, 1862-04-11


lence lest some treachery might be meditated,
fhotted and every preparation was made for
the emergency. In the meantime, Captain
Paulding and Purser Lew Curry set out in tho
ships yawl, but owing to the bold bluffs
could not ind 8 landing. A consultation was
held with Capt. Kitty Of the Mound City, aud
it was determined to anchor in the stream
and wait until day light before making any
further movements. I retired to rest, but
the excitement Of the occasion precluded all
attempts at sleeping. Only d few hours be-
fore VIC had been blazing into each others
face, and now, without the loss Of single
man, we are lying under the batteries. If the
rebels caDrot hold Island No. 10, what can
they lold2
At early dawn / was upon deck. The sight
WAS indeed aforn1idable one. Upon our right,
the powerful six-gun battery at the head Of
the Island upon our left, an equally power
tul si1-gun battery on the main shore. We
were hemmed in between two fires, which, in
case Of treachery, must have proved our utter
annibilation. Down the stream the banks
were lined with steamers. Along the shores
and upon the Eharf-boats we're tiers upon
tiers Of valuable stores. The tents we're still
standing upon the main shore, but no one was
visible save here and there scattered detach-
ments Of contrabands, and groups Of people
who afterwards proved themselves by their
acts to be secessionists right in the face Of our
gunboats. Upon the Island, however, there
sere plenty Of artille1ists leaning upon the
parapets, or idly loung1ng about, gazing at the
g,nboats with curious eyes.
THE STEAMERS.
Tho first steamer below us upon the left
hand Of the river WAS the John Fl. simonds, a
large and elegant boat, which was scutued
and partially sunk. Directly at her stern was
the Red Rover, smaller but vcry fast boat,
and apparently in good condition. Nsxt to
her lay the Grampus, little, dingy, inferior
looking tow-boat, but as fast almost as light
ming. Her armament, consisting Of two six
| Founders, had been carried off or thrown into
the river. The Grampus Was known among
| the rebels as q Daredevil Jack.'' Her days
I in the rebel service, however, are ended, and
| s1c will probably be for some time in he1
| present position, sunken nearly to her hu1ri
cane deck, as she is hardly worth the raising
The rebel flag was flying defantly from he1
stern at daylight, but is now trophy on boart
| the St Louis. Her commander WAS Narsl
! Miller, well known river man, and an inbred
! Natural, original secessionist. His boat las
| done the rebels great service IS q courier.
post forwhich she was admirably adapted byhc
7 great speed. The exaggerated accounts 0
| the rebel papers, and the magnifcd storie
| consequent thereupon in vogue amongst on
own people, have clothed the Grampus witl
! mystery and famc sounding very like 70
NANCE. She has been ubiquitous. Nov q
Memphis, nov at New Madrid; one day at th
Island watching for our gunboats, the acS
dag 1T The mouth Of the bayou watching 70
our transports to emerge from the woods, an
the next running Pope's blockade. Her com
mander has been ma gniGed into bold ,shrewd
nagranimous Dick Turpin kind ola man. Bu
the reality strips off the romance. The Gran
pu5 is dirty little tow boat, which one thirty
TWO pound Slot would tear to pieces; he
commander q poor degil, fleeing for his lii
through swalnps and marshes.
/ Below the Grampus, there lay the Admir-.
: with steam up. The yellow and white lag
= | Ill uEl OUh 44G1IAlEA AE& 10 LIZ AOS31lAA tl1
On board we're eighty patients Ill with typhoi
! | fever and fever and ague in most cases. Tt
poor fellows, however, we're doctorles6 an
: nurselees. Surgeons, physicians and nurse
had Joined in the general stampede from tt
: main shore and left them to suffer alon
: There were some Is OF SO Of them who We
t | comparatively veil. These had indu1ged In
P free 6g1t with the crew Of the boat, the d.
| before our arrival in which bowick-nives We
used freely. All Of them we're more or le
slashed up, but comparatively happy over Il
memories Of the fight, for which they had bcs
spelling SO long. Directly opposite the A
l tniral, On the left banks Of the islan
e Is the Mars, which had been uss
G Is q transport for the couveyan
= Of troops. For the present, howcve
+ she is Of no consequence, IS before desertin
| the rebels had cut the steam pipes. T.
Yazoo is sunk somc distance below the 1slan
T. I A little steamer formerly used nS tetFy boz
i, named Champion No. 2, alsosles against t
i main shore. u addition to the steamboats, G
tTolarpe, tine Eharfboats carried OF by the #
J. els from Hickman and Columbus, which ha
J. / been in use here in the ComnissaIy Depa
,usut. The De Soto is also In our posses6l<
Il The steamers which have escaped arc
At Mcars, Louisville and Mary kean; The
ri Soto will, it Is understood, be run hencetol
u | l,y Capt. Carroll Of the Illinois.
le TIE ISLAND.
u With the situation Of Island No. 10 all
Of your readers are by this time well acquaiut
=, It comprises about seven hundred acres
In most fertile soil. About two-thirds Of il
al | very heavily timbered with cotton VOC
oc | ul1i6 and naples. some OF the trees being
80 immense size, The head Of tho island VII
n In xttin
r. current rushes with terrific rapidity, has b
cleared for distance Of five or six hund
o. feet back from the river. About the centr'
the island is farm Of 80 acres, devoted N
Il TO corn. A large peach and apple orch
stretches from the centre to the foot of
n island, at present in full blossom, and for11
~ !, beautiful contrast with the emerald t
OF tree and herbage. There Is but
house upon the island, Il neat white colt
III. with few negro huts grouped about:
>N' entire hanks Of the island, excepting dire
at the poiut, are high and bold, aud {
scalable BY ca1thern stairs, which have I
ES cut in Two or three places. They are rap
washing away aud The trees filling over
lie river. Although upon the island b.
Es. fcy%s hours, l Witnessed no less than ten III
time the entire island, like many Of Its
= ncrical predecessors, must entirely Gl5apI
p and the locality Of this ill important siea
reality live only III history
THE BATTEI1Es.
! The batteries upon the island arc fot
I | puusber, and all located upon the right b
5r.s | They ART all built Of sand bags, piled up e
IL and heavily, with earth slopes aud :
ues deep bitches. Upon the left shore 9 pll
cad ground had been laid ont for three gun b
our r, but apparently abandoned as impractic
ont The first battery Is located upon the b
about fifty feet in the reas Of the bank
eJs' mounts six guns Mt present, four thirty t
BiI sud two sixty -fours, and q splendid twt
the ! four pound rifle, 1t originally mounted s
guns but on the 18th ult-, one Of taf
W thirty-two pound ride carrying o one bur
ding and ven, y-eight pound conical shen, and
rnd- ed Lady Pc1k, exploded. The huge fragn
FIRE are still lying about the battery, and the
49, tered ca11iaEc still retalnsits original pos
p.ae' It is the exact mate Of the Lady Polk :
Ihe exploded at Columbus, and after tbs fate
cred namesakc, its title Of Lady Bel
.a1np | WIS changed to its present one It is o
Gus coincidence that It should have met q
1slde lar fate
: be- The second battery is only few rods I
stern | the fttt, constructed in q similar M
a | crescent in shape, and mounts three t
'efeo twos and twenty -four pound rifle
/ sig thirty-twos which have never been mo
s the llc at the entrance The third battery
y,1e / cated at the centre Of the right bank
nlouats five guns, two tWenty-fonr I
to DC rife, Two thirty y-twos, md one sixty-fou
Dow twenty -iour pound rifle In this battery
s, the during the fling upon the Carondelet the
n of. she ran the blockade. Only one man Il
se,oa jured by the explosion, according to the