On January 11, 1863, Union Major General John A. McClernand concluded a joint naval/army operation against the Confederate Fort Hindman, also known as Arkansas Post, at the mouth of the Arkansas River. The battle saw the capture of approximately 5,000 Confederate troops, mostly from the states of Texas and Arkansas.
The victory helped to ensure that the Mississippi River remain open to Union shipping. In spite of the success of the operation, McClernand evidently angered General Ulysses S. Grant, who had expected his Major General to attack Vicksburg rather than Fort Hindeman. Because he considered the seemingly unauthorized action an unnecessary diversion, Grant dismissed McClernand and ordered him to Mississippi. Grant would finally prevail at Vicksburg six months later.