10

9
to reach his transports with his siege
guns and supplies before the enemy
was aware of his intentions to leave them abandon them
to enjoy their rem???, [undisturbed?]their holes in the
to leave them to the undisturbed enjoyment of their holes
hillside

Our resourceful Sherman General at once decided upon
a place to restore the spirit of his army, appreciating
that the outlook for failure was success and the
only cure for defeat victory was victory.

He proceeded up White river was a harbor for the aggressive
craft of the enemy, who occasionally sallied
forth to the great discomforture of our supply
boats. Fort Hindman at Arkansas Post forty
miles above the mouth, protected heretheir craft from
falling our iron clads, and was regarded as
of such importance that Churchill the commander
was ordered to hold it at all hazards. The work
was a [casemated?] square with bastions at
the corners, mounting heavy guns, protected by
a covering of railroad iron. A line of rifle
pits extended from the fork at the river bank
far into the interior.

Arriving at the mouth of White river we
were met by re enforcements under McClemand,
who ranked Sherman an assumed command,
but carried out the plans, of the latter to attack
Fort [Hindman?] by land while the naval vessels
engaged the guns commanding the river