, 1863-02-18

lasr;rE COLI night without hrea and tents. onr
Chilled hut Isu' men were terd by .rig gslt
nti genial enu oi: the ming Of the 11th.
By 1GiS o'clock, .. H., tho two coFp3 were III po-
eAiun ai;d Nr.r rN11y to commence the atsar!i
Gen. St.elu's Division formed the extreme right
CT thc l:re OF battle. reaching lsa. the hayou.
Gtn. StEa,t'e, and Gen. 4. J, Smiths D;ris.
ions we've formed on its left One Brigade Of
Cen. oa:c1haus' division Col; Sheldon cer'n,and-
OH the river III full view OF the fort Another bti-
sadc Of the came division. Col. De Couscey coul-
nnnding, was held In reserre, while the remaining
brigade Of Tic same dlTisioa, Col. Lindsey CON:
":ls disposed OH the opposite side Of the
river, as already explain etl. 49,.
Company A, lat regiment Illinois light artillery,
Of Gen. 6tuaits d!,i-on OIL the road leading into
Ilc Port Company y, Of the same regiment, Capt;
Barrett commanding: VAS posted IN TIE cent:e ot
Hoffman commanding in the Interval between Gen;
Stnatt's and Gen. Stccl'a divisions, and the 1st
Town bnttcry. Captain Gri0itls commanding, be.
Tic lst Mjasour; horse artillery was III reserve
With Gen H!ar's brigade; aud the Sth Ohio bat
terry was posted n tie tue centre Of the gen
Three pieces Of tile 18th Ohio battery were ad-
yanced to an intEenched position IN front OF Ian
dams brigade Of Gen. Smith q division, and was
by the 9Gth Ohio.
Asection of twenty FOUNDER Pasrott snns, Lieu-
tenant Webster commanding, was posted bT gen:
tLc enemy; while two sections OF the Illinois Mer
camille Battery we1e masked and held by the same
The 7th Michigan battery. Capt. Lanphesc COM
nanding, remained with Col. De Conrcey; two
t*rnty-rounder Parotts. Of The 1st Wisconsin
Of the Illinois Mercantile Battery, under Lieut.
Wilson, were with Col Lindsvy;
The cavalry were disposed IN The rear; under o.
Such was the disposition OF the forces under my |
command on The eve Of the bat1c Of the Arkan- /
Frs Oh the otEcs hand, the position Of the enemy
naturally strong, was one Of his own choosing,
Post A!nnzas, s1na}l village, the capital OF |
Arkanaas county. is situated on elevated ground
above the reach of loods, and defining for some
the French in 1855. is fifty mles above the mouth
Of t.se riyer III miles below Little Rock. and is
surrounded hy a fruitful country, Astounding in
Fort Hindman, a square full Fashioned fort. is
erected within this village npon thu bank Of the
river, Mt the head OF bend resembling horse
ehoe. The "cxtcror eidcs Of the fort between
tie salient angleR each 900 feet in epsth the
faces Of the bastions FL Of exterior the
RICE oa op IL e Fasy en- ss S
ground level, and eight feet deep, with slope Of
lou, feet base.
4 banqnette,. for infantry was constructed
around the interior slope oite parapet; also three
platforms for artillery In each basti0n, and one III
1he curtain facing north.
On the southern face Of the northeastern hastion
was casematc eighteen By fifteen feet wide, aud
* feet high in tho clear; the walls Of which were
constructed Of three thicknesses Of oak timbe,s
sixteen iuchcs square. aud SO the roof with an :-
dtional Icvctnlcnt ofifon bars Que OF the shorter
sides Of the ca>emate inserted in the parapet
and was pierced by an enlbrasure three feet eight
inches OIL the inside. and four feet six Inches on
the ontside; the entrance being in the opposite
wall. This caeemate contained nine. inch cpluul-
bind.
a similar cascmatc was constructed in the cur
tain lncil. the river. containing III eisltnch CO.
lumbiad and eth another uinenuh coIumblad was
mounted in the salient angle OF the southeastern
bneton on a ''centrc pintle DaEbettc' carriage
Al Of these guns commanded the river below the
Besides these. there were four 3.inca Pa7rott
guns and four 6-ponndcr iron smooth.bore guns,
mounted On fed carriages on the platform III the
fort; which also contained VT Il stored magazine,
fereyal frame buildings and 4 well.
The entrance to tho fort, secured by traTerge.
was on its northwestern side, and from the salient
angle Of the northwestern bastion extended bro
ken line Of rifle pits westerly for 7a0 yards towards
the bayou intcrsectcd BY wooden traverEes. Along
the line Of rifle pits six field pieces were mount
I'd. of which three were r!fled.
Although the neiEhboring bridge across the bay-
OH lad been partially destroyed Jet the latter was
paseablc 1t several points.
fore mentioned. The 1cvcc exposed convex line
to our advance was pierced for ten guns and lined
pite. with Intervals ieft for six guns: extended
ac1osH The high land from the river to the swamp.
itH ar approach being ohstructed By abatt;s Of
fallen timber. And atil nearer the Tort was
deep rnvinc cntcrin. the river ut right angles and
extending INLAND III different arms, In front Of the
left OF our line In front Of the centre Of tic line
wns I'll open field.
This strip of high land afforded the only ayaila-
bic approach from our andin. to the enemy's de-
fences and nboyc the second line Of rife pits c1-
pal.tied into dry plateau, extendn. TO the swamp
river 0n tic west and south.
This plateau, crossed BY the Brownsville ard Lit
Tie Rock road embraced the enemy'a cantonment.
his principal tiefences and the field Of action OF
f1tf4 .rpH II nf hot,
yards square.
Having placed in battery. Mt the request ofAdmi-
planned, for the purpose Of fdsmounting the gun in
the lower caeemate, which had seriously annoyed
the gunhoats on the previous evening. and all my
Admiral. accordingly, and notified him that as
soon as he had opened fire. would aGvanccto to the
attack Of the enemy works; and ut 1a N rcrcatel
Att o'clock p. m, the yunboats opened fire. i'm.
n1ctliatsly followed hy the trs Of artillery along
the rigl. wing Of my line. and soon after by thu
tion Of thirty Minutes. the infantry were to ati.
| vance to the charge, and when ourmen weEc heard
shouting 10 tic ganboats. IN order to avoid inhct
| ing Injury npon them, were 10 ceasc firing.
| BylH o'clock Hoveys and Thaycrs brigadce
and Giita y. Smith and T.: Il. Smiths brigades oI
Gen. Shcrnan's corps, had crossed i'll double quick
font, and gained position in belt Of woods cx.
tending, irIesnlar1y. come 800 yards qnltc to TIL
snsn and lc o muskey ,ot AID afil'yr
IRON cover Of the enemy's worka they boldly re
tn.ncd and continued their advance. supported BY
| Flair e brigade. ae Il reserve, until they had up
preached within shoft 1niiskct range Of the enemy,
linz. and found eh.lter in somc ravfnes lined b,
nndcrbrush and fallen timber.
| III executing this movement Gen. noycy Wa
wounded hya fragment ofn shell, but continued
upols the field IN the gallant discharge Of duty
Gen. Thaysr lost his hoIsc, which was shot undo
ts'cis. commands in manner challenging the com
mentlat:on Of their superior oillcers. Woods AMI
Barrett batteries also performed valuable service
Eofman's battery was advnnrea within 20 yard
OF the encmy'e intrcnc h1nents, and poured III
rapid and effective fire from three successive posi-
tions. t was now 3o.clock r. m. 49,.
cd fire about o'clock. as already mentioned, keep
it up with telling effect for some time. Lieut.
W.bstcr's 70 FOUNDER Parrots, on the river hank
completely e1lfla.lcd the two faces Of the north
eastern bastion-some Of their ehots penctratin
t!l'' cnhrasure Of the cascmat and contributing
with others from the gunboats, to sence the gil
inside Of II; also the lighter gun in the nolher
cu1tain ind the gun en- barbette In the southeast
srn bastiou, which appeared to be abose the cevs
ton Of tls Ennn1;oats are Ths:e results are no
themselves. but as bearing honorable testimony t
thu Fk1l and efficiency Of Lieut.. Webster.
Blonnt's three 1o.polndsr Parsotts continued
. pour well directed fire into the cncmy's line
Until Gen. L. j. Smiths division had passed to tn
! front md ncafed tlle cnein5s works. L wa
probably The tlra Of thcse guns TIT exploded
| several me1l and all its horses.
4 When the enemy and hs works had been visihl
damaged By the fire Of artillery Gen. 4. J. Snlit
dpployed nine regiments Of Burbrd%c's and Lal
rcscr,e. aid steaililyy moving forward. drove ii
encmy's advance towards the open ground in fro1
! Of the right Of his drfences. Seekn: shelter b
hind cluster of cabins; Col: GuppE, with Il
sM Wisconsin, was or.'errd to to charge and d
! fee to his cntrrnchments. After which the tau
. regiments led By their tried and gallant briEat
: commanders, under the personal direction OF &c
| Smith, continued their advance until they had a
> i proHcir1 within 100 yards Of the fort. when Gc
Smith sent back word that le could almost shal
1 lands with the enemy:
. oppcrtuuc direction, bad ordered up Coolcy's b.
: tsfy within 2oo yards Of the enemy dcfenccs al
: dcpleycd the llsth Illinois on its right and mass
t tie l2Otl. Ohio OF its left, holding the 18th 1nda
4 tho calling fire Of the enemy until the ride pits
]; tie LATTER in front. werr nearly cleared. Sctzi
I tile opportunity, the 1aoth Ohio dashed forward
carry the cart face oI the fort, and only failed
It cause: superaddcd to the {ossce, there was an Il
Q passablc raHinc IN tug way.
Il Col. DtCourcy' brigade, which with Gen: Bail
had borne the bEunt Of the rrpnlse near ticksb,l
"ns LEFT near the transports to protect them and
t. guard tho approach across the the swamp
,. which Gen. Strclt had coNntcrmarchcd, aud
'f ma:ned there aEti1 about o'clock when it VI
nj ordered up,
le Havin: reinforced Gen. Sherman. at his rcque
= at 3A O'clock By scndin. the 23d Wisconsin. l!
ii E,ntucky, and g7th Illinois from Gen. Smitl
division to take position further 10 thu right
tile engagement. Notwithstanding the guns Of (
d fort hati been s1tHccd By the combined fire Of
IL artillery and The gullboSt4 being sharp and gene
C. on both sides. ordered an assault.
% Yurhridgce brigade with the two regiments
&c 1andra}n which had been sent to its right. 4
m the 1a0th Ohio Of Col. Sheldon brigade bcarn.
I'd brrnt. dashed forward under deadly are quite
&C tue enemy's cntrcnchmeNts-- 18th 1nlilna.
ut Col. John ". Orr with the sd Ohio. 1t. Co. Bal