Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/386

 down the river to the mouth of Yazoo River, where General McClernand was in command of the army. Soon after the regiment moved against the enemy occupying a strongly fortified position on the Arkansas River about fifty miles from the mouth. This was the key to central Arkansas, had a fine armament of heavy Parrott guns and columbiads; the garrison numbered about 7,000 well disciplined troops under command of General Churchill.

General McClernand moved his army by transports up the Arkansas River and disembarked on a swampy bank a few miles below the little village of Arkansas Post. Dispositions for the attack were promptly made. General Morgan commanding two divisions of the Thirteenth Corps on the left and Sherman with two divisions of the Fifteenth Corps on the right moved forward over ground greatly obstructed by swamps and bayous. A brigade under Colonel Lindsay was landed below the Post on the opposite side of the river to prevent the escape of the enemy in that direction. Admiral Porter with a fleet of gunboats was coöperating with the land attack. Finally after much difficulty the lines were drawn around the Post under a heavy fire of artillery from the fort and of musketry from the earthworks and rifle pits. The fleet soon opened fire, which was kept up until after dark when the troops passed a cold and gloomy night in swampy bivouac without fires. The next day a heavy fire was opened on the works from the gunboats and land artillery under cover of which the infantry advanced to the attack. The brigades of Hovey, Thayer and Smith gained a position in the woods near the enemy’s rifle pits, but met such a terrible fire of artillery and musketry that they were compelled to seek shelter for a time. Again they advanced supported by Blair’s Brigade, to within short musket range and took position in deep wooded ravines. The infantry of Morgan’s Corps advanced and gained a position close