What is Army of the Mississippi?
[[File:GenJohnPope.jpeg|thumb|130px|{{center|General John Pope, first commander}}]] [[File:John Alexander McClernand.jpg|thumb|130px|{{center|General [[John Alexander McClernand]], second commander}}]] '''Army of the Mississippi''' was the name given to two [[Union Army|Union]] armies during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name=Jones119>Terry L. Jones, ''Historical Dictionary of the Civil War'', Volume 1 (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2011), p. 119</ref> Both operated around the [[Mississippi River]] and both were active for only a short time. == First use == The first army was created on February 23, 1862.<ref name=Eicher433>John Eicher; David Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands'' (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001). pp. 433-434</ref> It was commanded by [[Major general]] [[John Pope (military officer)|John Pope]].<ref name=Eicher433/> Pope's orders were to clear [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] troops along the Mississippi River so the [[Union army]] could move through the area.<ref name=jpopeCWT>{{cite web |url=http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/john-pope-1.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/ |title=John Pope |publisher=Civil War Trust |access-date=17 July 2016}}</ref> On February 28, 1862, General Pope began to move against [[New Madrid, Missouri]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.new-madrid.mo.us/index.aspx?NID=152 |title=Civil War in New Madrid |publisher=City of New Madrid |access-date=17 July 2016}}</ref> The Army then fought at the [[Battle of Island Number Ten]].<ref name=jpopeCWT/> The army next fought at the [[Siege of Corinth]]. After the capture of Corinth Pope was sent east to command the Army of Virginia. Major general [[William S. Rosecrans]] assumed command of the Army of the Mississippi. The army fought at the [[Battle of Iuka]] followed by the [[Second Battle of Corinth]]. His commanding officer, [[Ulysses S. Grant]], was unhappy with his failure to go after the [[retreat]]ing Confederates after the [[Battle of Corinth]].<ref name=wsrCWT>{{cite web |url=ht