The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-03-18
BY TELEGRAPH.
Last Nights Report.

ATTACK On l1lonA Ne, 10.
Csiro, March II.
A dispatch from on board the Benton
1t Island No. 10 says We got under way
ut daylight this ). m. and dropped down
to within range Of the upper battery and
commenced t. arouse than with the rifles
Of the Benton, whilsthe mortar boats were
being towed 70 position. Only couple
Of Shots were fred when ! white flag was
seen 70 ware violently from the bank and
to continue waving until answered By a
white flag from the flag ship. OF course
firing ceased, as did also all hostile opera
tions--ven the moving ..of the mortars
while tug carried Lieut.. Bishop down to
see what was wanted. On arriving at the
works he was answered that they were
signaling their works down the river and
did not wish to communicate with us--a
dirty snh.erfnge to gain time, which was
followed up BY the Grampus hosting a
white flag and steaming towards the tug
from the Island. Lieut.. Bishop was Of
opinion that time enough had been lost,
and did not wait for the Campus, but
steamed up for the Benton, and the Gram
pus hauled down the white flag and ran
back under cover again. Up to this time
no rebel colors had been shown from the
battery, but now it went up, and the pre-
parations to get it down regularly and by
approved methods went on with renewed
vigor. Eight mortars were soon in posi-
ton, and engaged in throwing the terrible
l3-inch shell, and Lieut.. Bishop, disgust
ed at the bad taste Of the rebels who did
not wish to communicate with 30 gallant
and good. looking an officer, By permission
of the Flag Olhcer md Captain Phelps,
opened direct COMMUNICATIONS By means
81 the Benton's riHed seventy -fours with
such skill that the rebels ran from the
work, and their flag was covered with dirt
and water. The firing was kept up stead
iIy, though slowly, until SIP. NJ, the NOR
tam sxpssding $40 shells, and the Ben
ton III
The heart Of every man in the hag-ship
vas saddened by sympathy with the poig-
nant grief OF our beloved Flag Officer
Foote, who received by the dispatch boat
at noon intelligence of the death of his
second son, : lad OF thirteen years and
exceeding promise, of whose illness the
Commodore had no previous intelligence.
Tomorrow will see the reduction of
one or more of the enemy's works and the
closer investment Of the whole. The
place is very strong, and from our point
of view we could see forty four guns in
position. and negroes were busily at work
on battery out Of our reach, on which.
Tomorrow, we shall probably find heavy
guns mounted. With all this note of pre-
paration and all these possibilities Of u
hard fight some incredulous people will
suspect that the troops which Pope drove
out of New Madrid and which came to
Island No. 10. are marching across the
necks of land from No. ] 0 to Merriweath-
ers Landing on the Mississippi below
Point Pleasant, distance Of only FIVE
miles from the Island over practicable
road, and that when they are embarked
on the feet Of boats, the smoke of which
has plainly been seen all day at or near
Merriweather we shall find the nest
empty aud the river clear of rebels to
Randolph or Fort Pillow A sunken
steamboat, the hopelessness of the rebel
cause between Foote and Pope, the pres
ence of the boats and the sullen and dull
fight made by the rebel enemy give some
color to the theory, half believe it my
self.