The New York herald., 1862-03-29
THE CAPTURE OF NEW MADRID.
General Pope's Omcial Report.
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT or TIE MrssrNrr,
NEW MADRIp March II. 1862

GEKMA-1 have the hoaor 70 submit, for the informa
ton Of the General commanding the Department. the
following report Of the operations which resulted In tho
capture or this place.
arrived before this town with the forces under my
command Monday, the Sd instant. found the place
occupied by Eve regiments OF infantry and several
companies of s...r,.-- One Fashioned earthwork
counting fourteen heavy guns about half mile be-
low the town and another irregular work at the upper
end OF the town. mounting seven pieces OF heavy art
lery, together with lines OF intrenchments between
them, constituted the defensive wo Ks. Six gunbosts,
carrying from four TO eight heavy guns each,
chored along the Shore between the upper and lower
doubts.
me country perfectly level for milss around che
place, and the river high that the guns Of the
gunboats looked directly the banks he approaches
TO the torn for miles commanded By direct and
vouid eot hdr, Ieen dicau 10 carry he inench scnts
tld rord hdrs been atsnded Wit heary loss. and we
hod mOt hcre bssn abe % hold s place hay an hour
sselne Immediate hope OF the spi Of
gnboas. became necessary 10 bring down few heavy
guns by land 10 operate against those OF the ehemy
They were accordingly sent for and meantime forced
reconnossances pushed over tho hcle ground and
into several parts OF tho town, Some brisk skjrmdes
resuted, in which the enemy invariably rctrcated pre-
cp.tately IL was found impossible TO induce them 10
trust aay considerable force Of their Infantry outside of
their ntrsnchments. AS soon found that 1t would
dicrned TO occupy some point on he rirr boo, and %
tsbsh our small guns possible IN such position as to
blockade the river far Transports conce ned
and to cut of supplies and renorcements for the enemy
from below.
bong In rich agricultural region, and being tho tern
nus OF tho plank road from the interior Of Arkansas
accordingly threw forward colone Plummsr, Eleventh
Missouri to that point with thrse regiments Of infant
ry three companies Of cavalry and held battery OF ten
pound Psrrott and rihsd guns, with orders to make
with rife pits for a thousand men, and TO
establish his artillery 10 sunk batteries OF single
pieces between the rine pits. This arranss.
IN
shells Of the geodts, and TO reuder futile the Of r.ufd
shot from Ue,r heocy euss. Colonel Plrnmor marched
with all speed, and after some cannonading from gun
boats which he found there, succeeded In making odg
mcnt constructing his batteries and rife pits and
pyng them in sufficient force to maintain them against
After repeated and persistent cannousding from
the gunboats, the enemy found IL impossible to
ton, and the blockade Il the river 70 transports,
curing the whole OF our operations. Meantime the
enemy continued every day to reinforce New Madrid
from Island No 10, until, on the I2h, thsy had nine
thousand infantry, besides consderablerorcc OF art
lery and nine sunboas. The fleet Was commanded oy
Commodore Hons tho land forces by Generals hcCown,
stewart and CAN'T On the lth the siege guns were de-
livered 70 Colonel Bsses engineer regiment who had
shppsd 70 scsou reached here sunset the 18th,
were placed In battery during tho same night wfhin
eight ysr; 90 z. r,.T M sSays H. snS opsosS Arc
daylight, the l3th. just thrtyour hours after they
received At Cairo One brigade consisting OF the
Tenth and sixteenth Illinois, under Colonel Morgan of
the Tenth detailed 70 cover the construction Of the
battery and TO work in tho trenches. They sup
ported by stanleys division consisting Of the Twenty
seventh and Thirty ninth Ohio under Colonel (roes
beck and the Forty third and Sxtythlrd Ohio, under
Colonel smith. Captain Mower, First United States
infantry, with companies and n. Of his regiment
was placed In charge Of the siege guns.
The encmy,s pckets and grand guards driven In
By Colonel Morgan fr'n tho ground selected for the
battery without firing shot, although the enemy fred
several vollcys OF nsketry. Tho work was eced
silencesand with the utmost rapdity until at three
A. ~, two small reioubts connected by curtain and
mounting the TOUR heavy guns which had been sent me,
mp etcd toy hei with rife pits In frunt and
the hanks fr two regiments u inntry. Our batteries
opened the day dawned, and rJlied
frost and N, tanks BY IL ohe OF lhs nys heavy
d,tie,y lind and ,clter. As ply OF anlnuni
ton for heavy archery was very lnitSd directed Gao.
Jain Mower 10 6re only occssunsy at the oDeDys apd
batteries aud " concentrate all ois nrs upon tue gn