Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-05-05
The surrender of Island No. Ten.

Although A0OA /.
ing the surrender of this important position J
on the Mississippi, says the petersburg FIX J
,ress we do not hesitate to give place TO tue I
statement below. 1t has been furnished oy !
:, officer of the Memphis Southern Guards
who was present during the wheie OF eha'
LONG and terrible bombardment, and VINO u
nally escaped only by Drawing periis such as
eow wonld undertake. For miles our infor-
mant states that he waded through the over
flow I'M to his armpits, while not untrequene-
" did he find the water too deep 20 "aue'
and was compelled to rely upon his abilities
as a swimmer to save his lie. /.
The perils and dangers which many OF our
volunteers have encountered since this war
commenced, appear almost incredible, ana
there are many who have never pulled a ulg-
ger, or slept outside of their own warm BEDS
who feel themselves at liberty to critlclse
with severity every movement OF our militia
~ which does not prove a success. These
war critics pretend to know precisely how
matters ought to be managed, and give free
vent to their opinions, but they are very slow
to 90 into the field or behind the fortlhca-
tons, and give their countrymen a practical
illustration of the mode in which they would
whip the enemy and achieve our indepen-
dence.
PETERSBURG, April 29th, 1852.
Mr.. EDITOR Finding that many in this
---ix Co.ooI no ~ thu
surrender of Island No. 10, | will furnish
you for publication, 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. 10. The Notifications at this
place consisted of the strongly positioned
batteries on the Island proper, seven or eight
batteries on the main land, tennessee side)
Immediately. opposite the Island, and the
floating battery in the river, between the
Island and the Tennessee shore.
On the 18th ultimo, the great Federal flo
tilla of mortar and gunboats, made their ap-
pearance, formed in line of battle, and open
ed the ball. The Island was literally plough
ed up, but with this exception no harm was
done us. Not a man was lost, nor were our
Notifications in the least injured. In fact,
excepting Lieut.. Clarke, who was killed the
second day of the fight, in Capt. Fuckers
battery on the main land, no one hurt during
the continued fight of twenty-three days and
nights, for while the gunboats withdrew at
dark, the mortar boats continued the Smelling
all night.
This was our position at No. 10 proper and
on the main land. But while we were hold.
ing this position, the enemy was collecting
in large force at New Madrid, fifteen miles
betow the Island on the Missouri side. Hear.
ing at headquarters that at Madrid the enemy
was building keel boats and collecting fleets,
with a view of crossing the river at that point
the Memphis Southern Guards, (siege bate
ry) were ordered to take position with hall
their batter opposite Point Pleasant, below
Madrid; the other half at Tiptonvii1e, eight
mile. further down, to prevent their landing
These were the only two points at which
they could land, as the whole country was
overfowed. s
On the night of the 4th instant, during
terrible thunder storm, one of the larges
) gunboats t1oated past the Island unseen, un-
: til too far down to stop her. On the Sth sh,
commenced operations below, attacking GU
battery opposite Point Pleasant. The enc
e my soon disabled it, destroying the fortifca
;, ton entirely, and knocking our guns and CUR
e carriages into fragments.
A canal having been cut FROM above tn
Island to a point near New Madrid, on tn
morning of the 7th, five more gunboats an
several tugs made their appearance at Mad
e rid and commenced Immediately to Ian
% troops on the Tennessee side. We were no,
entirely surrounded, and by 5 o'clock in tn
e afternoon they had from 10 to Is, o me
between Tiptonville and the Island.
IS BY reference to the map you will see tn;
at Madrid there is a large bend in the rive
so that while it is SO miles by water fro,
Is Tiptonville to the Island, it is only six b
= land. In rear of Tiptonville, about tw
- miles distant, is Reelfoot Lake, which es
,e tends from the overflow below the village
the overflow above our fortifcations. ar
opposite the Island. The escape of any Dol
i ton Of our little army seemed imposslbl
Sc and so the enemy thought, for believing u
-, who were Near the river, SO surely their or
~ soners, they at once proceeded to the lake
#. cut Oft the ret! eat of our army by that rout
of During their temporary absence, howeve
he the Southern Guards and Col. Terry's A
he kansas Battalion, started down the river bal
a to a transport which was lying fifteen mil
below, passing through the overflow. in sor
places deep enough to swim. This we reac
ed in safety about eleven at night. Ma
others made their escape across the lake
r boats, on RATS, and some On logs. The 70,
of the enemy at Madrid and vicinity W
sw between forty and sixty thousand, while OF
to was only $500. We lost in prisoners, b
tween 500 and 1000 men, Gen. Mackall amo
them.
There is not a semblance of truth in
ed report that Gen. Mackall was drunk. He
de not addicted to drink. Had he been ~reinforc
ng we could have held the Island proper, but
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