New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-24
HOT W DIRK AND PLENTY OF IT
NONE OF OUR MEN INJURED
SIRE NGTH OFTHE REBEL POSITION
F,oeS ,ar Special Correspondent.

Above Island No. 10. Saturday, March h. 1852
Tn Louisville, owing 10 leakage Ia one OF her
boils IF, has been sent back 20 Caro- leaving us only
ss ( the iron-clad gunboats.
- le Benon, during the early part OF tie DAY,
pres ented busy scene. The men, armed with cut
lass and revolves ready for cose work if necessary
wei going through their exercises at the guns; the
sur gee N looking over his of Instruments Capt
paelps and Lieut.. Bishop personally inspecting
every thing and giving orders TO the subordinate
Office rs; Commodore Foote, standing with his
srutc hes or sitting upon the upper deck, overlooking
che whole; and every eye strained in expectancy rs
we dropped slowly down the stream, ahundred yards
in advance Of the other gunboats. The transports
with the troops aud mortar-rafts remained above to
oe ont Of range Of the enemys shots and the little
tugs were steaming to aid from them with the Flag
Officers orders.
FORM OF THE RIVER.
The river here il in the form of letter U-run-
ming south three miles, turning TO the west half
q mile, then again changing abruptly and running
for ,hree miles northward. We descend the right
- eastern stroke Of the u. AT the lower end Of the
bend on the west side, just where tie stream turns
70 run noTthward, is the head of Island No. 10. We
are unable to come in full view Of it without dropping
down completely into the bend, in easy range OF it,
guns and within half mile Of them; passage
thither would doubtless be disputed by batteries Oh
the Tennessee shore, where the bluff ID twenty OF
thirty feet high. But by looking across to the south
wet OYER q narrow point Of land, and through the
branches Of the scattering trees which cover Ii, we
can see part OF the Island and the Rebel steamboats,
beyond, on the Tennessee side.
DRoPPING DOWN.
~al tL~;- With ala Ia
can Distinguish the side-whee transports Falls City,
Ohio Belle, John Sirnonds, Mars, Red Rover, still
bearing her old inscription ~. s. Mail Packet"
smother with naIne upon her wheel house, and tie
gunboa. Grampus. All have steam on, and their
smoke eurls up through the trees they are plying
10 and fro between the Isand and the Tennessee
shore.' Whether they carrying soldiers from The
leland 70 the main land vice versa, unable
% determine. We make out their floating bat
terry, anchored beside the Island. 1t is said to be
constructed of great Hat floating dock from New
Orleans; it has no prOpelins power, but was lowed
up the river. Two refugees who arrived a few Days
ago state that it displayed the sign Bound 10 take
Cairo" An iron drum or roof, which covers q rarI
II IT, lie sursed TO be for the protection Of the men
and the magazine its construction ID supposed TO be
spcb that there lie compartment under the water.
We can count twelve guns upon it, which do not
appear 10 be casema,ed. There are great many
sslts extending along for baf mile on the Ten
1essee shore, above the bead Of the bend and ID fo
view Of us over the water, bur we unable TO
whether there any batteries or not Two of our
mortar-rafts have been brought down and anchored
10 the Missouri shore the point hiding them FROM the
Island, and we lying Immediately opposite them,
IN the middle Of the stream.
OPENING THE FIRE.
At o'clock ?. IN. the first shot was fred from ono
Of our stern guns. Il was aimed over the point To-
ward the Island, end when the smoke blew away
we could clearly distinguish the SHE'LL round, black
well defined, as il sped through the air. II had &C.
conbshed about half the distance, when il was sud-
denly obscured in a puff of white smoke, and the
mex. moment we heard the report The fuse was
imperfect, and it bad exploded premsturely. A
se4oAd from our other stern gun l42-poander rifed
wac successful, for it dropped in the water
~,sb,n hundred yards Of the Rebel steamer Red
Rover. She instantly sent forth great column Of
ssse1o, and turned down the river, and the other
beau followed her in visible connection. They
dropped down quarter OF q mile, and Rugged the {
shore Of the island, where we could only zee their
Gmoke-stacks. Now came a tremendous explosion v
from one Of our mortas, the conclusion thrilling The
mir where we stood. On the deck Of the Benton, Il
quarter Of mile distant, and one Of ts terrible n
inch shes went screaming through the air in The
,ame direction. The otter mortar followed suit
he men on board the raft sciamblng outside the al
,aiwsrks to escape the stunning conclusion The h
[anosrs on the Iafs conld not what they were t.
ting at but were guided by signals run up On our d,
se saG 10 indicate that their sW was ,eo hiVb Or Of