Near Warrenton, 7 November, McClellan was superseded by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, under an order dated 5 November. The latter took position opposite Fredericksburg (q.v.) 19 November, and, 13 December, forced a crossing into the city and below it. After great slaugh ter, largely incurred in assaults on Marye's Heights, he was repulsed and obliged to re cross the river. The next month he attempted to cross above Fredericksburg and turn Lee's left. An unusual storm made advance impossi ble, the army finding itself actually stalled, the movement becoming known as the great Mud March. After this failure Burnside was re lieved by Hooker 2,6 Jan. 1863.
The navy was active and effective through out 1%2. The blockade became exceedingly stringent for the Confederacy; warlike and commercial supplies alike were very difficult to obtain. On 11 January General Burnside and Com. L. M. Goldsborough sailed from Fort Monroe, capturing Roanoke Island (q.v.) 5 February, Newbern (q.v.) 14 March, and taking Fort Macon (q.v.) with its garrison 35 April. See also SOUTH MILLS.
General Butler and Admiral Farragut sailed from Fort Monroe 25 February for a move against New Orleans (q.v.). After a terrific engagement, participated in by Commander D. Porter with mortar-boats, and in which the Confederates exhibited great endurance, the chain across the river below forts Saint Philip and Jackson was cut, and 24 April Far ragut forced his fleet past the forts, and after terrific fighting, during which the Varuna was sunk by the fire of the forts, appear2d before New Orleans on the 25th, General Lovell, who held the city with a small force, some 3,000, retiring. General Butler arrived with his troops 1 May, and took full possession, taking Baton Rouge 9 May, and Natchez on the 13th, neither being fortified. Farragut's fleet then ascended the Mississippi. He ran past the batteries at Vicksburg and joined Commodore Foote's (Davis') fleet from Memphis at Young's Point. Retiring to New Orleans, thus running the Vicksburg batteries a second time, he found letters from Washington urging him to clear the Mississippi. On 25 June his fleet, with Porter's mortar fleet, was assembled at Vidcs burg, and on the 28th, after a short engagement, two ships and five gunboats ran the batteries and again joined Davis' fleet above the city. On 15 July the Confederate ironclad Arkansas carne out of the Yazoo, ran directly through the Union fleet, none of its vessels having steam up, and gained the shelter of the Vicksburg bat teries. Farragut ran the batteries that night,
and attempted to destroy the Arkansas while passing the city wharves, but failed. On 20 July his fleet was ordered to New Orleans, where it arrived on the 29th.
Grant, from Corinth, 1 November, began his first move against Vicksburg (q.v.), by ordering his troops forward to Grand Junction, purpos ing to move along the railroad by way of Holly Springs and Grenada to the rear of the city', while Sherman should co-operate from Mem phis. A raid by Forrest destroyed long reaches of railroad above Jackson, and the destruction of the depot of supplies with its immense stores at Holly Springs (q.v.) 20 December, by Van Dorn, effectually paralyzed Grant's advance toward Vicksburg.
During Forrest's and Van Dorn's opera tions east of the Mississippi Gen. T. C. Hind man, in Arkansas, attacked Gens. F. J. Herron and J. G. Blunt at Prairie Grove (q.v.), but retreated after a severe engagement. On 16 December Gen. N. P. Banks relieved General Butler at New Orleans.
Sherman was then sent, 20 December, from Memphis down the Mississippi to ascend the Yazoo and attempt the capture of the left flank of the defenses of the city at Haines' Bluff. He assaulted at Chickasaw Bayou (q.v.) 29 December, with disastrous results, and returned to the mouth of the Yazoo, where he was met bY Gen. J. A. McClemand with orders to as sume general command. This officer at once moved up the Arkansas River with Porter's gunboat fleet and Sherman's and G. W. Mor corps, captured Fort Hindman (q.v.) 11 January, and returned to Young's Point. From this position the Vicksburg campaign of 1863 began, which opened the Union operations of that year.
The first attempt was to cut a canal across the peninsula opposite Vicksburg, which would allow the army to move below Vicksburg. After working on this from 22 January to 7 March, a flood destroyed it. Efforts were next made to open a way through Lake Providence to the Red River, making a circuit of 350 miles to a point below the city. Both this plan and one for the east side through the Yazoo pass leading to the rear of the city, being actively opposed by the Confederates, and found other wise exceedingly difficult, were abandoned. See YAZOO PASS and STEELE'S BAYOU.