, 1862-03-21

cry. Time, however, will Improve this. !
At last the long expected reply Of tho enc |
ny comes. The Graham, whic h arrived this :
morning from Columbus with troops, I,nds !:
Il the point for the purpose Of sending .
scouting party up the shore A transport :;
aden black with troops is I tempting bait. A )
lash Of light leaps from their battery, cloud !,
II smoke curls up, and solid shot comes
shistling across the river, striking about
3uarter Of mile in front Of the steamer. The
Experiment. is not repeated. Their shot has
rad only the effect to give us exactly the posi-
ion Of their battery.
The scouting party which landed, aeconpa- |
lied 10y detachment Of artillery, vrnt along
he river shore some distance below the S,1;nt.
md took position exactly opposite the en-
:my's works, and in range Of their floating
battery, which opened fire upon them. Our
|rtine1y replies, and brisk little cannon
'kirmish ensued, lasting for an hour OF so, re-
'ulting IN the death Of one Of our men, xho
Has shot in the knee and died almost in
;tantly.
Firing ceased 1T dusk- The result has given
is the well defined 1ocality Of the enemy's
works. Their encampments have materially
essarcd and a,,,,,.o,,,,oos ;,,d;oo+o 49, ,.,;,,
|hcv retain ossession If the;r batteries tJe;r
fronns arc leaving o,odr.1rr Tha so,ss,,
1aye evidently heard from New Madrid. To-
morrow fierce stack win be mads mon the
upper aattc1y.
FOURTH DAY.
4so1E7ey. Garch 17th~-Last night was one Of
unusual clcarness md the river and shores
were bathcl in the most delicious moonlight
II paiutsrs need any business, when the grim
dogs Of war are ba3ing, they would have rev.
e1ad in The scene. Although was surrounded
hy Ill ::!1e fearful parapheraalia Of war. there
was nothing to disturb the serenity Of the
night Nc sounds were audible save the plash
of the waller, the s.,arling trumpet calling our
pickcts afar of, AID the sound Of the bells
upon the gnnboats IS they called the hours.
The forenoon was consumed until ten O'Clock
in supplying tie mortar rafte with shells and
powder from the ammunition boats. About
halfFast leu the mostars commenced practice,
occupy ing the same position as the day before,
excepting two, which were moored on the left
bank about three miles below the upper bat
ler5- TWO Of the mortars she1led the rebel
encompmeats round the point, the fire Of the
others concentrating upon the upper batterv,
About eleven O'Clock, The gnnboats took po-
s1tion. The Benton. Cincinnati and St. Louis,
1ashed together, slowly dropped down tie river
and opened fire upon the same battery. The
scene now became animated in the extreme,
the ball being fairly opened. I took 4 posi-
lion On shore, near the poiat aud alopesidc
Lie 1Iortars, to witness their pr.ctice. Tie
firing Of a mortar is the very poetry Of a bat
tie. a bag Of powder weighing from eighteen
to twenty pounds is dropped into the bore of
the huge monster. The derrick drops the
shell in; the angle is calculated; long cord
is attached to the primer; the gunner steps
out upon the platform, and the balance Of the
Gre" Upon the shore- The Captain gives the
VOID, the gunner gives his cord sudden
JERK, crash like thousand thunders fol-
lows, tongue ofaame leaps from the month
OF tue mortar, and column Of smoke rolls
up IN beautiful feccy spirals, developing into
rings Of exquisite proportions. One can see
the shell as ltleavcs the mortar flying through
the air, apparently no larger than marble
The next You sec. Of tue shell, 9 beautiful
s'oao u snsuSe bursts into sight, caused BY
Inc explosion. Imagine ten Of these mon
etcrs 1hundcrirg at once, the air filed with
smese clouds, the gunboats belchlng ont de-
struct1on and completely hidden from sight i'll
whlfls OF smoke, the shell screaming through
tue air with IN unearLh1y sound, and the dis
tant guns of the enemy sending their solid
sbct and shell above and around us, da5h1ng
The water up in glisteniDg columns aud lets ol
spray, aud you have the sublime poetry oi
7Far. An incident, however, will show how
completely the oattle may lose its poetry aud
develop into 4 stern and suggestive reality.
impatient Of being at a distance, and wish
ing to witness the effect OF our shells, which
were playing upon the head Of the is1and, in
company with one OF two Others strollcd
1onna the point Until VIC came in full view o1
the cncmS's lower forts. We kept along the
ha1ak unta ne passed our pickcts, and thel
took TO the eorndelds and behind fenccs, III
til "creached an old deserted mill, where vt
emerged In piain sight OF the floating battery
WHICH was formerly dry dock at New Or
leans' and mounts ~ guns. It laid in the rivel
ABOUT nile distant. No sooner had oufpart!
comc IN sight than Hash OF Light shot from
It's sides, and q shell came screaming like :
flend over our heads. bursting short distanc'
behind US. The poetry Of shells suddenl!
changed with q douhle-qnick retrosade prose
During the afternoon the battl
faged tercely, the most Of our fire bein!
concentrated upon the upper fort and doin|
good work. Two guns were dismounted, an
gaping breach made in the earth works. Til
mortars sent sent several shells into the hea
Of The island and the lower forts, and mus
| nave occoeloned great slaughter. one shel
nrco py moftar rs struck IN the eafthWork
| and exploded, tearing small building int
| spilntcrs, and throwing up the dirt as high q
the tops OF the trees. The firing Wis kept u;
With great spirit during the whole afteruoo;
and until eight o'clock in the evening, ghe.
the forts were 10 longer visible. The rebel
replied Win powerful rlled gun thrown
ob,onn cpufcaI shells. and also with s;xtr- -fnn,+
| 1u'anS Liz ncCHsseeHehtt tee benLon was struc
three times. The first shot struck the st,,
h.ori, ,,o1- r,,4 o,s 1es..a" 80, ~ s'4
| eo1oo NJ" porl, anu WIS broken lnto pieces
t the etaunch iron work Of the mort sustain;n
,;,+,o $50 rrs,. pe.s 80 sos.'
tor, cutting off q small arc Of its rim r,,ssc
tnro,,ah on. - ~ fs.
,.;t 7ho daa,- -. ~
plating, but not passing t1uonoh- II
! third shot, sixty-tonr pounaer. strus
the hurricane deck, and passing fhrono
it struck upon the run deck Aoor. =
bounded to the ceiling and sto7ned its =
ratio course BIZ dronpias tbroupb the IN