Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-01-26
Our Army Correspoudeuce--.r
Down the Ohio and ,,ississippi-
Capture OF Arkansas Post-Death of
CAPTAIN & win.


Z 5 GuNBoAr CHILLTcoTHE,
ARKANSAS PosT. Arkansas RivrR,
January l3. 1863.
EDIroRs SENTINEL: Since am no longer in
the Army of The Potomac. and since. in imitation
OF Father Abraham aud Others. IL j. fashionable
TO change bases, have concluded. with your per-
mission. Ia change my correspondence from
procla Emancipation sheet To bona hde
butternut one-to paper that eutertalns the sen
timents of the army and navy.
! had contemplated to give YOU description of
our departure over the falls from Jacksonville,
Ind, and Of the entertainments given 10 the Off
GERS Of the ChilIcothe by the very bospitable PEG
pie of Jacksonville and New Albany. and of our
trip down the mOnOtouous Ohio, and OF the sui
generis appearance of Cairo by day and rs very
beautiful appearance from, the river at hight
with its gunboats and its hundred steaur trans
ports-and description OF the once 6ndable
Fort Columbus aud OF Island No 10. aneBf Fort
Pillow. and of Memphis and its prese,ltysppear
ance IN contrast with what il was beiurSthe re
bellion. and OF the magnificent feet of transports
at Helena. Ark. and OF the army that Is there,
under command of Generals German, Hovey and
Slack, aud particularly OF the Indiana troops
there. and OF divers other things that might be
entert,ining-as, for instance, the heroic, god
like death of Captain Gwin. of the gunboat Ben
ton. (who, 10y the way. was an lndanian,) but
can but repeat his dying words. They were: IL
give my love TO my wiie-my life To my country .
de killed in the attack OH VIcksburg. |
should also have liked to have described Admiral
Porter and all of his OIL cers, and particularly the
HOOser Captains that are in command at boats
composing the Admral's fleet; but | can but re-
peat their names, viz: Captain James L. Foster.
Captain Pritchet, Captain George Brown, Cap
tain Leroy Fitch, ms must devote this letter to
description oil the great naval land victory at
this Post on the III inst
On the night OF the 10th inst, Admiral Porter
feet attacked the Post. and after very terrific
cannonade hauled OFT until morning. In the
meantime General McClernand had fanked the
enemy, SO that should the gunbpats attack that
was To be renewed Oh the llth lust, be success
iul, he would I've able To bag the rebel forces. In
other words il seemed To me that the progra mine
for the lth inst was like the game ot snipe.
The army held the bag and light. and the navy
drove IN the game. la the afternoon OF the day
above mentioned the ball opened aud after "A
very genteel balance alp the work went bravely
on Such another terrific caunouaie the gun
boats kept up was never before equdled OH this
continent Our guns from the river dismrunted
every gun in the fort, casemateJ Or otherwise
One large pivot gun was shot into: one shell
struck the muzzle OF Il large casemated gun and
killed every man at il. (l3.) The tort was lite
rally ridded, aud the easements, (lhree leet in
thickness OF solid oak and plated with raj road
iron,) had the appearance OF target board at a
well contested shooting match. The accura oil
the shooting OF the fleet has never been surpassed
as, for instance, two shots fired IRON the
fleet ut battery outside of the fort where there
were stationed eight reg ments of rebels, viz: two
from Arkansas and SIX from Texas. The first
shot killed the six horses attached TO the piece the
second shot killed four of the horses belonging To
the cais.en and blew iIxap with all its ammuni-
ton. The explosion VAS terrific Another
shot of ours killed IL men in their intrenchments
and actually blew one OF them distance oi
twenty leet outside the Entertainments Ii has
been my fortune, not only in this war; but IN that
oil Others TO have been engaged in more battles
than is usually allotted to morials, but have
yet seen such horrid mutations, such
gh stly unnatural wounds, Us our bouts inflicted
on this occasion Ii YOU were to take u human
body and crush il in a set OF cog wheels it could
not be more crushed and mashed than were these
poor erring mortals.
Our casualties are about 600 killed and
wounded. none missing. The army sustained
the principal loss. The land forces were com
handed 10y Generals McCernand Sherman, and
Smith. The loss OF the enemy was oyegwhelm
ingly complete Besides the killed aud wounded
we took 5000 prisoners. not "A man in out oil
the fort escaping. We also took all the guns o
the fort, besides 6 pieces OF field artillery and
6 cassons. ulso 6 900 stand of arms and accouter
mentS. aud 700 horses md mules, including th,
killed. also 100 wagons. and untold quantities o
ordnance stores (the latter were mostly manu- nc
tured in England The rebels were warml,
clad and well shod. vet their different parapher
MALTA were rather outrc The dead are nov
buried, and the prisoners will to-day be sent GU
oi Dixie. but To what point am unable to say
VIOLA tout for the present W. G. f.