Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1862-05-01

Tue lucoIupeGeut, NY SeuloFity, W nh shoAi
places? And if the sinstincts of the men"
failed in. the election of good officers in
Virginia, it is but fair to infertha the same
failure occurred in offering the regiments
on the coast. We challenge comparison.
And will it do to make selections from that
quarter ? The only resort of the Council
will be to select from the huge pile of ap-
plicants on its table, task which We do
not envy them.
A BACK COUNTRYMAN.
The Evacuation and Surrender Of ISL
and No. 1o---our Loss.
The Memphis Appeal, of the 18th inst,
gives the following account of the fall of
Island No. To-: -..,
On Tuesday April 2, the guns Of Ruck.
er's battery were spiked on the sucoe eding
Friday evening, the enemy's gun-boat and
tug passed the island during storm, On
Saturday night, the enemy, with a gun
boat, engaged Rucker's battery, tho guns
of which had been restored to fighting con-
dition; while attention was engaged with
this boat, second gun.boat slipped down
unperceived, except by the men at one Of
the batteries, who fired two shots at her
without effect. Things were now getting
serious; the enemy had possession of the
river below the island. General Mackall
therefore on Sunday night, April 6, moved
the infantry and Stewards battery to the
Tennessee shore, to protect the landings
from anticipated attacks. The artillerists,
numbering about four hdudred, alone re-
mained on the island. On the succeeding
day (Mouday) the enemy assumed the Of
fensive below the island. They first siien.
ced battery manned by detachment of
Southern Guards, as explained by US two
or three days ago; the guns we're spiked
and the limbers cut Other batteries We
had on this side below the island we're sue.
cessively silenced. At 10 o'clock in the
morning, they landed troops on the Ten
nessee side. This, of course, made the
continuance of our men on the island no
longer possible for any useful purpose, and
measures were taken with view to desert
ing spot that will ever be memorable for
the bold stand made there against the at
tack Of the enemy's gun-boats
The guns, seventy in number, were
spiked with rat.tail files softened at the
end; balls we're then rsmmed in at the
mozzle-they would turn the soft end of
the file and clinch it. The transports and
wharf. boats at the landing, Of which we
gave list on Tuesday evening last, were
scuttled and sunk in deep water; the Yazoo
aud De Soto were kept until dusk to con-
vey the artillerists to the main land, and
when that service was performed, they, too,
we're ordered to be sunk, but it was rn.
mored that their captains had refused to
scuttle them. The floating battery was
scuttled and cut loose; some of the FEEDER
erals boarded her, but they found their
prize in a sinking condition. The ammu-
milton. 10 the magazine was wholly or par
TALLY destroyed. On the two wharf-boats
lying at the shore were provisions for one
month-the whole was sunk and destroyed.
A considerable quantity of small arms, and
the private baggage of the officers and 9TH
ers, suffered the same fate as the other
property.
These important matters being arranged,
the time had arrived to secure personal
safety. The number Of sick was very
large there was no help for them they
must necessarily fall into the hands of the
foe. The greater portion of them marched
down the Tiptouville road; these fell into
the hands of the invading troops, and we're
compelled to stack arms and surrender
The number of persons taken prisoners is
estimated at two thousand. Gen. Mackall
and staff were among them.
A correspondent of the St. Louis Re-
publican says:
The floating battery, formerly the Peli-
can dock at New Orleans, drifted down to
Madrid, aud was secured five miles below
there. When first seen it came sweeping
down with the current towards the upper
battery, and the garrison, supposing an at
tempt probable to ruu the blockade, imme-
diately manned their guns. Eight cannon
could be counted upon it, all bearing d.
rectly at the fort, and when within range
the latter opened fire. Receiving no re-
sponse, they perceived the battery had been
deserted, and ceased This occurred the
evening previous to the evacuation and sur
render of the rebels. Two transports with
great difficulty, after several hours, got the
battery to shore. 1t was full of water, the
enemy having tried hard to sink it, and
dragged the immense anchor attached very
easily. The hull is one hundred and eighty
feet long and sixty wide, built like that Of
large steamer, deoked very strongly, and
the guns all mounted along one side and
the ends. To counter-b balance this great
weight was quantity of heavy ballast on
the outer side, and also the ammunition,
with the baggage Of the crew. There were
several trunks filled with good clothing and
articles of private comfort, some reVolvers,
and one or two rifles, books and bundles OF
letters.
A most curious feature of the battery was
two small engines below in the hold, inten-
ded to work couple of pumps, and ill at
pleasure the affair with water. There was