Taking Fort Hindman with the 76th Ohio

 William H. Buckins was among the first men in Ohio to “win Uncle Sam’s lottery,” being drafted into Co. K of the 76th Ohio in October 1862. Three months later he found himself tasked with charging against the Confederate works at Fort Hindman in Arkansas.

    “Our colonel came around giving each company orders what was to be done,” Buckins wrote. “He said we were to take the advance of our brigade and the 26th Iowa was to be our support, that we were to make the first charge along the whole line and if we gained the ravine, we were safe. This did not appear to be a very pleasant job, but still we had to bear the good with the bad.”

    The regiment moved out but soon had to take cover behind downed trees as the Confederate fire proved too heavy to advance against. “We gained the ground within 300 yards of their breastworks, when we all fell to the earth and found that the trees they cut down were our only protection,” he said. “We then opened out on them both right and left with a heavy fire but found that their breastworks were too good shelter for them to do much harm, but every time they would raise to discharge their pieces, we would let fly at then. We kept on thus until a little after 4 p.m. when the Rebels ran up the white flag and we marched into their works with our colors flying. We had no thoughts of their surrendering at that time, but you may be sure we were not sorry, for we were not in a very pleasant position.”

    William H. Buckins was drafted into Co. K of the 76th Ohio, entering service October 8, 1862. Per the provisions of the draft, his term was of service was nine months and he mustered out August 4, 1863, at Big Black River Mississippi during which time he saw action at Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, and the siege of Vicksburg. The following February, he enlisted as a bugler in the 26th Ohio Battery and served with that battery until the end of the war, mustering out September 2, 1865, in Columbus, Ohio.  

    Buckins’ account of Arkansas Post first saw publication in the February 11, 1863, edition of the Ohio Repository published in Canton, Ohio.

 

By the time William H. Buckins joined the 76th Ohio in December 1862, the regiment, also known as the Licking County Regiment, had "seen the elephant" multiple times since leaving Newark, Ohio in February 1862. The regiment first saw action at Fort Donelson, then Shiloh and Corinth before being moved to Arkansas in July. Initially armed with old .69 caliber French muskets, Major Willard Warner arrived on December 13, 1862 with 800 brand new Model 1861 Springfield rifle muskets and 200 new recruits including drafted men like Buckins. For the next six months, the regiment would focus on operations directed at capturing Vicksburg and Buckins would learn the ropes of being one of Uncle Sam's soldiers. 

 

Headquarters, 76th Regt., O.V.I., on board the steamer Meteor

January 15, 1863

    I wrote in a short letter a few days ago, which I suppose you have received before this, that at my first opportunity I would write again and give you a full account of the battle of the 11th of January on the Arkansas River in which the 76th Ohio was engaged during the whole battle which lasted seven hours from the time we went in. The loss of our regiment was comparatively small for the heavy fire we were exposed to. I guess I will write a little in order of our trip up the river and how the battle began, etc. I think it probably will be a little more interesting. 

    After withdrawing from near Vicksburg, as we were in that expedition and witnessed all the fighting thereabouts, we returned up the Mississippi River as far as the mouth of the White River. Here we lay at anchor from the 7th to the 9th inst., when we drew rations for five days and started up the White River. After going about 20 miles, as near as I can guess, we came to the mouth of the Arkansas- both rivers very crooked and narrow- we ran on until dark, when we anchored near a large plantation on the right-hand side of the river.

    Saturday morning at 7 o’clock, our regiment formed in line of battle on the right bank of the river. After loading our pieces, our division took up the line of march and passed through a deep swamp, I should suppose about two and a half miles through, here we came to another small plantation. Here we lay for several hours when we returned under cover of the gun boats. All this time our gun boats fired a shot occasionally, thinking a little suspicious of the country thereabouts. The sun had just sunk in the west in all its beauty and we had stacked arms in line of battle and cooking our suppers, preparing to spread our blankets and retire for the night when a tremendous firing from our gunboats commenced, receiving an answer from the enemy but a short distance up the river from us.

    We received orders to fall in immediately and took up our line of march directly toward the firing. Soon came to a line of Rebel entrenchments unfinished; this being the reason, I suppose, that they evacuated; soon passed the second line, also unfinished. After passing the second line, we took to the right, bearing a little to the northwest and passed through another large swamp. The gunboats ceased firing at 11 o’clock at night, after finding the position of the Rebel Fort Hindman. On we went- I thought we would never stop- passed through several large Rebel camps, all deserted, still we marched on until 2 o’clock Sunday morning of the 11th when we stacked arms in the camp of the 6th Texas regiment- they having retreated to their earthworks here. We spread down our blankets for the remainder of the night after one of the most tiresome marches we have ever had through mud and water to our knees.

Private Thomas Bates, 6th Texas Infantry

    At daylight we woke up and went about getting our breakfast of Secesh rations which we found in abundance in their quarters, which was corn meal, fresh meat, and plenty of salt. At 9 a.m. we fell in and marched toward the Rebel breastworks which we could plainly see three-quarters of a mile off- halted in another camp. The Rebels seeing us, came up and opened out on us with a 6-pound gun (which we could plainly see) but doing no harm. We were laying on the ground, some falling several rods in the rear of us in the swamp behind. After laying this way for a long time, we raised to our feet and moved down to the right in the woods, partly chopped down by the Rebels. They saw us and opened on us again- the balls also falling still further to the rear.

    There we laid until 12:15 p.m., when our gunboats and field pieces commenced a tremendous fire on their works but received no answer. We could tell by the sound of our cannons that we had them completely surrounded. While this was going on, our colonel came around giving each company orders what was to be done. He said we were to take the advance of our brigade and the 26th Iowa was to be our support, that we were to make the first charge along the whole line and if we gained the ravine, we were safe. This did not appear to be a very pleasant job, but still we had to bear the good with the bad. All this time our cannons were busy playing on their works.

    It was a quarter after noon that they ceased firing; we got orders to leave our canteens, haversacks, and blankets in a pile and prepared for the above. A great many of the boys did not return for their things but lay on the field bleeding from their wounds. Soon the command was given to “left flank, double quick” as we were in thick underbrush and where the Rebels had cut down the timber. On going by the left flank about 50-60 rods brought us to an open space of about ten acres. I should suppose after we had gained this the command was given “by the right flank,” which brought us in line of battle directly in front of the enemy’s works.

    On we went on the double quick, shouting and yelling with all our might- soon got across the open field into the fallen timber- gained the ravine before mentioned without much trouble. The Rebels did not open on us until we had gained this and were advancing on the other side which rose gently towards their breastworks, when they opened on us with a heavy fire of grape, canister, and shell.

“The enemy seemed determined to hold the fort and fought like so many tigers. We kept our lines formed as well as we could. The 96th Ohio and the 77th Illinois came to relieve us, but the regiments were so badly mixed up that no one could tell one from the other, and no commands could bring order out of chaos. This may not be understood by those who never saw a real battle but have formed ideas from pictures which put the soldiers all in line. In modern warfare, such a line would be cut down like grass before a scythe. When the real battle is on, while all try to keep together, everyone looks out for himself. A stump or tree is always made use of, and under a heavy fire one of the best points about a good soldier is to be able to save himself while he fights and kills the enemy.” ~ Sergeant Thomas B. Marshall, Co. K, 83rd Ohio

    At this time most of our boys fell. The second fire from one of their guns in front of the left wing of our regiment killed Captain Thaddeus Lemert of Co. A of our regiment, who had his company out in front skirmishing, and George W. Bean and Frederick Stull, both of my company. They were both right next to me when they fell. Three or four of our boys fell, stunned by the same ball, but soon gained their feet and on we went and gained another ravine, which only the left wing had to cross it, running catty-corner across the battleground. All the time the Rebels were firing steadily on us; we did not reply, for we were going to try and take their entrenchments at the point of the bayonet but found that we could not do it without the most of us falling.

Private Samuel Wagoner
Co. B, 76th O.V.I.

    We gained the ground within 300 yards of their breastworks, when we all fell to the earth and found that the trees they cut down were our only protection. We then opened out on them both right and left with a heavy fire but found that their breastworks were too good shelter for them to do much harm, but every time they would raise to discharge their pieces, we would let fly at then. By this time, the attack became general along the whole line. I turned and looked back to see if our support was coming up from behind but could see none. At that time, we began to think it a poorly managed thing, but presently to our great joy we saw a line of Lincoln’s blue (that is the name they go by down here) forming about a half mile in rear, and presently came moving slowly toward us. This gave us new courage and we opened on them more vigorously than ever; they did not dare to raise their heads above the works. I noticed they had to get underneath their cannon to load in front of us. About two hours after the engagement commenced, I noticed also that they put a Negro as gunner in front, he being pretty bold for a while, but soon kept down also.

    As soon as our support gained the first ravine, they came on the double quick, but the fire from the enemy was too heavy- they fell to the rear of us. This putting us between two fires, several of our men were wounded by the fire from our support, a great many of the Iowa boys fell coming up. It was about this time that our captain was wounded in the left arm, I think. It was half past 2 in the afternoon when he retired from the field to have his wound dressed and joined us again on the battle ground.

    Looking around I saw a good many of our boys wounded who were trying to get off the field but could not without running a great risk, but after gaining the ravine they were pretty safe. Some were wounded so badly that we had to carry them off. About this time our men got the 1st Missouri Battery planted on our left- we were fighting them all this time without artillery on our wing. We then kept up a heavy fire on them for about half an hour when the order was given to cease firing. When we did this, the enemy raised and discharged their pieces but without much effect, for we were too close up under their guns, they could not elevate them to shoot low enough. 

Federal gunboats bludgeoned Fort Hindman with a concentrated fire that provided cover for the Federal infantry to approach the fort on January 11, 1863. Around 4 o'clock a white flag was raised on a portion of the ramparts. General Thomas J. Churchill, commanding the post, was incensed. "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," Surgeon C.H. Smith reported. "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." All told, the Federals captured 4,791 Confederates at Arkansas Post.

    We then opened on them along the while line with artillery and musketry- it shook the ground underneath us. It put me in the mind of Shiloh very much. We kept on thus until a little after 4 p.m. when the Rebels ran up the white flag and we marched into their works with our colors flying. We had no thoughts of their surrendering at that time, but you may be sure we were not sorry, for we were not in a very pleasant position. On looking at their breastworks, we found that they were just built. This accounts for the chopping we had heard the night before. We found that we were fighting with the 6th Texas Infantry- I did not learn what battery we were engaged with.

“My idea of a Texas Ranger has changed a good deal. I had imagined them to be half-civilized men with huge, bushy whiskers, etc.; but on the contrary they are the most intelligent Rebels I ever saw and are more than half under 21 years old. My idea of a Southerner before the war was a dark complexion, black hair and whiskers; but all I have seen have a very light complexion, light hair, almost white whiskers. There are some Indians among the Texans.” ~ Sergeant Pembroke M. Cowles, Co. A, 42nd Ohio

    The Rebel regiment formed in mass, their colonel made a short speech to them- after which they threw up their hats, yelled, and cheered with all their might. I was not near enough to overhear what he said to them, but they afterwards stacked arms. I had a short conversation with one of them. He appeared to be really friendly; he said they dared not stick their heads above the breastworks, but the bullets would whistle in every direction around them. On looking along their works, we found we had shot down every one of their battery horses so that they could not fall back for ammunition; their caissons being yet about half full. Along the line we could see the arms stacked of right or nine Rebel regiments. Shortly after they surrendered, reinforcements of five regiments came to their aid from St. Charles on the White River. They were also taken, making in all fourteen regiments of infantry and I think fifteen pieces of artillery, three of which were about 60-pound siege pieces; in all I don’t think there would be more than 8-9,000 prisoners as they were small regiments. We took a great many sick men that were in the hospital at Arkansas Post.

    Fort Hindman was very strong. The guns that commanded the river had casements over them covered with railroad iron. The gunboats riddled them all to pieces, knocking most all of the iron off, dismounted the guns, and killed and wounded all the men in it. One of the large guns had about a foot of its muzzle blown off by one of the shells from the gunboats. We stacked our arms in their entrenchments and stayed here over night. The next morning each company reported how many killed and wounded. The two Stark County companies suffered most- 67 killed and wounded in the regiment of which 14 were killed. Captain Briggs’ Co. I from Massillon had fourteen wounded and one killed. Our company had ten wounded and two killed.

 

To learn more about the Battle of Arkansas Post, check out these posts:

Among the Ambulance Drivers at Arkansas Post

Breaking the Clouds of Gloom: The 83rd Ohio at Arkansas Post

Storming the Ramparts of Arkansas Post with the 120th Ohio

The Surrender of Arkansas Post

 

Source:

Letter from Private William H. Buckins, Co. K, 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Ohio Repository, February 11, 1863, pg. 2

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