, 1862-03-21

THE. .BoMsARID!M}E It: OF |
ISLAND % %:No:|p:
The Heavy Work =d5 Monday. !
e'"e'RSsassass S4sas 4a. e1 X s..43 osA res5
At o'clock l.st tsisR snn5s1; SS M t5 T. on|s
ana arrived from above. T6e 8st now nun
'beEs tTenty-efght vessels. Tile weather ID
2 com19raoig warm, and :to-no{foH gives fair |
the fight viii probably e. rz11txed IN closei |
proximity to the enemJ's Pos 81:
earnestness. As daylight be&1E to iliu,nine
me eastern horizon, 8 dense jpg closed in
a1onna e t9 aas IT, shutting out from the vessels
river and tic wod33,!!ined ehprnz1 Eren before
the time fXed By the calendar.GGE The rising Of
the sun, transports and tugs F |>ee asain The
sefn1 ,n,inG o. egsy ths I;f:Tt R;IspaEation:,
equidistant from each other, til Benton fur
ions.
The pickets were at vario1< Zines In verv
close; communion with eaah other. The
moon shone brightly, and they 3>{ere distinctly
Rs5{{p;y RFsg{;a5s Ss.55s M s t4sy 4sl. I'D t.
during tie mi night the he Neb1atY &a arrived fron. :
Ssssn St. hon y aay1g 3, 5e.sa Mssoufi
ing, and pr3n:ssiug also papers Of Saturdays
date, containing the particulars Of the great
Fedc5al victory in Arkansas, toaesher with the
cozTaEmation Of the report concerning the
evacuatlon Of New Madrid. The news spread
through the fleet, and wastakennp from trans
port to transport, causing a-saeaing Of iubila-
lion such as those can only feel who are
about to contest desperate battle while the
re~s Of ayictoTy in another quarter is brought
Us. 1t was as if there had been infused into
peditlon new life The contest before Us
was at once set dom BY the more enthusiastic
as already more than half Won though it had
not yet commenced. The apparently diIatory
movements Of the Commodore were deprcca-
led, and the excited spectators, Who knew as
little about scientific and successful Warfare as
Latural savage knows Of taking an astronom-
lcal observation Or running land grant rail-
read, would have had Comlnulore Footc and
his gunboat t1o1illa in the 1ery teeth Of tue
rebel batteries, where destruction would have
been inevitable before you Could have articu-
lated that euphonious> cognoncen Jack ROB-
irson.n
It vas not until about n1n2 o'clock. a. M,
that the fog was sufficiently dispellcd to en-
able us to discern the pofnt of attack TIE
9oAllAt3 ANueG H4lu4u luE ECGE1 l0TL1EGAEiOI5
| upon 1ste Kentucky shore WAS made the cyn-
osure OF al eyes, and there we're not few
| who confidently anticipated that they were
| that day to call upon it for tho last time. 1t
| was indeed from the opsrations Of yesterday,
that this was to be the first point ut which
shots from our batteries would be directed,
but there were none who deemed it Of mo-
mentous importance, or as hardly requiring
more than 4 dozen well directed. shots to ST.
lence the battery.
The gun5oats weighed anchor at 8 o'clock,
and moved slowly up and down the stream,
low remaining nearly stationary, then turn
| ing, twisting, aud crossing from side to side,
as if to fully test their ability TO hold them.
selves in the position necessary for operations.
The transports, with the exception Of The Pike,
Wisconsin and Alps, were ordered further up
the stream. The three latter being powerful
tnspoats we're directed to put ont into the
stream, keeping at distance safe from all daa-
ger from the shots Of the enemy. but ready at
| Slyen signal, in case gunboat should be
disabled By successful slut from the foe, to
drop down alongside and draw her to posi-
tion beyond reach Of the enepy's fire. The
order Was promptly obeyed.
At twenty-five minutes past tea O'Clock, 4
shell from mortar was thrown in the direc-
1ion Of the Kentucky battery. It burst high
in the alr oTGr the enemy's works, and the
fragments fell in the water far this side Of its
intended destination. Again that terrible
conclusion was heard, and this time followed
with better effect. Tie messenger exploded
in the edge Of the wood, but short distance
in the reaT Of the gun which responded to our
aect yesterday afternoon, .snd the returning
report was heard accompanied by that dull,
1;caTy reyerheratiou which distinguishes the
explosion Of Il shell in the timber, even when
the smoke arising from itScannot be diseoy-
cred Thus the fight was initiated for the day,
and the "top Of the morning. conveyed to
| the foe.
Occasional shots from the mortar boat5 fol
| lowed, many Of them indiaercntly aimed, and
but few busting in a position calculated tc
dlsconcert the rebels, further than probably tc
make them uneasy as to what might probably
happen. At eleven O'Clock the ri hole pack q
nortars, With tho exception Of two, were ir
full cry, and belchiDg forth with a fury indis
cribahlc and really not conceivable by thost
who lavc never lcar1 thsif deafening voices
Tie Mound City, stationed about a half milk
above Donelson's Point, fired the first sho
from the gunbcatE ut IL: Is L. NJ, following i
up directly after It'll ANGLER Of the same SORT
Both shots we're distinctly seen to raise vas
cloud Of sand directly within the rebel works
giving indub;table evidence that they had beer
well and surely directed. At the sight ofthi
evidence Of the immense rauge ofo1r guns ant
the accuracy Of those haF;ng them iu charge
there arose from tho deezs Of the transport
bearing troops cheers louf and long, accom-
, panied by waving Of hats and divers other ex
centric manifestations By which tile America'
race tcsulT LhtIf JOY.
/ Mcanwbile, the gunbosts Benton, Cinctn
| natl and St. Louis were licked together sid
, hy side; the flagship in the centre; the St
Louis upon the right and The Cincinnati upol
: the left They dropped slowly down the rive
to i point close in upon :he Kentucky shore
tic enemy. With lnpaticnce their evcr,
: movement was closely watched, and lockers
: On almost hc1d their brfath in suspense an,
| excitenaent wrought u2;by knowledge tina
the day was half over md the action not ye
! begun: =, -,
, fire. The shot struck the water fur short o
: the mark It was followed by one from th
st. Louis, which, bursting but little aooy
/ the fort, threw perlec torrent Of iron hai
4 | INTO the opposing battery. a third from tn
5 Cincinnati took effect in nearly the sam
!. locality, and the battle was formally inaugu
) rated
. The fight now ragged faster and more furi
| ously upon our side. She'll after shell wa
! distinctly seen to explode in such manner a
3 to cast upward to the height of the tree tops
= huge clond Of dust Sill they answered moi
j. Others striking in the water seemed to thro'
4 the spray far over tue little fortress, and burs
G irg projected its iron missiles furiouzlY fol
o ward. The cannonadng from the tiset gre,
: rapid The roaring Of thunder would render
e shock every thing for rifles around, and wh1c
J. in its rapid successionl WAS terTlica}1y granf
t Few shots fell short Due after another thes
a heavy guns poured foith their murderous fl
|. and the destiration Of fcach ball and its ctfct
+ was ae plainly visible as if We were statione
nenr the fort. :
The wonder spread ever the feet again as I
y what motives induced the enemy to long,
II withhold their fire in The midst Of SO uurde
ons an attack. But ttey were taciturn fudee
- At last, however, d slk:ll from the Cineinua
~ y, laladsd in their very. midst, and eSp1od!n;
y : threw up the Inevitable cloud Of dust Whit
II told that it had taken effect. Then at last
~ puff Of smoke issues from q battery, and q
u eyes are turned in the direction Of The flee
~ - The tall struck the Hater about cigh
~ ~ mile in advance Of tht feet and g!ancing b
= once, sank, it's force expended. That was wt
- aimed, certainly. Surely they haVe gum
~ there who understands well how to direct
% 20 shot That first gun from the foe. thou!
= hacking sufficient Momentum to pEopel it
~ it's destination, was il direct range and near
- at sufficient elevation, But while the confedt
"a nte pill was coming thither, another fro
-. ~ the St. Louis met Il nearly half way q,
~ ~ exploded directly over the devot
~ house heretofore 60 often alluded
~ Suddenly there was heard the sound o3
gun far away to the right OF us aud a sh
splashed the water three-fourths Of nj
OF near The entrance to The channel Of the is1aI
as So they have battery there A few me
IT, hrcs from the boats-tWo following in raK
n suceession from the mortars brought frt
~ the rebels another aud closer reply. Th
~ followed two guns from still another bate
ed ! located about oneA AHA one-half miles down I
br river from the one receiving the fire. Tht
- shots wert wide Of the mark and short Of tn
leo destination. AGAIN and again the gunbs