Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-26
9ailg appeal,
ROM OUR EVENING EDITION OF YESTERDAY.
THE ENEMY's MOVEMENTS ON THF
RIVER.
FRO.H THE .VORTEF-
II. PRESS.

| o'clock last evening. Gen. POpes
occupy the Arkansas side Of The river
To the Associated Pressl
PHILADELPHIA. April Is "A special dispatch
from Washington to the EUcHIRg Bulletin says
that a dispatch was received by the war depart
ment, this morning, from Com. foote' saying
he is ready to attack Fort Pillow, having sue
! ceeded in getting a position for his g%unboats IN
the river below the fort. He has no doubt OF
success.
| Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Trbune.I
on BOARD u. S. GUNBoAT ST LOUIS
PLUME PsIyT, OFF FIRST CHICAsAw BLUFF,
TENNESSEE. April u, 1902 }
Your correspondent having improved the few
DAYS Of leisure afforded by the capture of Island
No. 10, has just returned TO the fleet after having
enjoyed the suspicious quota Of civilization eI-
| is6ng at Csho. left this morning upon the
De Soto, which only a few days ago brought up
the flag of truce from the island.
We left Cairo at three o'clock this afternoon
and arrived at Island No 10 about sunset. A
small force is encamped upon the main shore and
the island, the baiance Of the troops having
Joined Gen. Pope's' division at New Madrid.
The fowning batteries looked very pacific as
we rapidly steamed past and shot out into the
bend below the island Just as the sun was sink
inc and staining the distant woods with ruby
light. Later the moon arose, and lent with It's
] mellow radiance a DtNlICuLuB CAdl Il III LalAAy
descerned landscape. Three hours Of beauty
and rrpoge and we were at New Madrid in the
midst Of the din and confusion attendant upon
the embarkatiou of the large army OF General
Pope, who are TO follow the g~unboats down the
river. As we ueared the town, one Of the regi-
mental bands was playing most sweetly some OF
those familiar home airs. / had heard the same
a thousand times until they were as hackneyed
as the daily round Of an ordinary mans lie
but now, in the midst Of these martial sights and
sounds, they seemed clothed with new beauty
and appealed 10 the heart with a wonderful force.
All along the river bank the watch fires
CLEANED brightly until they dwindled into stars
at distant Point Pleasant. Drums were beating
and flies shrieking. Regiments were leaving
quarters and embarking on transports. Many
of the transports were already laden down to
their guards with soldiers, wagons, ambulances,
horses and cOmmissary stores. Some were lying
uDop deck wrapped in their blankets some
chatting and smoking; here a group singing,
and there another intently engaged at cards.
Some twenty transports in all were engaged,
and New Madrid. for once, at least, wore the
aspect of a busy mart. Here we learned that
the entire hotilla left Island 10 this morning,
passing New Madrid at 10 o'clock. and the De.
Soto steamed Oh her way to overtake the feet.
SUNDAY April I3-We found the fleet this
/ morning AT lhD q ClOGh y ltE dAAIAACACA
of Needham's Island, and at the mouth of a cut
of, on the Tennessee shore, f~fty-nine miles be-
low New Madrid. Needham's Island and cut
of are usually designated simply as Needham's
Cut Of. These " cut offs are channels formed
by the current in the circular bends of the river.
The foods are constantly washing away the
banks by which new channels are formed, and
in this instance running some distance inland,
communicating with the nver again about q
IN IL
the Tennessee shore, with the exception Of the
ammunition boat Great Western, which was
anchored in the Arkansas shore opposite. The
% composition Of the feet was the sam as at the
island. with the addition Of the gunboat Cairo
which was ordered from above two or three days
since, and is now making her first appearances
in Mississippi waters.
At daylight this morning We discovered Tia,
first symptoms of he enemy by the black col
: umns Of smoke rising from the chimueys 0
+ their gunboats over the distant woods.
At three o'clock the Benton's tug Dsuntless
Capt. Charley Leeds, who would follow the Ben
= ton into ten thousand batteries if necessary
= made a night reconnaissance with q picked an
@ wellarmed crew up the Obion river. The ObiOl
rises in West Tennessee and flows sOuth-wes
|, into the Mississippi just above the cutoff belOT
alluded to. The tug went up several miles I
ascertain whether any of the rebel gunboat
were in the river. The flag officer took this yer
cautious step to prevent their nterceptng on
70 rear. The reconnaissance, however, deyelOpe
no valuable results. Several Of the natives wei
.e found, most OF them reiterating tho old stOr
c of " devotion TO G Union. One Of theI
u gave information Of the locality Of a barge an
Z hay belonging 10 the Couiederacy some milk
further on, but III re was no time tor hay exp
Z ditions.
From the appearance Of the smoke it was e.
ideut that the rebel boats were very rapid
IN their movements, and although when their smoh
was first observed they were ten or twelve milk
y distant, still il seemed only a few minutes betOl
70 they were behind Hale's Point, concealed froI
our view by the heavy timber.
The flag officer and the crews Of the boa
werci in the very best of spirits. 1t has long bee
the desire Of our officers to meet the rebel gun
boats upon the Mississippi and test their vsun
- ed superb. ity. The rebel newspapers hay
teemed with reports of the strength and toTmid
b. bic character Of their gunboats, floating bait
1d ries. rams. and whatnOts in the shape OF a Il
u lila. Common rumor has added its version, III
til we really expected to find behind that dlstal
- ONT a small feet of Monitors, which won
blow US out OF existence, or anmhilate US :
r. running us down without firing a gun. No
Ils the time had come, and the flag officer was que
to improve the occasion.
ICE One Of those useful ]couriers Of the fleet
he tuy-was sent down the river recOnnOiteTln
jll and reported three gunboats behind the poi
for with another making rapidly up.
ts, About eight o'clock the Benton displayed h
a signals and rounded out into the stream.
" this time the scene vas animated in the EXTERN
In the distance The mysterious enemy, his lOcs
ity visible only By the ~tell-tale streamers
smoke; in the immediate foreground the gu
boats. seven in number, rounding out with The
signals displayed in answer to the Benton, al
nd taking their position along the Tennessee shO
Oh the mortar, tow, and other boats were firing
in expectation u orders TO move; and III the
ut distance up the river Gen. POpe's transpo
Mt laden black with troops were rounding a poi
he At nine o'clock the anxiously looked for sigT
he to drop dOwn was displayed and the boats We
Gin Immediately under way, in the following orc
of battle:
in SOUTH.
q . Benton.