The Surrender of Arkansas Post

    The surrender of the Confederate garrison at Arkansas Post on January 11, 1863, is one of those Civil War events that remains shrouded in a bit of mystery. It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon when General Thomas J. Churchill, commanding the garrison, heard yelling from the lines and rode out to investigate the cause. “The General was much surprised to find the Federal flag floating in every direction along our lines,” remembered his chief surgeon C.H. Smith. “Upon inquiry, it was ascertained that some traitor in the 24th Texas regiment had raised the white flag and passed the word down the line that General Churchill had ordered a surrender, whereupon all the troops except Colonel Deshler’s brigade immediately surrendered.” Churchill was appalled, but by the time he found out, the Federals were already clambering over the ramparts. This jig was up.

Private Thomas F. Bates of Co. D of the 6th Texas Infantry poses with a D-guard Bowie knife, a Walch pocket revolver, and a checkered scarf around his neck. His regiment was among the seven Texas regiments caught inside Arkansas Post. 


Luke Caraway of the 24th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted) recalled that the garrison had moved into Fort Hindman in the fall of 1862 and “remained there drilling, eating poor pumpkins, mean sorghum, and coarse cornbread very well contended as the winter was unusually mild until just before the battle. The army had gone into comfortable winter quarters and our cabins were of logs and covered with split boards and we felt quite secure from all danger as there was no enemy nearer than Vicksburg. We could hear of the war but had not experienced a taste of its realities. On the night of January 9, 1863, our boys retired after having amused themselves with checkers, chess, and cards. Alas our slumbers were abruptly ended. The stillness and quietude of the night was broken by the alarming announcement that “The Yankees are coming up the Arkansas River with a large fleet of gunboats and transports!”

          One of those observing the hustle and bustle within the fort Surgeon C.H. Smith, who was serving as the chief surgeon of General Thomas J. Churchill’s division. He provided the following account of the subsequent Battle of Arkansas Post for the February 26th 1863 edition of the Mobile Advertiser & Register.

 

Union troops under General Stephen Burbridge scramble over the ramparts of Fort Hindman on January 11, 1863 as Confederates wave white flags of surrender. General Thomas Churchill, commanding the post, did not order the surrender but by the time he discovered what had occurred, the Federals already had climbed into the fort. It was reported that 4,791 Confederates, mostly Arkansans and Texans, were caught up in the surrender. 

Mobile, Alabama

February 24, 1863

          Having recently arrived in your city and seeing that little is yet known in regard to the fight at Arkansas Post by citizens here as well as elsewhere in the Confederacy, I would make the subjoined statement of facts relative thereto for the information of all who may feel interested in the matter.

          The “Post of Arkansas” is situated on the north side of the Arkansas River 60 miles from the mouth. The place was fortified by an earthwork called Fort Hindman, which fort mounted three large-sized guns, two casemated and one en barbette, together with some five or six small pieces, two of which were rifled Parrott guns. One mile below the fort was a trench extending from the river to the swamp and one mile or three quarters of a mile further down the river was yet another trench intended for the defense of the place from a land attack unaided by gunboats. The troops garrisoning the place consisted of three brigades, mostly Texans, and commanded respectively by Colonels Robert R. Garland, James Deshler, and John W. Dunnington, the whole forming a division under the command of Brigadier General Thomas J. Churchill and numbering on the day of the fight not more than 3,300 effective men.

           On the 9th of January, a scout brought intelligence to General Churchill of a Yankee gunboat having made its appearance in the Arkansas River at the White River cut-off some 30 miles below the post; towards noon of the same day, another scout brought news of other gunboats followed by transports making their wat up the river. Upon the receipt of this intelligence, General Churchill ordered everything in readiness for an attack, and ere night closed in, all the troops were distributed along the first line of entrenchments where they remained all night in a pelting storm of rain.

          The enemy, in the meantime, had landed a force about two miles below us and we anticipated an attack by daylight the following morning, but in this we were disappointed. They made no demonstration until about 9 or 10 o’clock in the day when they commenced shelling us from their advance gunboats that were cautiously and slowly feeling their way up the river.

          Our troops held the position first taken by them until about 4 p.m. when the General, fearing a flank movement on our left, ordered the men to fall back to a line of entrenchments near the yet unfinished fort which was speedily completed, and all the troops properly distributed before night set in. Just as darkness was drawing near, four gunboats approached the fort and commenced their bombardment. Our guns from the fort answered gallantly and after two hours of terrific shelling, the gunboats retired. One of them, the Eastport, was badly punished and our loss consisted of three men killed and some three or four wounded.

 

“On January 11th, it was easy to divine what to expect. We had our ditches dug, breastworks up, and behind them our thousands of courageous and determined soldiers. We were now ready for the attack, guns in hand, big cannons pointing down the river. While all was calm, General Churchill on his charger rode up our line in full Confederate uniform and said, “Boys, we will hold the fort, or all will be shot down in these ditches.” ~ Luke Caraway, 24th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted), Garland’s Brigade

 

          On the morning of the 11th ultimo at 10 o’clock of thereabouts, the enemy renewed the attack with gunboats and land forces combined. They had also erected a battery on the opposite side of the river by means of which they kept up a terrible crossfire that swept the whole area of ground occupied by us. The firing now continued until 4 o’clock p.m. when it seemed to cease and shortly after the cessation there was a yell that came from the lines which attracted the attention of the General commanding whose headquarters had been established some 400 yards from the trenches. In riding forward to ascertain the condition of affairs, the General was much surprised to find the Federal flag floating in every direction along our lines. Upon inquiry, it was ascertained that some traitor in the 24th Texas regiment had raised the white flag and passed the word down the line that General Churchill had ordered a surrender, whereupon all the troops except Colonel Deshler’s brigade immediately surrendered. He refused to surrender his brigade until ordered by General Churchill.

The 17th and 18th Texas Cavalry regiments were combined after Arkansas Post and transferred to General Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee where they fought at Chickamauga and Tunnel Hill during the Chattanooga Campaign. 

          When the General rode into the fort and surrendered, he was met by General William T. Sherman who wished to know where General Churchill’s men were. When General Churchill told him they were all in sight, he seemed surprised and could scarcely credit the fact that so small a body of troops had succeeding in baffling for so long a time and killing so many of his men. The Federals acknowledge the loss of 1,500 killed and wounded [1,092 in total] and I think 2,000 would not be a large figure, whilst we lost only about 160 in killed and wounded.

          General Churchill told General Sherman that he had not ordered a surrender, but on the contrary, he had ordered his men to fight until all were dead in the trenches rather than surrender. He had telegraphed for reinforcements and hoped they would reach him that evening, but I believe none were ever met save about 20-0 from St. Charles on the White River who arrived just in time to be taken prisoners. The number of prisoners taken at this post was probably about 3,500, certainly not more than that number. [General McClernand reported that his army captured 4,791 Confederates at Arkansas Post.]

 

Source:

Letter from Surgeon C.H. Smith, chief surgeon of Churchill’s Division, Mobile Advertiser & Register (Alabama), February 26, 1863, pg. 2

“The Battle of Arkansas Post,” Luke J. Caraway, 24th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted), Confederate Veteran, May 1928, pgs. 171-173


Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

Arming the Buckeyes: Longarms of the Ohio Infantry Regiments

Image
     A common question that comes up in conversation about Civil War Buckeye regiments is "What were they armed with?" We are fortunate in that the state of Ohio kept good records of how the regiments were armed when they went into service, this being especially true for those regiments which went into service in 1861 and 1862. The state adjutant general's reports for 1861 and 1862 have been heavily drawn upon to construct this article, as well as consultation with Phil Spaugy who has done extensive research on how Ohio's troops were armed during the war.      Buckeyes carried a fairly wide variety of weapons into the field, and the below article breaks this down into weapons of both domestic manufacture and imported arms. The early days of the war found the state of Ohio practically bereft of longarms; as an example, when the 1st and 2nd Ohio Volunteer Militia left the state in late April 1861, they left unarmed, being armed at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on their way to
Read more

Bullets for the Union: Manufacturing Small Arms Ammunition During the Civil War

Image
       Civil War bullets are perhaps the most common item collected from the era; the two armies expended bullets by the millions during the four years’ conflict and spent or deformed bullets of all shapes and sizes have made fascinating and affordable collectibles since the guns went silent in 1865.       I recently acquired a display piece featuring 35 different types of small arms ammunition used during the Civil War, including everything from a small .28 caliber ball up to a .69 caliber three-ring Minie and it triggered some questions: how did the Federal army obtain its small arms ammunition during the war? Where did the lead come from to make the bullets, and where and how was the ammunition manufactured? This post seeks to answer those questions. A typical .58 caliber 3-ring Minie bullet   “Whenever the blasts of war blow in the ears of men who trade in the implements of destruction, they are apt to experience more joy than the true warrior, for then comes the harvest of gain.
Read more

Dressing the Rebels: How to Dye Butternut Jeans Cloth

Image
     In the early days of the Civil War,  the Southern states found themselves with an abundance of cotton but a shortage of cloth with which to make army uniforms. The trade in cloth prior to the war had largely been to send raw cotton or wool north to New England (or Great Britain) where it was converted into usable cloth; but now that trade was broken and the Southern states were thrown upon their own resources in their efforts to properly clothe the Confederate army.  This collection of Confederate enlisted men's frock coats and shell jackets gives some indication of the variety of shades of butternut worn during the war. All of them are shades of yellow brown, some heavier on the yellow and some heavier on the brown. The blue used around the collar or as rank insignia indicates that the soldier was in the infantry. Surviving Confederate uniforms are considered rather rare and command quite a healthy price in the collecting market. For an in-depth study of how Confederate jacke
Read more

The Wizard of Oz and the Civil War

Image
T he 1939 film The Wizard of Oz has delighted viewers for 85 years and ranks as a personal favorite, especially during the Halloween season. While watching it with the family the other night, I wondered if there were any connections between the film and the Civil War. Not surprisingly, the answer is yes and those connections touch both the blue and the gray.           Interestingly both “witches” in the film not only had Civil War ancestors but had connections with Civil War soldiers from Ohio. Margaret Hamilton, the “Wicked Witch of the West,” was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 9, 1902, to attorney Walter Jones Hamilton and his wife Mary Jane Adams; Margaret’s grandfather was Judge Edwin Timothy Hamilton. Judge Hamilton had served as a private in Co. D of the 84 th Ohio Infantry during the summer of 1862. The 84 th Ohio, a three months’ regiment, served nearly the whole of its service attached to the Railroad District in western Maryland, performing provost duty at Cumberlan
Read more

The Vaunted Enfield Rifle Musket

Image
     The English-made Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield Rifle Musket was widely regarded as the best infantry arm in the world at the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861. Favorable international press describing its efficiency in the Crimean War and in suppressing the Indian rebellion led to the widespread desire of American infantrymen (both Federal and Confederate) to be armed with these accurate and well-made arms. The lock plate of this well-worn P1853 Enfield rifle musket produced in 1862 shows the typical markings of a British-made weapon that made it through the Federal blockade.  ( Army of Tennessee Relics ) Enfield-pattern weapons were imported into the states by the tens and hundreds of thousands during the war years; one estimate stated that the Federal government purchased 500,000 while the Confederates purchased another 400,000. The Confederate government dispatched Captain Caleb Huse to Europe in April 1861 to purchase weapons and Huse focused on securing all the Enfi
Read more

In front of Atlanta with the 68th Ohio

Image
  The arrow corps badge of the 17th Army Corps was worn by many members of the 68th Ohio in the latter days of the war.       Private Edward A. Bigelow of Co. F of the 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry wrote this brief account of the Battle of Atlanta just two days afterwards to his father back home in Henry County, Ohio. The regiment formed a part of Colonel Robert K. Scott's three regiment all-Ohio brigade consisting of the 20th, 68th, and 78th regiments, being designated the Second Brigade of the Third Division of Frank Blair's 17th Army Corps. Bigelow's letter originally appeared in the Napoleon Press newspaper and was copied in the Toledo Daily Commercial which was providential as no known copies exist today of the wartime Napoleon Press.  
Read more

Charging Battery Robinett: An Alabama Soldier Recalls the Vicious Fighting at Corinth

Image
W riting 30 years after the Battle of Corinth, James A. McKinstry of the 42 nd Alabama recalled his experiences storming Battery Robinett with Colonel William P. Rogers of the 2 nd Texas and expressed guilt that it was perhaps his action that brought about the colonel’s demise. “On seeing a line of Federals approaching, and before giving the situation a thought, I immediately raised my gun and fired full into the breast of a Federal sergeant, who was in front of the column, and only a short distance from us.  'Twas then that Captain George Foster shouted, "Cease firing, men! cease firing!" and waved his handkerchief, then I realized the true situation. 'Twas too late! That fatal volley had been turned on our little band from the muzzles of 1,500 muskets. I was still standing just as I was when I fired my last shot, and within a few feet of Colonel Rogers, when a Minie ball went crashing through my left hip and turned me half round; another went tearing through my
Read more

Federal Arms in the Stones River Campaign

Image
  T he following list, constructed after many years of research, lists unit by unit which type of weapons were carried by the Army of the Cumberland during the Stones River campaign. A number of sources were consulted including state ordnance reports, Federal quarterly ordnance reports (thank you Research Arsenal ), Ken Baumann’s Arming the Suckers, regimental histories and memoirs, captured ordnance reports, and consultation with knowledgeable experts in the field of firearms. Some of this information has been shared on the blog before in “ Rosy’s Heavy Metal: Artillery of the Army of the Cumberland ” or “ Shoulder Arms: How Sheridan’s and Davis’s Divisions Were Armed at Stones River ” but this is the first time the army as a whole has been presented. The overall conclusion I drew from looking at this data is that the Army of the Cumberland in December 1862 was an organization in the midst of transformation as far as arms. Many of the regiments still retained their original issue
Read more

Cook & Brother of New Orleans

Image
    The lockplate of a New Orleans-made Cook & Brother Enfield rifle produced in 1862 shows the fine craftsmanship that became the hallmark of the maker throughout the Civil War. Note the stars and bars flag at left, an emblem used on C&B's production throughout the war and the Cook & Brother, N.O. 1862 markings. Earlier production weapons at New Orleans had the flag located just above the maker's name while later weapons produced in Athens, Georgia would have a modified flag and Athens on the plate followed by the serial number.        In the spring of 1861, two English-born businessmen, Ferdinand and Francis Cook of New Orleans, perceived the need for the South to have its own domestic production of firearms and  set out to prove "that rifles could made here as well as in Yankee land or in Europe." The brothers  elected to produce copies of the British Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield rifle as this was considered the benchmark longarm at the outset of the
Read more

Revisiting Snodgrass Hill: Memories of a 21st Ohio Officer

Image
Captain Isaac Cusac, Co. G, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry proudly displaying his rank as captain in an image likely dating from early 1863. One of his shoulder straps was shot off in the final stages of the 21st Ohio's fight atop Snodgrass Hill on September 20, 1863. Cusac brought it back to Chickamauga 50 years later.  I n September 1913, 83-year-old Isaac Cusac, a retired Presbyterian minister from the little town of McComb, Ohio, returned to Chattanooga to attend the national G.A.R. encampment. The former captain of the 21 st Ohio returned to Snodgrass Hill on the old Chickamauga battlefield on the 50 th anniversary of the battle carrying with him a precious relic of his wartime experiences. “He carried with him there an epaulet that was shot from his shoulder at the battle,” it was reported. “The bullet clipped off the epaulet and then struck him on the left hand, injuring two fingers.”           The flood of memories as he walked the grounds must have been overwhelming. The f
Read more