[Illustration:  THE BRIDGE AT ANTIETAM.  Burnside’s soldiers charged over the bridge from the middle foreground.]

[Sidenote:  Capture of Fort Henry, February, 1862.]

[Sidenote:  Fort Donelson.]

397.  Forts Henry and Donelson, February, 1862.—­In February, 1862, General Grant and Commodore Foote attacked two forts which the Confederates had built to keep the Federal gunboats from penetrating the western part of the Confederacy.  Fort Henry yielded almost at once, but the Union forces besieged Fort Donelson for a longer time.  Soon the Confederate defense became hopeless, and General Buckner asked for the terms of surrender.  “Unconditional surrender,” replied Grant, and Buckner surrendered.  The lower Tennessee and the lower Cumberland were now open to the Union forces.

[Sidenote:  The lower Mississippi.]

[Sidenote:  Admiral Farragut.]

398.  Importance of New Orleans.—­New Orleans and the lower Mississippi were of great importance to both sides, for the possession of this region gave the Southerners access to Texas, and through Texas to Mexico.  Union fleets were blockading every important Southern port.  But as long as commerce overland with Mexico could be maintained, the South could struggle on.  The Mississippi, too, has so many mouths that it was difficult to keep vessels from running in and out.  For these reasons the Federal government determined to seize New Orleans and the lower Mississippi.  The command of the expedition was given to Farragut, who had passed his boyhood in Louisiana.  He was given as good a fleet as could be provided, and a force of soldiers was sent to help him.

[Illustration:  A RIVER GUNBOAT.]

[Sidenote:  Capture of New Orleans, April, 1862. Higginson, 303-304; Source-Book, 313-315.]

399.  New Orleans captured, April, 1862.—­Farragut carried his fleet into the Mississippi, but found his way upstream barred by two forts on the river’s bank.  A great chain stretched across the river below the forts, and a fleet of river gunboats with an ironclad or two was in waiting above the forts.  Chain, forts, and gunboats all gave way before Farragut’s forceful will.  At night he passed the forts amid a terrific cannonade.  Once above them New Orleans was at his mercy.  It surrendered, and with the forts was soon occupied by the Union army.  The lower Mississippi was lost to the Confederacy.

[Illustration:  A WAR-TIME ENVELOPE.]

[Sidenote:  Shiloh, April, 1862.]

[Sidenote:  Corinth, May, 1862.]

400.  Shiloh and Corinth, April, May, 1862.—­General Halleck now directed the operations of the Union armies in the West.  He ordered Grant to take his men up the Tennessee to Pittsburg Landing and there await the arrival of Buell with a strong force overland from Nashville.  Grant encamped with his troops on the western bank of the Tennessee between Shiloh Church and Pittsburg Landing.  Albert Sidney Johnston,