New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-03-26
Western Military Correspondence
Ths Gunboai Visit Island No Preliminary Interchange
tprdiaies Much Powder Cast Iron Wasted Nobody
HnstOur Transports in Fix Our Odd Situation,

w estern MILITARY yoorresPondence
The y!si, Ilana No Iasrehsgs
Mnsar raspos IN FIX oar odd Situation ETC. eO'''
,spe:isl to the Nesg o. ans Crescent.I
ISLAND No. 10, SATURDAY NIGHT, March Is, 1862
ar. Edi.or-Our ennui is relieved at last. EARLY
this morning our scout boat, the greatchased
and eyerlastingy yshotat, the swift stern. wheeler
Grampus, Capt. Marsh Miller, came heeling it and
squealing it down the river, with the news that the
enemy's fleet were approaching. And, in truth,
there was some reason for the haste and noise of
the Grampus, if the heavy booming of cannon that
came over the point with her steam shrieks were
to be rightly construed. ~ --- --,-
She rep orted whole fleet of the enemy's boats
on their downward way, and, of course, all our
batteries at once got ready for action. - !.
Above the head of this island, the river takes a
bend to the left, eMissouri.ward. ,Qnite point,
consisting Of new-forming island, covered with o
growth of young cottonwood and willow, and be-
longing to the Missouri side, interyenes between
the head of this island and the place where down.
coming boats first heave in sight. To come around
that little island, or towhead, the enemy's boats
would have 70 expose themselves as focus for the
play of most Of our batteries.
Between the towhead and the marshy Missouri
oiANAo tASiS 49, VI Coul5t CuQte convex
ing ia toward the mainland. This chute has lat
terly been easily nayigable for the largest boats,
or those whose pilots could safely steer them
through the RATS of diift-wood on either side. AT
the same time, the chute and the thin timber near
it opens good and broad avenue Of. observation
from the Missouri eide Of this island to the river
bend above. The chute is yet navigable for good.
sized gunboats, but will not be that way loug, as
the river is falling. ..s szs.. .- -Fs..1g
as Through the open space created by this chute, a
feet of the enemy's boats became visible this
morning, soon after the Grampus arrived with the
alarm-full three miles or more off I'should Judge,
and quite7out of reach of our island guns. Oppo-
site this opening, and half concealed BY the shore
above and the towhead below, the enemy's boats
loitered the greater part of the day, smoking and
steaming back and forth plentifully. There ap-
peared to be five or six gunboats, with a number
of transports and little tugs, or mortarboats-it
was hard to tell which. 5t7' St4f '&'r '+'ez "a
Early in the afternoon, the Hessian boats began
firing at this island through ths chute. The first
shot fell in the waterjus across from US, near the
Missouri shore. The second shot came much
nearer, and was we'll ia line with one of our silent
island batteries Here cur extreme upper battery
Ruckers, on the Tennessee shore, in full view Of
the gunboats above the towhead, opened fire. The
enemy transferred their fire to that direction.
Their shells and balls exploded over and made the
water fly around that fort-the surrounding land
being still submerged by the rivers overflow
whilst the shots of the battery all fell far short of
the enemy. z-- ~
The battery, finding its fire useless, did not keep
it up long. After a few more SLOTS in that
direction, the enemy again turned his attention to
this island, firing balls through and shells over the
chute. One round shot and one shell passed over
quarters falling in rear, in the interior of
the island without damage to anybody, whilst the
river was constantly spashed with their shot and
falling fragments Of shell. Our boys were all at
their guns crazy to let slip the dogs of war " in
return, bus no fire of ours was returned, except
those early shots from the upper battery on the
Tennessee shore. Our fire very properly waits
till they attempt to come through the chute, or
appear round the towhead in the main channel of
the river; and when they do this maggie there
won't be some music! All we want is fair
chance at them, and no more evacuaton! -5e r
In the evening, the enemy's beats ceased their
fret was evidently a prospecting piece of bust
ness, an invitation for our batteries to try range
with them-and slowly disappeared from sight up
the river. We are all now looking for the real
attack, and will be as ready for it in the morning
as at any other time. At least think so. ,. -
The numerous transport-steamers of ours hover
ing around this island are in rather bad way,
between the enemy's gunboats above and their
shore batteries below. The talk among the boat
men is as to which would be best, to run past
Point Pleasant and let the enemy bang away at
them and be hanged, or to set fire to the boats and
go home overland. A steamer went down to-day
under flag of truce, as am Informed, to ask the
enemy at Point Pleasant to allow the steamer
Admiral to pass there with our sick on board.
have not heard what the result of this humiliative
errand was. .' .-.
I cannot help thinking ours an odd situation,
with the enemy above and below US on the river,
stopping all home communication except overland
from the Tennessee side. ID.
Commandment of Sunday-rhe Shells Make us Dance-1h he
~ Island Gtows too Hot for Comfert. y, +-
M,. EdGor-Eary this morning the enemy's
hotilla reappeared behind the point, where they
lay yesterday. At about 8 O'Clock, one of the
boats opened fire, sending one shot at and near to
our floating battery, one at the upper battery on
the Tennessee side, and one at the steamer Ohio
Belle, lower down. Receiving no reply, they sent
a little tug in advance, which now appears to be
taking soundings-the fleet meantime keeping up
oeoohi nAA SAiohSs H Aoy" S"Ihop liz" SoAo
through the chute, for the mouth of the latter is
blocked by the old steamer. Winchester, sunk
there during the night, ~ 49, ,as ., ,s-l
81 O'CLOCK, A. M.-The enemys little tug has
just gone to and returned from the upper rennes-
see battery, under white flag. She stopped but
a few moments. Our messenger.steamer, the
Grampus, started up from the lower batteries with
"a white flag, also, and whistled the tug to come
back, but the invitation was not noticed, so the
Grampus turned back. We are greatly puzzled
here, on the island, to, know what it all means.
The weather is cloudy and cold, and everything is
nasty and disagreeable on the island. .as-
IL O'clock, M.-The enemy's tugboat came
down with the flag of truce, having mistaken the
waving of signal-hag between the First and Sec.
ond Tennessee batteries, (Which are separated by
marshy and overhowed land,) as flag of truce, OF
surrender. At the upper battery he was informed
of his mistake A little after 10 O'Clock, the en-.
iemy began shelling our camp on the island, the
camp being clearly visible to them. Four of theil
great l3-inch shells, thrown from a distance of
nearly three miles, exploded over and near oul
headquarters, the fragments whizzng into the
earth and making the dirt fly in all directions. No
body was hurt, though numbersof men were mar
rowly missed. After that, the enemy turned theil
fire. tn the MINER Tennesaea hatterv and ara nou