Author: Dan O’Connell
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Arkansas Post – Part 6
Day 1 Morning came early for McClernand and his staff. They quickly discovered that the lower line of works, although it had emplacements for ten pieces of artillery, were empty. While examining the second line two of the light draft gunboats, Rattler and Black Hawk, move into position and opened fire on the Confederate line. […]
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Arkansas Post – Part 5
The Expedition Begins On the morning of January 5th three City Class gunboats, De Kalb, Louisville, and Cincinnati, led the convoy of transports and six lighter gunboats out from Milliken’s Bend into the Mississippi River. In an effort to conceal their final destination they by passed the mouth of the Arkansas River. The going was […]
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Arkansas Post – Part 4
McClernand Takes Charge Sherman’s attack on the northern defenses of Vicksburg at Chickasaw Bayou was crushed on December 29th. On January 2nd the defeated Federals, after realizing the impossibility of success in this area, boarded their transports for the trip to Milliken’s Bend. As they loaded unit commanders took stock of their losses. Several units […]
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Arkansas Post – Part 3
The “Blue Wing” Following the aborted raid on Arkansas Post Hovey’s troops were absorbed into a division being formed under BG Frederick Steele. The new division was assigned to MG William T. Sherman’s force that had come down from Memphis. Sherman’s task was to try the direct approach to Vicksburg via a northern approach from […]
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Arkansas Post – Part 2
The First Attempt It didn’t take Federal military officials long to sniff out the activity on the Arkansas River. By November 3rd the Union commander at Helena, BG Alvin Hovey, was seeking permission to conduct operations against the developing Confederate strongpoint. The emphasis on operations against Vicksburg, however, precluded any chance of authorization for the […]
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From the Engineer Depot – Meteor Lost
When MG William S. Rosecrans formed the Pioneer Brigade in November, 1862 to alleviate deficiencies in his engineer organization he needed an experienced engineer officer to take command. The task fell to Captain James St. Clair Morton. Rosecrans was intrigued by the young engineer Morton for his “iconoclasm, outspoken individualism and willingness to challenge engineer […]
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Arkansas Post – Part 1
Background As the first Union attempt at Vicksburg was gaining momentum in the fall of 1862 the Confederate leaders on the other side of the river also worried about possible action there. In Arkansas MG Theophilus Holmes, commander of the Trans- Mississippi Department, ordered Colonel John Dunnington to locate a suitable position for a fortification […]