McClernand Heads for Arkansas Post

In the Battle of Chicasaw Bayou on December 29th, Sherman had met a bloody repulse in his effort to capture Vicksburg before Christmas. Now John McClernand arrived with more troops to take over the army which had been swiped from him by Grant and Sherman. He called the new force the Army of the Mississippi, and was sure that he wanted to use it to attack, only he was not sure what. Sherman convinced him to attack the Confederate Fort Hindman at Arkansas Post, one of the first settlements in that part of the nation. It was garrisoned by 5,000 Confederates, and was a major threat to McClernand's supply line. It was 150 years ago today that Union army set out for this Confederate outpost. However, McClernand and Sherman made the mistake of not letting Grant know of the movement until January 8th, well after it began.