Hindman, Fort
A Confederate fortification at
Arkansas Post, Ark., on the
Arkansas River, 73 miles southeast of
Little Rock.
In the winter of 1862-63,
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General Sherman and
Commodore Porter planned an attack upon the fort.
General McClernand, who had arrived and taken the chief command, accompanied the expedition from near
Vicksburg.
The troops landed, about 25,000 strong, 3 miles below the fort, on Jan. 9, 1863, and were led by
Generals McClernand,
Sherman,
Morgan,
Steele,
Stewart,
A. J. Smith, and
Osterhaus. Porter had a strong flotilla of
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Plan of the attack on Fort Hindman. |
armored and unarmored gunboats.
The latter, moving on, shelled the
Confederates out of their rifle-pits; and on the 11th the army moved against Fort Hindman.
When the gunboats opened fire upon it,
Morgan's artillery covered the advance.
After a fight for about two hours, the
Confederates raised a white flag, while troops, which had stormed the works, were swarming over them.
The
Nationals lost 977 men, of whom 129 were killed.
The spoils were about 5,000 prisoners, seven cannon, 3,000 small-arms, and a large quantity of stores.
The fort was blown up, and property which could not be carried away was destroyed.
