The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-04-18
ISL AND N O. TEN.
O61cial Account = Of the Sur
render.

WASHINGTON, April 9.-The following
was received at the Navy Department this
morning: WIS., a.
FLAG SHIP BENTON. ISLAND No. 10,
April 8, 1862.
10 Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary Of Macy:
have to inform the Department that
since l sent the telegram last night an
nouncing the surrender to me of Island No.
10, possession has been taken both of the
Island and the works upon the Tennessee
shore by the gunboats and the troops under
command of General Buford.
Seventeen officers and three hundred and
sixty eight privates, besides one hundred Of
their sick, and one hundred men employed
on board the transports, are in our hands,
Internationally prisoners of war.
have cansed hasty examination to be
made of the forts, batteries and munitions
of war captured. There are eleven earth
works, with seventy heavy cannon, varying
in caibre from thirty two to one hundred
Founders rifed.
The magazines are we'll supplied with
powder, and there are large quantities of
shot and shell and other munitions of war,
and also great quantities of provisions.
Four steamers af0at have fallen into our
hands, and twenty others, with the rebel
gunboat Grampus, are sunk, but will be
easily raised. The floating battery, of six
teen heavy guns, turned adritt by the rebels,
is said to be lying on the Missouri shore
below New Madrid.
The enemy on the main land appear to
have fled with great precipitation alter dark
last night, leaving in many cases halt pre-
pared meals in their quarters, and there
seems to have been no concert of action
between the rebels on the island and those
occupying the shore, but the latter fed,
leaving the former to their fate.
These works were erected with the high
est engineering skill, and are of great
strength, aud with our naval advantages
would have been impregnable if defended
by men fighting in better cause.
A combined attack of the naval and land
forces would have taken place this afternoon
or to morrow morning had not the rebels so
hastily abandoned this stronghold.
To mature the plans of attack absolutely
required twenty three days of preparation.
General Pope is momentariy expected to
arrive with bis army at this point, he hav.
ing successfully crossed the river yesterday
under heavy fire, which no doubt led to
the hasty abandonment of the works.
am unoficially informed that the two
gunboats which so CALAMITY ran the fire of
the rebel batteries few nights since, yes
terday attacked and reduced fort of the
enemy's opposite, dismouuting eight heavy
guns.
The following is copy of the order of
Gen. Makall on assuming the command of
the rebel forces on the 5th:
SOLDIERS We are strangers, commander
and commanded, each to the other. Let me
tell you who am. l am General made by
Beauregard and Bragg for this command when
they knew it was in peril. They have known
me for twenty years. We have stood on the
fields of Mexico. You gave them your conf.
Soldiers, the Mississippi valley entrusted to
your patience-exhiblt the vigilance and cool.
ness of last night and hold it.
(Signed) W.D. MAKALL.
Brig. Gen. Commanding.
regret that the painful con dition of my
feet, still requiring the use of crutches,
prevented me from making a personal
examination of the works l was therefore
compelled to delegate Lieutenant Com.
handing s. Phelps, of the flag ship Benton.
[Signed ] A. H. FOOTE,
Flag Officer, Commanding.