 Chinyorwa chinopfuurira ndima ino - Ngarava dzeMubatanidzwa dzakatora Eastport isina kukwana nemapuranga uye mahwendefa ehondo akatoendeswa, asi asati aiswa, musi waFebruary 7, 1862, mushure mekunge Fort Henry akapa maFederal kutonga kweTennessee zuva rakapfuura uye vakakweva nzira yake kuti vapedziswe muchikepe cheMubatanidzwa. Kutanga kwokukomba Chitsuwa Nhamba Gumikuchamhembe kweMemphis mukuvamba kwaMarch kwakatyisidzira guta ndokuzivisa vatungamiriri veConfederate nevakuru vakuru nokuda kwokushayikwa kwefambiro mberi paArkansas -class ironclads. Achikurudzirwa nechikumbiro chaMunyori weHondo, Judah P. Benjamin, Major General P. G. T. Beauregard akatumira mukuru mukuru kuti aongorore hanzvadzi uye kuti aone kufambira mberi kwakanga kwaitwa pakati paMarch. Akashuma kuti Arkansas yakanga yapfuurira zvakanaka, asi kuti Tennessee yaizoda mamwe mavhiki matanhatu asati agona kuvhurwa. Panenge panguva iyi Mallory akatuma Commander Charles H. McBlair kuti akurumidze kuvaka ngarava uye akamugadza kuva kaputeni weArkansas. 