PASSING BY THE MOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER

On this day, Pvt. Newt Gorsuch tells us that his steamboat started out at 10:00 (we will assume this is at night) and ran up the Mississippi River until almost morning (on January 8). The flotilla passed the mouth of the Arkansas River, where existed Arkansas Post (Fort Hindman) some miles to the west and the source of Confederate harassment of Union shipping on the Mississippi River.

It is not known how far the ships travelled that evening so the web author will take the liberty of estimating their distance.

* Some information from Civil War Diaries and Selected Letters of Robert Newton Gorsuch, a private in Company B, 16th OVI, recently published in book form by Newt Gorsuch's great grandson, Everett Gorsuch Smith, Jr. The book is available for purchase from various Internet sources.

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Modern day map of the 16th Ohio's journey north on the Mississippi River toward Arkansas Post, Arkansas (positions approximated):

Lavender pin - Notional point where Sherman's flotilla reached on the night of January 4, 1863
Yellow pin - Notional point where Sherman's flotilla reached on the night of January 5, 1863
Blue pin - Notional point where Sherman's flotilla reached on the night of January 6, 1863
Green pin - Notional point where Sherman's flotilla reached on the night of January 7, 1863
Lavender pushpin - Site of Arkansas Post or Fort Hindman, Arkansas, a Confederate stronghold and Gen. McClernand's destination