Battle of Fort Hindman: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

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Battle of Fort Hindman

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	Battle of Fort Hindman
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	Topics Battle of Fort Hindman Topic Home 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 RiverArkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River.... at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, as part of the Vicksburg CampaignVicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of battles and maneuvers in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed agai... of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War Summary The American Civil War was a sectional conflict in the United States of America between the federal government and 11 Sout... . Background The Confederate Army constructed an earthen fortification near Arkansas Post, forty-five miles downriver from Pine BluffPine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States.... , to protect the Arkansas River and as a base for disrupting shipping on the Mississippi RiverMississippi River The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning 'great river' , is the longest river in the U... . The fort was named Fort Hindman in honor of General Thomas C. HindmanThomas C. Hindman Summary Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a United States Representative from the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas and a Majo... of ArkansasArkansas Arkansas is a Southern state in the United States. ... . It was manned by approximately 5,000 men, primarily TexasFacts About Texas Texas is a state in both the Southern and Western region of the United States of America.... cavalry and Arkansas infantry, in three brigades under Brig. Gen.Brigadier General Brigadier General is the lowest rank of general officer in some countries, usually ranking just above Colonel and just below... Thomas J. Churchill. UnionUnion Army The Union Army refers to the United States Army during the American Civil War.... Maj. Gen.Major General Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries.... John A. McClernand was an ambitious politician and had permission from PresidentPresident of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state of the United States.... Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln , sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Gre... to launch a corps-sized offensive against Vicksburg from Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, of which it is the county seat.... , hoping for military glory (and subsequent political gain). This plan was at odds with those of Army of the TennesseeArmy of the Tennessee The Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River... commander, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was an American soldier and politician who was elected the 18th President of the United States .... . 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 MississippiArmy of the Mississippi Army of the Mississippi was the name given to two Union armies that operated around the Mississippi River, both with short e... , 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 ConfederateConfederate States Army The Confederate States Army was formed in February 1861 to defend the Confederate States of America, which had itself been f... trenches, and the enemy retreated to the protection of the fort and adjacent rifle-pits. Flag OfficerFlag Officer A Flag Officer is a naval officer of a high rank entitling him to fly a personal flag, especially on his flagship.... 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 ironcladFacts About Ironclad warship Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were wooden ships or ships of composite construction sheath... s 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.Brigadier General Brigadier General is the lowest rank of general officer in some countries, usually ranking just above Colonel and just below... 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 MississippiArmy of the Mississippi Army of the Mississippi was the name given to two Union armies that operated around the Mississippi River, both with short e... : MG John A. McClernand XIII CorpsXIII Corps (ACW) XIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.... : BG George W. Morgan 1st Division: BG Andrew J. Smith 1st Brigade: BG Stephen G. BurbridgeStephen G. Burbridge Stephen Gano Burbridge, also known as "Butcher" Burbridge or the "Butcher of Kentucky", was a controversial Union Major Gene... 2nd Brigade: Col William J. Landram 2nd Division: BG Peter J. Osterhaus 1st Brigade: Col Lionel A. Sheldon 2nd Brigade: Col Daniel W. Lindsey 3rd Brigade: Col John F. DeCourcy XV CorpsXV Corps (ACW) XV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.... : MG William T. Sherman 1st Division: BG Frederick SteeleFrederick Steele Frederick Steele was a career military officer in the United States Army, serving as a major general in the Union Army durin... 1st Brigade: BG Francis Preston Blair, Jr.Francis Preston Blair, Jr. Francis Preston Blair, Jr. was an American politician and Union Army general during the American Civil War.... 2nd Brigade: BG Charles E. HoveyCharles Edward Hovey Charles Edward Hovey was an educator, college president, pension lobbyist and a brevet major general in the United States Ar... 3rd Brigade: BG John Milton ThayerJohn Milton Thayer John Milton Thayer was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum United States Senator from... 2nd 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 gunboatFacts About Gunboat A gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns.... s, including the USS Black HawkUSS Black Hawk (1848) The USS Black Hawk was a dual stack side-wheel river steamer built in 1848 at New Albany, Indiana and purchased by the U... , USS Lexington, USS Signal, USS New Era, USS Romeo, USS Rattler, USS Glide, and the ironclads USS Baron DeKalb, USS LouisvilleUSS Louisville (1862) The first USS Louisville was an ironclad centerwheel steamer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.... , USS Cincinnati, and USS Beardsley. Confederate order of battle Fort Hindman Garrison: BG Thomas J. ChurchillThomas James Churchill Thomas James Churchill was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War and a governor of the state of Arkansas... 1st Brigade: Col. Robert R. Garland 2nd Brigade: Col. James Deshler 3rd Brigade: Col. John W. Dunnington