New-York daily tribune., 1862-04-14


ina m and down the river are very stong, and being
mo.tlv on high ground, are very formidable, much
more; so than had generally been supposed. They
oor,oand the position for ak or eight miles along the
,,;.a;.s;rni and were furnished with immense
quantities Of powder and every variety Oh sno' '''.
she'll which they lefs behind them Id theH huff'eu
retreat. ,
i TIE CONFEDERATE CAMPS ON shoRE.
Tn the rear OF the second battery was large en-
camnmen, and barracks, and 10 the tents and wooden
bnildings were numerous articles Of clothing, COOK
inc uten,ils. books letters, blankets, bedding &C.,
bnt very few arms Of value. The enemy he'd evi'
IDENTIFY msde themselves quite comfortable, and de-
signed TO remain there long time. The appearance
Of the encampment proved cOnclusively that they
bad abandoned their position in haste AT several Of
the batteries small outer works were thrown up
rife pits made and the surrounding trees feiIeo or
protection against any land force that might Do
brought against them.
APPEARANCE OF ISLAND NO. I0
On the Island, which contains some 200 acres, and
is soue - or Is feet above hgh.water mark, there
are three batteries, containing six three, and hve
guns, 25 and 32.pounders, part Of them rliied. Three
more batteries are in q stage Of seIni-compe'ion no
guns being mounted.
The effect Of the Union shot and shell 10 clearly
shown upon the shore and the leland. There are
hundreds of deep holes in the earth where the NOR
,sr-rhell struck and the trees behind, and on The
.de of the gums are cut down and sbiyercd rs II
tornado had swept through the vicinity. From ap-
uenrances can not fail to believe they must nave
lost large number Of men, though the prisoners, Ar
usual, deny that they had more than five or SIX
killed during the entire bonbardment. They say
they bad IN infinite amount Of narrow sscapes, bht
I lhat they always contriyed 10 avoid death ana
vounds-s statement any inoredulous mind must be
slow TO admit a. truthful. Some twelve fifteen othe
sl.rs noticed had been broken or disabled BY our
.hot, revealing he accuracy Of our gunners at
long range.
n EXPLOSION or THE ESEMY's GUNS.
Two OF the siegegnns on the Island, both thir'y-
iours burs; one on the 10Th ult., and the other yes
terGay porniug, without, however, they FAY,
seriously iljurng ANY Of the meu.
THE SECESSION PRisosERs.
TIE prisouer. on the Island DO not exec iaree
,ulred nearly all OF them artiIleriss, and from
Tennessee. They are comfortably bu; roughly clad,
e.ce,t the officers. who wear To. usual gray uniform
trimmed with red. They arc more intelligent than
the ayerae. OF the sapives at Fort Donelson, and
generally arc good physical specimens Of men.
Ihey say they have had enough TO eat bur That mol
o.e Of then lss received dollar while in the Con.
f,derAe service.
\ COMPLAINTS OF THEIR LEADERS.
Il All Of them complain bitterly Of theig officer, and
declare ,hey have been abused by ;hom. Their com
manders were changed every few days, and they
were frequently ignorant who was their lesder. In
two weeks General John p. MeCovn OF Tennessee,
Colonel Walker tactiug Brigadier) OF Tennessee,
General Trudcau of Louisiana, and General mhcknil
Of Arkansas were at different times in charge Of the
forces on ami about tie Island. Tie prisoners did
not know their compsrios had abandoned their bat
teries on sLore for seyersl hours after their de-
parure.
SENTIMENTS OF TIE PRlyATEs.
4 The priyses, without exception, Tar rs 1 could
learn were very glsd Of the result, and volunteered
the opinions thai they were disgusted with their
leaders and the war; that the cause of the Confed-
eracy was hope.e-s and the rebellion ws eiieotusly
broken. Many OF them said they had goue into the
war under erroneous impressions; others had been
forced into the service aud others driven into II by
the prejudice Of public opinion in the South. They
generally rta,ed they would have further oonnec-
ton with the strife, aud that they were willing to
take the oata Of allegiance, hoping to make some
amends IN tue future for the errors they had COM
mitted in the pest.
OPINIONS OF THE OFFICERS.
The officers were nearly ali quite young men, from
% to 81 years old, and though they Acknowledged
they had been deceived ia the character and temper
Of the North, they assumed to Je attached 10 the
Confederacy and determined ~ fight for it as long
their homes We're invaded but that, If the North
would withdraw It's armies from the South, they
would gladly return 10 pacific ayccations with con-
siderable more OF such etete twaddle. They were
intelligent and well educated, but hardly any Of them
had had any military experience before the present
war. The hgbest officer was Capt. w. Y. c. Humes
of Memphis the cny person OF the same rank except
two ia the entire number.
Your correspondent had long conversations with
the officers, aud they appear quito reasonable, saying
they were, they thought, fighting for their rights;
but If convinced otherwise, they would advocate the
Union. Most Of them insisted that they would not
take the oath OF allegiance at least under the present
condition OF the war but that il they SAW no hope
of establishing tie independence Of the Confederacy
they would bo compelled to return 70 their loyalty.
Two or three of the Rebel officers expressed their
qualification at tho result Of affairs. Ii they had
Trained from ac,e personal cooperation in tho S,rug-
se, they would have been suspected Of ultra Abol.
tonism, and made to suicr in every possible way.
| asked some Of he natiye-bon southernes il they
beloved the Federal Government was endeayorng
10 destroy their insiitutons AID their bones and of
the idea 70 often eNIrensed that one SOuihefuer