The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-29

| Monday, March I7.--Lsss night was one Of
unusual cearness and the river and shores were
/ bathed in the most delicious moonlight. If
| painters need any business, when tho grim dogs
Of war are baying, they would have reveied In
the scene Although was surrounded BY sll.the
fearful paraphernalia of war, there was nothing
| to disturb the serenity of the night No sounds
we're audible save the plash Of the water, the
snarling trumpet calling our pckets afar of, and
the sound OF the bells upon the gunboats a
| they called the hours. The forenoon was con
sumed until 10 o'clock in supplying the mortar
| RATS with shells and powder from the ammupi-
| ton boats About halEpast ten the mortars
commenced practice, occupying the same posi-
| ton as the day before, excepting two, which
we're inoored on the left bank about three miles
below the upper battery. Two of The mortars
shelled the rebel encampments round the point,
the FIRE OF the others concentrating upon the
upper battery About IL o'clock, the gunboats
took position The Benton, Cincinnati and Sc.
Louis, Iashed together, slowly dropped down ths
river and opened fire upon the same battery
The scene now became animated in the extreme,
the ball being fairly opened. / took position
on shore, near the point and alongside the NOR
tars to witness their practice. The firing OF q
mortar is the very poetry Of battle. bag
of powder weighing from eighteen TO twenty
pounds is dropped into the bore of the huge
monster. The derrick drops the shell In; the
angle is calculated; q long cord is attached 10
the primer; the gunner steps out upon the plat
form, and the balance of the crew upon the
shore. The Captain gives the word, the gunner
gives his, cord a sudden jerk, crash like
thousand thunders follows, tongue OF fame
leaps from the mouth of the mortar, and col
umn of smoke rolls up in beautiful feecy spirals,
developing into rings of exquisite proportions.
One can see the shell as il leaves the mortar fly
ing through the air, apparently no larger than
marble. The next you see of the SHE'LL beau
tiful cloud of smoke bursts into sight, caused
by the explosion. Imagine ten of these mon
sters laundering at once, the air filed with
smoke clouds, the gunboats belching out de-
struction and completely hidden from sight in
whirls Of smoke, the shell screaming through
the air with an unearthly sound, and the distant
guns Of the enemy sending their solid shot and
shell above and around US, dashing the water up
in glistening columns and jets Of spray, and you
have the sublime poetry of war. An incident,
however, will show how completely the battle
may lose its poetry and develop into stern
and suggestive reality.
FIFTH DAY.
TUESDAY, March Is, 1s62.-The firing of our
boats yesterday very seriously damaged the up
per fort and at an early hour this morning some
two or three hundred men could be discovered
busily at work repairing the breaches. The
Benton at once dropped down and commenced
using her bow rifles with the happiest effect,
causing complete suspension of labor upon the
works. the laborers running pel nell to the
nearest shelter. The Benton continued her
practice until the mortars commenced, when she
ceased firing. The gunboats have been idle to.
day, the mortars occupying the time exclusively
and making some excellent shots. Several shells
have been lodged in the head of the Island. The
mortar practice is rapidly improving, and at the
present rate of Improvement will warm UP the
rebel encampment and Notifications to degree
which must cause speedy evacuation.
This morning visited Com. Foote. He ex-
pressed himself confident of reducing the place,
but says it will take time. He is fighting the
battle at fearful odds. The gunboats are too
unwieldy and unmanageable to fight down
stream in the mad current, which sweeps round
the point with irresistible fury. Should one Of
them become crippled, no power could save her
from falling into the bands of the rebels, or be-
ing entirely destroyed by their floating battery.
Still the Flag Officer is hopeful. Undaunted by
the difficulties which stare him in the face, by
the mean, despcable lack of sympathy with his
plans upon tho part of certain army officers and
others high in power, thus thwartng him in hs
endeavors to expedite matters to successful
ISSUE He will yet cut the Gordian knot by
splendid victory, and clear the river to Memphis
and thence sweep triumpbantly to the Balize.