Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-03-28
rnE CAPTURE or NEW MADRID,
General POpe's Omciai Report.


General Pope, in his official report of the can
ture of New Madrid, Mo, says
! arrived before this town with the forces
under my command on Monday, The 81 inst |
found tue place occupied by five regiments of ln-
iuntry and several companies Of artillery. one
bAstiOned earhwork, mounting fourteen heavy
guns, about half a mile below the town, and
another irregular work, at the upper enl of tho
town. mounting seven pieces Of heavy artillery
together with lines % entertainments hotween
them, constituted the defensive works. six gun.
boats, carrying from four To eight heavy runs
each, were anchored along the shore, between
the upper and lower redouhta.
AZ there seems to be no immediate hone Of
the appearance of our gunh0nts, il aerinl neprs =
sary to bring down few heavy guns by land, To
operate against those of tho enemy. They were
accordingly sent for, nnd meantime forced re
oonnoissancea were pushed over tho whole
ground, and into several parts of the town Some
brisk skirmishes resulted, in which the eueIny
invariably retreated precipitatey. Az coon ns
found it would be necessary to await the
arrival of our heavy guns, determined 10 ucenpy
some point on the river below, and establish our
small guns, il possible, in such position az to
blockade the river Point Pleasant twelve
miles below, was selected as being in rich
agricultural region, and being the tcrmtn,,A of
the plnnk-road iI0m the interior Of Arkansas
noeordingly threw forward Colonel Plummer.
Eleventh Missouri 10 that point, with three re,
giments OF infantry, three companies of cavalry.
and Il held-buttery of l0-pOund PARROT and ritled
guns, with orders to make n Judgement On In,
river bank, to line the bank with rilc.pits for i,
thousand men, and TO establish his artillery in
sunk batteries OF single pieces between the rIilo
pits,
After repeated and persistent cannonading
from the gunboats the enemy found il Impossible
TO disloige him, and he maintained obsiinnttlv
his position, and the blockade of the river to
transports. during the whole of our operations
Meantime the enemy continued every dny to
reinforce New Madrid from Island No. 10 until
on the 18th, they had nine thousand infantry
besides considerable force of artillery and niue
gunbOats.
Our batteries opened as coon as the day dawn
ed, aud were replied to in front and ON The ilnnks
by the whole of the enemys heavy artillery on
land and water. The cannOnnding was continued
iurously all day by the gunbOats and land bnt
ler'es OF the enemy, but without producing any
Impression upon US. Whilst the counouading
was thus going on on our right, | instructed
General Paine TO make demonstration against
the entertainments on our left, and supported
ms movement by Palmer's division The enemv's
pcRels and grand guards were driven into His
entertainments. and the skirmishefs forced Their
way close to the main ditch
furious thunderstorm began TO raPe nb,uf
II o'clock that night, and continued almost
without intermission until morning. Just bet,r,
daylight Gen. Stanley relieved in the trenches
with his division by Gen. Hamilton. A few
minutes after daylight flag of truce approach
Gu our batteries, with Information that the enemy
had evacuated his works. Small parties were NJ
once advanced by Gen. Hamilton, To ascertain
whether such was the fact and Capt. Mower
flrst United States infantry, with companies a
ana II OF that regiment, was sent forward IA
plant the United States flag over the Abandoned
works,
II Is almost impossible to give any exact nc
count OF the immense quantities of propcrty ami
supplles left in our hands. All other artIlerv
ieh batteries, and seigo guns, amounting 10
'h'rty-three pieces; magazines full of fixed
ammunition OF the best quality several thous-
anu stand OF small arms, with hundreds of boxrs
OF mnsket cartridges tents for au army of t,u
thonsanu men, horses, mules, wagons, entrench /
luH Tools, etc, are among the spoils. Nothing
except the men escaped, and they only wt6 |
what they wore. They landed ON the onno.itc
slue OF the river, and are scattered in tie will
bottoms. | immediately advanced Ilamiltnn'.
liVs'on INTO the place, and had the guns of The
sneuly turned upon the river which they cam.
petely command '''''
lhe hlght oi the enemy was no lasty TINT tLev
iphnuoheu their plcketa, aud gave no intmation
!" Tue iorces at lvland No. 10, The CONSEQUENCE
y mat one gunboat and ten large steamers
Fhieh were there, are cut oil from below. and
must either be destroyed OF fall into our hands
sllhu NO lO Omhst necessarily be evacuated, na
can neither be reinforced nor supplied fran
Ie0w. '0'H