page_title: Battle of Arkansas Post (1863)
section_title: January 11
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Arkansas Post (1863) / Battle / January 11
caption_attribution_description: English: General Stephen G. Burbridge planting the Union flag after the capture of Arkansas Post (January 11, 1863), Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1863
context_page_description: The Battle of Arkansas Post, also known as Battle of Fort Hindman, was fought from January 9 until 11, 1863, near the mouth of the Arkansas at Arkansas Post, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Although a Union victory, it did not move them any closer to Vicksburg.
context_section_description: On the morning of January 11 McClernand's forces were deployed in an arc facing Fort Hindman and its rifle-pits.  Running West to East were the divisions of Steele, Stuart, Smith with Osterhaus anchored on the Arkansas River.  Churchill's defenses were manned by Colonel James Deshler's brigade on the left and Colonel Robert Garland's brigade on the right.  McClernand's infantry attacked around 1:00pm and made little progress at first.  At the same time Porter's gunboats moved in to attack aided by Colonel Lindsey's brigade across the river.  Within an hour the fort's east face was reduced to rubble and its artillery silenced.  Steele's attack on the west was led by the brigades of Brig. Gens. Charles E. Hovey and John M. Thayer with Francis P. Blair, Jr. in reserve.  To the east Stuart supported with the brigades of Colonels Giles Smith and Thomas Kilby Smith against the rifle pits of Deshler's Arkansas and Texas soldiers.  In the center A.J. Smith spearheaded his attack with Brig. Gen. Stephen G. Burbridge's brigade supported by Colonel William J. Landram.  Burbridge's men became embroiled in small arms fight which caused more than 1/3 of all Union casualties. Osterhaus advanced against the fort with Colonel Lionel A. Sheldon's single brigade.
  At 4:30pm McClernand was planning to order one massive assault against the defenders when white flags of surrender began to appear. The battle ended with some confusion. Porter's gunboats picked up infantry from Lindsey's brigade and ferried them across the river who climbed into the crumbling remains of Fort Hindman.  Porter personally accepted the surrender of Colonel John Dunnington who was in charge of the fort's artillery. General Steele entered the rifle-pits under a flag of truce to discuss surrender with Colonel Deshler.  As the two conferred, Deshler noticed Steele's men continually moving closer and demanded they be ordered to stop or he'd open fire again.  General Sherman arrived on the scene to personally seek out Churchill.  However, Sherman stood by as Churchill and Colonel Garland became involved in an argument over surrendering.  Garland claimed he had been ordered to surrender while Churchill denied giving such an order.  Colonel Deshler rode up from his front and declared to the group he had not surrendered at all and insisted on renewing the fight.  Sherman ended the argument by pointing out the Union forces had all but occupied the Confederate's works.  Some Union soldiers had even begun disarming the Confederates.  One final scene took place as a Union staff officer rode into the fort and demanded the Navy vacate, so A.J. Smith's infantry could take possession.  However, the fort had already been surrendered to Porter.  Colonel Dunnington, who had a background in the Navy, conceded a small satisfaction at being able to surrender to a fellow Naval officer instead of the infantry.
caption: General Stephen G. Burbridge planting the Union flag after the capture of the post
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