, 1862-03-27
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER EXPE-
DFII0N.
TIE sIEGE,oF ISLAND no. 10.

VlAAVN. T.
fAE SIEGE OF ISLAND no. 10.
!: NINTH D1Y. >.
OgBo4Rp sr1Ank1 F. WILSON,
ozr1nAsp No. 10, 4n1e% M1ssEss,SP1 e IT ;RWfR
/ sasus1ay .Nos,sing:-The events and Incl
dents of yesterday, bearing upon the siege Of
Island No. 10, afford little scope for detailed
letter. Yesterday WIGS similar in its surround
ings to the previous days Of the week, and the.
explosions Of the mortars have become as fa- |
rniliar as the tickings Of the clock. To us,
distanced at least two miles aud half from !
the nearest point Of the eneny's batteries, the !
effect Of our shells seems hardly apparent; |
but that they have purified the be1]igerent at
moephere aud demora1ized the rebels, both |
upon the main shore and the island, is mat |
ter Of certainty. Your mortar is most po-
tenta aEopathic cathartic. The process is slow, /
but positive and thoroughly radical in its e. |
feet. No body Of men, however strongly for
tilted and protected, can endure the constant |
aud regular daily and nightly discharges of
225poQnd shells thrown from mortars they
cannot see, and stationed at q range where the
clearest view would be Of no practical benefit
to them. 1t is but doing them slmp1e justice,
however, to admit that they have endured the
punishment braye1y, albeit their attempts to
reach the source Of that punishment have
been painfully ludicrous. They have literally
been brayed in mortar, and the result
is a gradual evacuation Of the encamp-
ments, which On Sunday last dotted the
main shore as far almost as the eye could
reach, and were thickly clustered In the heavy
timber Of the island. Then the air was filed
with the smoke from their watch fires, and
to the effect of our urortars the thorough cut
off by Gen. Pope's batteries on the river below
here, and one can hardly wonder at the des-
perate attempt to leave.
The mortars commenced their practice yes
terday morning at halfpast ten, much time
having been consumed in supplying them with
powder and shells from the ammunition boats.
Most Of their fire WIS concentrated upon the
upper battery, as upon previous days. Eight
Of the rebels are known to have been killed,
and late yesterday afternoon parties could be
distinctly seen burying the dead. The
trees in the vicinity Of the works are
shattered and torn to pieces. Branches are
Topped of, the earth plowcd up in ridges, aud
devastation and destruction are everywhere
visible in the path of our shells, which cut q
ewath through the forest Is clean1y IS if some
Titanic mower had scythed his way through,
Tie practice Of the mortars was continued I'LL
day aud at intervals through last night, the
| gunboats lying idle, with the exception Of the
| Mound City, which, from the head Of the
point, used her bow rifles at intervals with 4
happy effect. The battery upon the head ol
| the Island replied at very long intervals, thcn
shots displaying excellent gnnnery but pro
| ductiye Of ne damage, owing to their elcTa
! lion.
The effect Of the mortar explosions arc ycr3
| peculiar. Forward Of the mortar, it Woult
| be almost impossible for human being tx
endure the tremendous concussion. Aft 0
than otherwise, and not half SO hard to en-
dure rs the sharp, snappish report Of bras
field piece. During the general engagement OF
h1onday afternoon, I had position upon l
rail fence, aboutiVe rods behind mortar. Be
fore it had been fired many times, I found my
over the thunder-music, and Impatient Of tn
delays intervening between reports. Tie sam
feelings seemed to inspire the red-cappel NOR
tar men, who took savage delight il the i'm
xo9ms N , 9 sqqn IN Rc Rsd e. Th e ts hS
At the side, OF IN front Of the mortar
however, the effects are not so pleas
ant, everything material having an in
sane tendency to rush forward and fill til
huge vacuum occasioned By tue explosion
utensils, I'm fact, everytAing, starts in be
line for the bore Of the mortar. Upon ont
occasion, immediately after the discharge 0
mortar q, a button few from q coat directl
: into the bore whence, q second before, the POE
derous shell hustled into the air. A more nc
: drew alongside mortar Just as it was dis
+ | charged. The conclusion started joints i
the steam. pipe and d7e1e the sigets III :e boiler
1 to that degree, that the imprisoned stea1
t hissed from hundred places, rendering ia
mediate repairs necessary; !x, 1Ey although a1 to
$ into account its real immensity-the genuiu
;, effects are felt more keen1y. At Cairo, ski
| miles distant, the reports are heard distirctl1
T and vibration Of the earth is felt, while .
9 Columbus, houses are shaken, glasses rattle,
and the reports seem but very few yart
away
: day the programme has been material
the same as yesterday The moftars con
mcnccd firing at ten o'clock this forenoo
: and have continued at quarter hour intcrva
|
- ming. Six Of the upper battery guns ha'
l. been dismounted, ana only one can now
seen in position. About three o'clock tn
afternoon. it was apparent that the rebel
e nearly shcl1ed and drowned out their work
we're attempting to erect another battery son
IS gentle rise. The Mound City at once pour,
C in rapid fire Of shot and shells, which b.
r the effect to suspend all operations in that {
- rection.
| =.
\. cate that it is the intention Of the rebels
eyacuate, and predict that before Weudt
y day next ne shall be in quiet possession Of t
d. island without the loss Of single man. L
r. nense clouds Of smoke have hung over t
u woods skirting the shore and head Of the i
N ing that they are burning Whit they canr
~ carry of. Their Transports have been mt
y than usually busy al day arriving and depa
se ing from the farther side Of the island. o.
the Ya=oo, could distinctly make out on t
N side OF the island, loading with cavalry. 7
-. the centre and upper batteries none, althou
w our transports have been in easy range seye
r. times.
The Mississippi continues to rise rapii
i, and has already o7eraowcd its banks in eve
tn direction, and pours broad rushing torr'
m into the woods. At present there seems
indication Of fall. The few inhabitants
rs tie point, dwelling upon the ridges, arc
;ts tempting to curb the mad torrent by build
leyees, but their work is iInpotent and if
y, flood continues many days longer, it =
he | cause large destruction Of farms and sto
H. and entail sad load OF misery upon
~ people already crushed down to poverty By
IN Tavages Of war. These sudden spring rises
n. the Mississippi, often lasting for two mon!
one can hardly appreciate without seei
as Where, but yesterday morning, our sold
IN. were cncanlped on dry land, this morning
-, broad. madly-rushing volume Of VI:
nQ stretching as far into the woods as you can
ist- So hastily were the soldiers obliged to dcca
g.. and take up quarters upon the transp
% again, that many articles Of clothing are b:
TO ing upon the trees that had been LEFT to
>ro | and hayersaeks aud rat1ons are floating Ill
-: to be " "gobbled up" as the steamboat ]
su- say, by the deck hands, who are Wading at
mrs knee deep in quest of them
=. Thus ends the first week of the siege.
I'll events the coming one will close upon I
not tell. I am neither prophet nor the Il
sol OF ninth son. 1t is not matter Of
probability, however, that We shall be in
Il, Of Fort Pillow, then to Fort Randolph, an
Ihat tcr that, Memphis, the hot bed Of seces!
son is ours. G. ?.
asm OUR KANSAS LETTER.
reat From tie Camps in Southern Kansas
l in N0,o-CNange in Public Senttnae7f-df|
6rd Matters
, OF Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Trih