Complex sentence: The force marched overland through swamps, lugging supplies and artillery, reached the New Madrid outskirts on March 3, after a brief engagement with a small contingent of the Missouri State Guard under Brig.
Split into simpler sentences: The force marched overland through swamps, lugging supplies and artillery. It reached the New Madrid outskirts on March 3, after a brief engagement with a small contingent of the Missouri State Guard under Brig.