln to launch a corps-sized offensive against Vicksburg from Memphis, Tennessee, hoping for military glory (and subsequent political gain). This plan was at odds with those of Army of the Tennessee commander, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. McClernand ordered Grant's subordinate, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, to join the troops of his corps with McClernand's, calling the two corps the Army of the Mississippi, approximately 33,000 men. He launched his quest for glory on January 4 with a combined army-navy force movement on Arkansas Post, rather than Vicksburg, as he had told Lincoln (and did not bother to inform Grant or general in chief Henry W. Halleck).

Battle

Union boats began landing troops near Arkansas Post in the evening of January 9 and the troops started up river towards Fort Hindman. Sherman's corps overran Confederate trenches, and the enemy retreated to the protection of the fort and adjacent rifle-pits. Flag Officer David D. Porter, on January 10, moved his fleet towards Fort Hindman and bombarded it, withdrawing at dusk. Union artillery fired on the fort from positions across the river on January 11, effectively silencing most of the Confederate guns in the fort, and the infantry moved into position for an attack. Union ironclads commenced shelling the fort and Porter's fleet passed it to cut off any retreat. As a result of this envelopment, and the attack by McClernand's troops, the Confederate command surrendered in the afternoon, despite orders to Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Churchill that he must defend the fort at all costs.

The results of the battle were 6,547 total casualties: Union forces suffered 1,047, with 134 killed; Confederate about 5,500, almost all by surrender. Although Union losses were high and the victory did not contribute to the capture of Vicksburg, it did eliminate one more impediment to Union shipping on the Mississippi. Grant was furious at McClernand's diversion from his overall campaign strategy, ordered him back to the Mississippi, disbanded the Army of the Mississippi, and assumed personal command of the Vicksburg Campaign.

Union order of battle

Army of the Mississippi: MG John A. McClernand

XIII Corps: BG George W. Morgan
1st Division: BG Andrew J. Smith

*1st Brigade: BG Stephen G. Burbridge
*2nd Brigade: Col William J. Landram2nd Division: BG Peter J. Osterhaus

*1st Brigade: Col Lionel A. Sheldon
*2nd Brigade: Col Daniel W. Lindsey
*3rd Brigade: Col John F. DeCourcy

XV Corps: MG William T. Sherman
1st Division: BG Frederick Steele

*1st Brigade: BG Francis Preston Blair, Jr.
*2nd Brigade: BG Charles E. Hovey
*3rd Brigade: BG John Milton Thayer2nd Division: BG David Stuart

*1st Brigade: Col Giles A. Smith
*2nd Brigade: Col Thomas K. Smith

Naval forces: Flag Officer David D. Porter

Fifty transport ships and 13 gunboats, including the "USS Black Hawk", USS "Lexington", USS "Signal", USS "New Era", USS "Romeo", USS "Rattler", USS "Glide", and the ironclads USS "Baron DeKalb", USS "Louisville", USS "Cincinnati", and USS "Beardsley".

Confederate order of battle

Fort Hindman Garrison: BG Thomas J. Churchill
1st Brigade: Col. Robert R. Garland
2nd Brigade: Col. James Deshler
3rd Brigade: Col. John W. Dunnington

References

*Eicher, David J., "The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War", Simon & Schuster, 2001, ISBN 0-684-84944-5.
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/ar006.htm National Park Service battle description]