, 1862-03-20
The Afa1feFy Dnel At N51v MxAxf&-
a RAey Sketch.

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Oh Monas9 The 10th, General Pope, finding
that our gunboats were not likeiy soon to a.
nye to his aid, txd thnt the field batteries which
he bad with him were unable to coFse snccess-
fnl15 with the heavy. artillery Of tbs enemy,
dispatched Col BleseI, Of the Engineer Regi-
mint, to Cairo for sonie heavier Euna: tprefeI-
ring, IS be himself expressed It, TO speEt Il lit
than to sacrifice the lives OF the mer IN
DER lis command In an attempt to carry
it by aseoult, Col Bisseu procured three 39'
pound eie2e guns and an Sinch mortar: These
were ta6en acruss the r1Ter to Binds Point,
thence by railroad to Sykeetown, and then
oyerlandto their place of destination Imme-
diate1y on their arrival there; force was sent
ont TO drive in the euemy's pickers, aud under
cover Of the darknees two p31apets, eiRhteen
feet in thickness and FIVE feet high, were
thrown up three hundred yards apart, with
curtain Twelve feet thick connecting them,
and fanked on each side By breastvork and
rifle pits one hundred yards long. The plat
forms Of bewn timber which had been pre1i-
outlT fitted were laid down, the guns plaeed
in position, and ere daylight they were ia
readiness to commence their work. It is an
instructive Illustration Of What the efforts Of
ty-ffe hours from the time when the guns
were loaded upon the cars 1t Birds POiut,
they opened upon the enemy.
During this time they had been carried
twenty miles By railroad, unloaded from the
cars and placed upon Carriages, drawn t1enty
miles more over a rough road, through mud
IN some places almost impossible for teams,
the enerlv'l pickets had been driven in, these
extensive earthworks thrown up, the gun plat
forms piaced, and the guns put in position
within twelve hundred yards Of the enemy's
intfenchments, and all 50 quietly that the enc
my had no idea Of what was going on; and
when at daylight some Of their picksts opened
fire upon What they evidently supposed to be
simple hreastwork for sheltering our infant
RI, they were answered by the boom Of thirty
two poundsr, which sent them Ecurrying back
to the fort in she widest confusion.
No sooner did the enemy discover the pres
ence OF these new BATTERIES, than, evidently
fearing their effect, they opened upon them
from the gEnboats and the fort Our gunners
replied brisk1y, directing their fire chiefly at
the boats. The air seemed filled with smoke
and fragments Of bursting Shells Some Of
our field pieces were also brought into requisi-
ton, and for q time probably not less than six
II guns were being worked to their fullest ca
pacity. After time, the fire on our side was
slackencd to allow the guns to cool, and for q
while the rebels seemed equally willing to
allow cessation Of 1ostilitics; but ere Ion.
it was renewed with ali its original fury, and
thus it continued, with occasional intervals,
during the entire day TIE gunboatS
would run down the river Until they were
hidden by trees from the sight Of our gun
HtTS. An1 luETe rE-101QilS, H0NlH Slelm DaGh
10 9 good position and hurl their broadsideE
| in QUICK succession at our batteries These
replied most gallantly, and IN spite Of in
| ferl0rlty Of numbers, managed to return
| almost gun for gun with their heavier arEuet
| adyerEaries. Our guns were handled b.
| Companies A and Il Of the First United State;
| Regular Infantry, under command Of CAptait
! Mower. The firing Oh 10th sides was general.
accurate. EARLY in the day one Of eur gun
was struck fajr!y in the muzzle By shot iron
the enemy, breaking off larse piece from
| the side and killing and wounding 30 les
than eight ulep, and during the day thei
SHELLS and shot fell all around our guns
end plowed up the parapet aud the grouu,
around, in every direction; bnt, fortunate /
this shot was the only one which took ctftc
within the batteries. Another shot, however
| pasxtd through the line OF the Twenty
sevthth Ohio regiment, as they we're marcel
ing in colun,n behind the batteries, and too
otf thu legs Of three men, saw thu p3l
fellows ut The hospital They were ali young
hne locking men, Of the best class Of oli
| volunteers, and my heart aehed for them.
U The Harrisburg correspondent Of th
Philadelphia North AMERICAN says:
"Tbere is much conversation IN private les
is1atiye circles here about the military abilitil
| of General Mcclellan. All seem to unite
the verdict that unless his advance upon Ric!
n!oud is a decided success, his career is q f:li
u1e, and that he must have L successor. Tt
country must hayt unbroken, continuous SUI
cess, The head of command must be strne
| eypry man fails Hn 4