Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-18


j J. BlxeHAM, Eso-Dear Sir-Before we
positive of the tact here, the telegraph
doubtless Informed you Of the fall OF the rebel
stronghold at Number Ten. IL Is fact well
known that in extended military operations, the
participatOrs, particularly upon the wings or
TANKS of an army, frequently left for days in
doub. Of the result of their labors. While then
friends at home rejoicing ut the victory, the
Hoosier Brigade of Gen. Palmer. which formed
the extreme right of General Pope's army,
watching the rebel gunboat fleet. the vessels of
which would saueily poke their noses around
bend some three or four miles below our bate
ries, and snort Defiance with steam up, however,
ready to at the first shot.
On Friday night the Carondeet ran the block
ade, and made her appearance in front of New
Madrid, with the stars and stripes waving from
her stern The fact was known here early in
the day. and we knew then that Number Ten
was doomed to fall in a few days. On Sunday
she engaged the rebel batteries opposite New
Madrid, silencng them after a few rounds. he
day was fine, and large party rode up from here
10 see the fun. IL WAS u glorious sight The
little black looking monster, looking really iii
mnutye at the distance OF a mile, under the
large volume of smoke, like tie tail OF comet
that rolled lazily from behind her chmneys
would quarter across the river paying no atten-
ton to the enemy's fire until she obtained posi-
ton to suit her above the enemy, when she would
float quietly by and rake the batteries fearluly
as she passed. few movements of this kind
drove the enemy from the guns OF the two upper
works, when she steamed down to Point Plea
SAINT TO attend to work opposite that place
which for a week had been playing upon that
town and annoying the troops and trains as they
passed One round was sufficient. The gunnefs
fired at random and fled, all but one man who
stood To his gun and kept blazing away with an
oil hot oun he a ne nd no
party who landed to spike the cannon had reIuc-
family to cripple the gallant ieow-they did not
try to kill him-and let him hobble away. The
Carondelet then ran down 20 Riddles Point TO
coax shot from the battery above Tiptonville
where the enemy seemed to be encamped IN force,
but she could not provoke a response, and il af-
forwards appeared that the guns had been hastily
removed from there the night before.
Ii was understood in camp that on Monday
Number Fen and its dependencies TO be forced
TO come down. Troops were to cross the river
but what divisions were to be the favored ones
was not published. General Palmer's command.
and presume others. were ordered to be in readi.
ness to move 1T nom ent's notice. The Hoo
sier's nest gleeIul at the prospect of close
fight; but yet the boys were fearful that If there
earthworks to build they would be left
behind They had been so long listening to the
thunder of cannon, sleeping in pits aud lodging
she'll that they feel like going in at short range.
They had made the gunboats skadadde from
Riddles Point when they had the temerity to at
tempt landing and they wanted TO try their
muskets and rifles on the secesh land. Long be-
fore revielle CO.. Slack commanding the first
brigade i'm Palmer's division, was on horseback
and w W. Hatcher OF Lafayette and myself were
dashing through the mud with him as volunteer
aids. The duty of volunteer aid is to be with
the General on all trying occasions. help him EFT
his dinner 1t he gets any extra. and try the whisky,
and see at what range il will kill, and the field
to carry all orders &c The selection Tor this oc-
casion am sure YOU will pronounce most excel
lent. At early dawn point near
New Madrid anxously peerng through the grey
mist for the first appearance of the gunbOats
Another one had run the gauntlet Of the rebel
fire the night before, and We felt assured that the
upper batteries. which had been silenced ON Sun.
day without spikiug the guns would have TO be
reduced again sure enough as the drums and
trumpets of the several camps gave out their dis
tant calls, the gunboats moved from the moorings
on the Missouri shore and the rebel batteries
opened.
We moved up the shore until the dull and
almost indistnct roar of the guns assumed the
sharp distinct sound Of close action and from the
river bank we witnessed the final fight which
sealed the fate OF the Gibraltar of the Mississippi
The guns at Fort Thompson took part in the
fight, and for an hour or more the laundering
was terrible One rebel battery fought with
great calamity and finally succumbed TO per-
feet avalanche OF shot aud shell hurled at it by
the gunboats and fort doubling on it. BY
nine ten o'clock two or three divisions were in
motion to cross-cavalry. artillery and infantry
hurryng up in hot haste. y large force was
soon landed in admirable order and were shortly
concealed from our view. \ accommodating
party thrown forward until il reached the
plckets around the bend and at midnight without
further 6ghiing-without loss the Island and its
dependencies was ours. The number OF prisoners
and the amount OF property taken YOU probably
know better than we do. The prisoners. who. by
the way. seem to be better class OF troops than
those taken az Fort d NELSON, say that the plum
der lost by them will count up millions.
Transports have been plying up and down the
river freely 10 day. and this evening Col. Fitch:
brigade IS ordered 10 cross 10 TiptOnvlle. and As
! write the boys are busy packing up. TO-mor
row Col Stacks brigade will follow and "A new
Hoosieg's nest will be formed on the grounC
where General Cunts rebel force lay, as the real
guard OF Number Ten.