On January 9, 1863, Gen. John McClernand and Adm. David D. Porter led a 30,000 man army and a flotilla of Union gunboats up the Arkansas River to confront Gen. T.J. Churchill's 5,000 Confederates at Arkansas Post. The gunboats bombarded Fort Hindman January 10, and both army and navy attacked on January 11, forcing the Confederates to surrender. Confederate Arkansas lost one-fourth of its fighting men. Union ships would suffer less interference in operations against Vicksburg following the defeat of the garrison at Arkansas Post.