Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-05
Island Ten.

A correspondent writing from the neighborhood
of Island Ten says:
That the rebel stronghold will eventually be
carried, scarcely admits ola doubt, but it is equal
ly certain that it is strong enough to hold US in
check with our present force. The gunboatS are
not able To cope with the batteries, and the NOR
tars have not vet done much execution. As at
Fort D0nelson the heavy battery guns disabled
the gunboats, so here the same result is equally
certain. The mOrtars ought 20 do the work, but
their first days labor amounted to little or moth
ing, and we imagine that the great difficulty is
going to be the uncertainty of aim which attend
their use when very small point. such as bat
terry, is TO be reached from distance of three
miles. There is no such thing as aiming at them.
They directed by guess, and shot alter shot is
thrown as one would throw stones at a mark
until they fall within the desired spot This is
called the range, and the difficulty of keeping so
nice u position with boat, in a current of live
miles an hour, may be imagined. A variation of
inch in the direction of the boat head would
throw the shell rods aside from the mark, and
when it is considered that the conclusion of the
discharge is such to disable boats lying along
SIDE as was the ease with the tug Terror the
other day, the liability of such variation will be
understood.
We are therefore dependent upon aid from
some other source. If Gen. Popes force shall
be got into position TO flank them, and attack
their rear, while the fleet bombards the front, no
doubt need be entertained of the issue. The
means adopted to bring about that result are
nearly accomplished. Your readers are aware of
what those measures are, and indeed there is lit
tie need of secresy for all the inhabitants of the
vicinity are eognizant of them, and that fact is
synonymous with immediate communication with
the enemy. We have been bOmbarling with one
or two mortars at intervals of half an hour for
couple of weeks, and have received reply
during the greater part of that time, fact which
goes TO show that are doing very little dam
age, notwithstanding the exaggerated reports We
have had of the number killed and wounded on
the other side. The stories of seeing them
rying off their dead and wounded are all magi-
nation tor such movements cannot be seen with
the bet glass at the distance at which the feet
lies.
The rebels have a number of large guns which
are very effective against our gunboats. Our ex
perieuce 1T Fort Doneison was that the l2S
Founders went through the iron plating every
time they struck, while the 64-pounders Gid more
damage than the boats could long endure The
natural inference is that close fight in the pres
ent instance would have the same result, with the
further disadvantage that. once disabled, the
boats would float down with the powerful cur
rent, at the rate of five miles an hour. into tie
enemY's lines, instead of drifting away from them
rs At Fort Doneson The feet is thus in sfaiu
quo. There will be no engagement until flank
movement Is made by the land forces, and then
we ma, expect bloody fight.