Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-04-17
Surrender of Island No. 10.
coMoDoRE FOOTE'S DISPATCH.

FLAG SHIP BENTON, ISLAND No. 10, !
April 9Th, 1862.
Hon G. Welles, Secretary of the Navy:
have to inform the Department
that since | sent the telegram last
night, announcing the surrender to me
of Island No. 10, possession has been
taken both of the Island and the works
upon the Tennessee shore by the gun
boats, and the troops under command
of Gen. Buford.
Seventeen officers and 36s privates
besides loo of their sick, and 100
men employed on board the transports
are in our hands, unconditional pris-
oners of war.
have caused a basty examination
10 be made of the forts, batteries, and
munitions of war captured. There
are eleven earthworks, with 10 heavy
cannon, varying in calibre from 80 to
l00-pounders, rifed. The magazines
are well supplied with powder, and
there are large quantities of shot and
shell and other munitions Of war, and
also great quantities of provisions.
Four steamers ahoat have fallen into
our hands, and two others, with the
rebel gunboat Grampus, are sunk, but
will be easily raised. The floating
battery of Is heavy guns, turned
adrift by the rebels, is said to be ly-
ing on the Missouri shore, below New
Madrid.
The enemy upon the main land ap-
pear to have fed with great precipi.
tation after dark, last night, leaving,
in many cases, half prepared meals in
their quarters, and there seems to
have been no concert Of action be.
tween the rebels upon the Island and
those occupying the shore but the
latter fed, leaving the former to their
fate.
These works. erected with the high
est engineering skill, are of great
strength, and with their natural ad-
vantages would have been impregna-
BILE, if defended by men fighting in
better cause.
A combined attack of the land and
naval forces would have taken place
this afternoon or tomorrow morning,
had not the rebels so hastily abandon
ed this stronghold. To mature the
plans of attack absolutely required
twenty-threc days of preparation.
Gen. Pope is momentarily expected
to arrive with his army at this point,
he having successfully crossed the
river yesterday, under heavy fire,
which, no doubt, led to the hasty evac-
uation of the works
am unof1icially informed that the
two gunboats which SO gallantly run
the blockade of the rebel batteries a
few nights since, yesterday attacked
and reduced Fort of the enemy OPP
positc, dismounting eight heavy guns.
The following is copy Of the Or
der of Gen. Mccall, on assuming COM
mand of the rebel forces On the 4th
instant:
"Soldiers we are strangers, CON-
manders and commanded, each to the
other. Let me tell you who am a
General made by Beauregard a Gen
cral selected 10y Beanregard and Bragg
for this command, when they knew it
was in peril. They have known me
for twenty years We have stood on
the fields of Mexico give them your
confidence now give it to me when
have earned it. Soldiers the Mis-
sissippi Valley is entrusted to your
patience. Exhibit the vigilance and
GOODNESS of last night, and hold it.
lSigned,) w. d. Mccall.
Brigadier-General Commanding"
Iregret that the painful condition
Of my feet, still requiring the use of
crutches, prevented me from making
personal examination of the works.
was, therefore, compelled to dele
gate Lieut.. Commanding S. Phelps,
Of the Flag Ship Benton.
(Signed, A. II. FoorE,
Flag-Officer Commanding.