The weather was bitterly cold for that latitude; we were four days getting into the Arkansas River, which we entered by the White River cut-off; and my recollection is, that our passing the mouth of the main river deceived the enemy as to our destination.
The entrance through the cut-off was feasible by reason of high water, and I think made our appearance a surprise to the force at the post.

We disembarked on the morning of the 10th of January.
Stuart's division first encountered the enemy behind an earthwork about four miles from the fort, running across the solid ground from the river to a swamp.

General Sherman in person took Steele's division, and followed a road leading to the rear of the earthwork just mentioned.

We had got fairly under way when the rebels fell back to the fort, and McClernand, coming up, ordered us to fall back, and march up the river.

It seemed to me then, and afterward, that it would have been better to have marched straight to the rear of the fort, as we started to do.