%437.  Arkansas%.—­In January, 1862, the Confederate line west of the Mississippi extended from Belmont across southern Missouri to the Indian Territory.  Against the west end of this line General Curtis moved in February, 1862, and after driving the Confederates under Van Dorn and Price out of Missouri, beat them in the desperate battle at Pea Ridge, Arkansas (March 6-8, 1862), and moved to the interior of the state.  Price and Van Dorn went east into Mississippi (see Sec. 435), and when the year closed the Union forces were in control north of the Arkansas River, and along the west bank of the Mississippi.  On the east bank the only fortified positions in Confederate hands were Vicksburg, Grand Gulf, and Port Hudson.

%438.  Farragut captures New Orleans.%—­While Foote was opening the upper part of the Mississippi, a naval expedition under Farragut, supported by an army under Butler, had cleared the lower part of the river.  These forces had been sent by sea to capture New Orleans.  The defenses of the city consisted of two strong forts almost directly opposite each other on the banks of the river, about seventy-five miles south of the city; of two great chain cables stretched across the river below the forts to prevent ships coming up; and of fifteen armed vessels above the forts.  New Orleans was thought to be safe.  But Farragut was not dismayed.  Sailing up the river till he came to the chains, he bombarded the forts for six days and nights, while the forts did their best to destroy him.  Then, finding he could do nothing in this way, he cut the chains, ran his ships past the forts in spite of a dreadful fire (April 24, 1862), destroyed the Confederate fleet (April 25), and took the city.  General Butler, who had been waiting at Ship Island with 15,000 men, then entered and held New Orleans.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Farragut, after taking New Orleans, went up the river and captured Baton Rouge and Natchez.]

%439.  The Peninsular Campaign against Richmond.%—­The signal success of Grant and Farragut in the West was more than offset by the signal failure of McClellan in the East.  The wish of the administration, and indeed of the whole North, was that Richmond should be captured.  Against it, therefore, the Army of the Potomac was to move.  But by what route?  The government wanted McClellan to march south across Virginia, so that his army should always be between the Confederate forces and Washington.  McClellan insisted on moving west from Chesapeake Bay.  The result was a compromise: 

1.  Forces under Fremont and Banks were to operate in the Shenandoah valley and prevent a Confederate force attacking Washington from the west.

2.  An army under McDowell was to march from Fredericksburg to Richmond.

3.  McClellan was to take the main army from Washington by water to Fort Monroe, and then march up the peninsula to Richmond, where McDowell was to join him.

[Illustration:  The Peninsula Campaign]