Our ironclads and gunboats knocked the fort to pieces

At Fort Hindman, Confederate cannon fired at nine Union gunboats bearing down on them, but the gunners had not practiced firing at such short range, and many shells missed or bounced off the boats' metal armor coated with greasy tallow. The Union boats held their fire until within 100 feet of the fort, then aimed directly into the mouths of the fort's cannon. The cannonade shook the ground for miles, the fort's big square logs flew apart, and soon its guns were shattered. Union gunships continued firing into the enemy line, while three gunboats slipped past the demolished fort and blocked the only escape route. Surrounded, the Confederates surrendered, and the Union clearly demonstrated the overwhelming naval power that helped it control the western rivers.

Gillett, Arkansas · United States