The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-05-06

THE SURRENDER OF ISLAND NO. 10.
TRAVELLER.

Although much has been published regarding
the surrender Of this Important position on the
Mississippi, we do not hesitate to give place to the
statement below 1t has been furnished by an
officer of the Memphis Southern Guards, who was
present during the whole of that long and terrible
bombardment, and who finally escaped only by
bray ing perls such as few would undertake
PETERsBURG, April goth, 1862.
Mr. EnIToR: Finding that many in this com
munity are wrongly Informed as TO the surrender
Of Island No. 10. l will furnish you for publica-
ton the facts in the case:
After the evacuation Of Columbus by our forces,
made necessary by the evacuation of Bowling
Green by Gen Johnston, We fell back to No. ~.
The Notifications at this place consisted of the
strongly Fashioned batteries the Island proper,
seven or eight batteries on the main land, (Ten-
nessce side) Immediately opposite the Island, and
the floating battery in the river, between the Is
land aud the Tennessee shore.
On the 9Th ultmo, the great Federal fotilla
Of mortar and gun boats, made their appearance,
formed in line of battle, and opened the ball. The
Island literally ploushed up, but with this ex-
cepton harm done us. Not man was
lost Notifications in the least in jured
In fact, excepting Lieut.. Clarke who was killed
the second day of the fight, in Capt. Rucker :
battery the main land, one was hurt during
the continued fight OF twentythree days and nights,
for while the gunboats withdrew at dark, the NOR
tar boats continued the Smelling all night.
This was position at No. 10 proper, and on
the main land. But while we were holding this
position, the enemy collecting in large force
New Madrid, fifteen miles below the Island on
the Missouri side. Hearing at headquarters that
at Madrid the enemy was building keel boats aud
collecting fleets, with view of crossing the river
at that point the Memphis Southern Guards,
/Sia Eot tn fax RI
half their battery, opposite Point Pleasant, below
Madrid; the other half at Tiptonville, eight miles
further down, to prevent their landing. l hcse
were the only two points at which they could land,
the whole country was ovcrfowed.
On the night OF the 18th instant, during a terri
bic thunder storm, Of the largest gunboats
foated past the Island unseen, until too far down
to stop her. On the 9Th she commenced opera
tons below, attacking our battsrv opposite Point
Pleasant The enemy soon disabled it, destroy
ing the fertilization entirely, aud knocking our
guns and gun-carriages into fragments.
a canal having been cut from above the Island
to a point near New Madrid, on the moraing of
the 1th, five more gunboats and several tugs made
their appearance at Madrid and commenced i'm
mcdiatey to land troops on the Tennessee side.
We were now entirely surrounded, and by clock
in the afternoon they had from 10 to $4,000 men
between Tptonvie and the Island.
by reference 70 the map you VIII see that at
Madrid there is large bend in the river, so that
while it is 80 miles by water from Tiptonvillc 70
the Island, it is only six by land In OF
Tiptonvllc, about two miles distant, is Rcclfoot
Lake, which extends from the overflow below the
village to the overflow above our Notifications, and
opposite the Island. The escape of any portion Of
our little army seemed impossible, and SO the enc
my thought, for believing Us, who were near the
river, so surely their prisoners, they at pro-
ceeded to the lake to cut off the retreat OF army
10y that route. During their temporary absence.
however, the southern Guards" aud Cot Terry s
Arkansas Battalion, started down the river bank
10 transport which was lying fifteen miles below
passing through the overflow, in some places deep
enough to swim. This reached in sIfcsy about
eleven at night. Many others made their escape
across the lake in boats, RATS, and some
eli logs. The force of the enemy at Madrid and
vicinity was between forty aud sixty thousand
while only $500 We lost in prisoners
between 800 and 1000 men, Gen. Mackall among
them
There is not q semblance of truth in the report
that Gen Mackall drunk. He is not addicted
to drink. Had he been reinforced, we could have
held the Island proper, but it ofno practical use
when the enemy below US, with his gunboats
4 EGSKEES W. haya hann int ,r, ,J