The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-04-17
THE STEAMERS.

which was scuttled and partially sunk.
Directly a. her stern, was the Red
Rover, a smaller but very fast boat,
and apparently in good condition.
Next to her lay the. Grampus, little,
dingy, inferior looking tow boat, but as
fast almost as lightning. Her arma-
ment, consisting of two six-pounders,
had been carried or. thrown into the
river. The Grampus was known
among the rebels as Daredevil jack
Her days in the rebel service, however,
are ended, and she will probably be for
some time in her present position, sunk
en- nearly to her hurricane deck, as she
is hardly worth the raising. The reb-
ell flag was flying defiantly from her
stern at daylight, but is now trophy
on board the ST. Louis. Her comman-
der. was Marsh Miller, well known
river man. and all inbred, natural, orig
inal secessionist. His boat has done
the rebels great service as courier,
post for which. she was admirably
adapted by her great speed. The ex-
aggerated accounts of the rebel papers,
and the magnified stories consequent
thereupon in vogue amongst our own
people. have clothed the Grampus with
mystery and fame sounding very like
romance. She has been ubiquitous.
Now at Memphis, now at New Madrid !;
one day at the Island watching for our
gunboats, the next day at the mouth Of
the bayou watching for our transports
to emerge from the woods, and the
next running Pope's blockade. The
commander has been magnified into q
bold, shrewd, magnaniinous Dick Tur-
pin kind of a man. But the reality
strips off the romance. The Grampus
is dirty little tow boat, which one
thirty-two pound shot would tear TO
pieces; her commander poor devil,
fleeing for his life through swamps and
marshes. -1-t .ff
Below the Grampus, there lay the
Admiral with steam up. The yellow
and white firgs at her bow indicated
her as the hospital boat. On board
were eighty patients i'll with typhoid
fever and fever and ague in most eases.
The poor fellows, however, were doc
torless and nurseless. Surgeons, ply
sicians and nurses, had joined in the
general stampede from the main shore
and left them to suffer alone. There
were some 25 or 80 Of them who were
comparatively well. These had in
dulged in a free fight with the crew OF
the boat, the day before our arrival, in
which bowie knives were used freely.
All of them were more or less slashed
up, but comparatively happy over the
memories of the fight, for which they
had been spelling SO long. Directly
opposite the Admiral, on the left banks
of the island, is the Mars, which had
been used as transport for the con.
veyance Of troops. For the present
however, she is of no consequence, as
before deserving. the rebels had cnt the
steam pipes. The Yazoo is sunk some
distance below the Island. A little
steamer formerly used as ferry boat
named champion No. 2, also lies along
the main shore. In addition to The
steamboats, are two large, fine wharf
boats carried off by the rebels from
Hickman and Columbus, which hav,
been in use here in the Commissary De
partment. The De Soto is also in on
possession. The steamers which hav,
escaped are the Mears, Louisville ant
Mary Kean. The De Soto will, it i
understood, be run henceforth by Capt
Carroll, of the Illinois. ue e3er.
THE ISLAND.
/ With the situation of Island No. II
all of your readers are by this time wei
acquainted. 1t comprises about sever
hundred acres of most fertile soil
About two-thirds of it is very heavil
timbered with cotton woods, elms an,
naples, some of the trees being of i'm
mense size. The head of the Islam
which makes very blunt angle aroun,
which the current rushes with terrifi
rapidity, has been cleared for dis
tance of FIVE or six hundred feet bac
from the river. About the centre c
the Island is farm Of 900 acres, dc
voted mostly TO corn. A large peac
and apple orchard stretches from til
centre to the foot of the island, at pres
ent in full blossom, and forming beat
tiful contrast with the emerald tints {
,, tree and herbage. There is but on
house upon the Island, a neat whit
cottage with a few negro huts groupe
about. The entire banks of the Islant
E excepting directly at the point, are hig
; and bold, and only scaleable by earthe
stairs, which have been cut in two {
three places. They are rapidly wasl
!, ing away and the trees falling over int
the river. Although upon the Islam
: but few hours, / witnessed no les
than ten heavy land slides. At til
!, present rate, in a short time the, entll
Island, like many of its numerical pr
!. decessors, must entirely disappear, an
: the locality Of this all important siee
! in reality live only in history.
o THE BATTERIES. .a ar,,..
!, The batteries upon the Island a.
e four in number, and all located upt
n the right bank. They are all built
Ii sand bags, piled up closely and heavil
n with earth slopes and wide, dee
If ditches. Upon the left shore a plat
II ground had been laid out for thr'
o gun battery, but apparently abandons
- as imuracticable The first battery