AJ
Thanks for the response. As I stated,IF the Arkansas had enough water to navigate down to Smith's Cutoff, then there would have been enough water to navigate through the cut. I base this on the expedition on Fort Hindmand in Jan 1863. The Union navy traveled up the White to Smith's Cutoff and crossed over to the Arkansas to make the assault on Fort Hindmand. After the surrender of the fort, CR Ellet made a recon up the Arkansas about 6 miles distance and reported the water was too shallow to proceed further. The entire Union force was still in the Arkansas at this time. We know from history that this force returned to the Mississippi. So if the Arkansas held enough water to return the fleet through the cut back down to the Mississippi, then there certainly would be enough water to pass through the cut if you could navigate from Little Rock to this point.
Chuck Lee