The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-04-19
The Surrender of Island
No, 10,
Special Correspondence ofThe Chicags Times.

ISLAND No. 10. April s.
The rapidity with which Federal sue
cesses succeed each other in tho present
epoch of the war is not only remarkable,
but without parable. Scarcely do We dis
pose of the avails Of one victory when
another comes with increased advantages
and greater spoils. The great anxiety
that has Occupied the public mind for weeks
past has been dispelled by the announce
ment of the surrender of the famous rebel
stronghold Island No. 10, with its adJa-
cent batteries and Notifications with all
vast amount Of stores and munition Of war,
! its garrison and all the advantages of the
position. A feeble effort was made by the
forces encamped upon the mainland to
escape a Federal prison by fight, but they
attempt was frustrated by the Union
troops under General Pope, who, to-daII
captured the entire army of fugitivesat a
! small settlement called Tiptonville, On the
| opposite side of the neck of land called
Madrid Bend.
The Island forces surrendered to Com
modore Foote at 10 o'clock last evening, at
the same time furnishing the informal on
that the entire rebel force encamped on
the mainland had evacuated. TO one not
acquainted with the transpiring circum-
stances the incidents attending it were of
the most exciting and interesting nature
Al o clock L. NJ a rebel steamer, the De
Soto, was seen coming around the head OF
the Island, and Immediately she commen-
ced signaling, with her whistle, desire TO
! approach our fleet. She displayed very
brilliant white light petween her smoke
stacks, answering for a flag Of truce The
Benton replied to her signal, bidding her
advance, at the same time showing a
3
slowly, continuing TO wistle with every
turn of her wheel. When within about
half mte Of the Benton she was signald
TO stop, and tugboat was sent out from
the flagship to ascaI tain the purpose other
mission. The tug returned soon after,
announcing that the rebel force on the
mainland had evacuated, and those on the
Island were ready TO surrender. Captain
Phelps, of the flagship, was sent back TO
the Island on the truce boat to confer with
Captain Hume, commander OF the Island
forces The result of the interview was
an unconditional surrender, the command
ant giving his parole to hold his forces
until morning. The De Soto immediately
returned to the Benton with Captain
Phelps, where, at her master 5 request she
was detained, and the military officers sent
back ta the Island on tug This pro-
cecding was at the request Of the captain
of the boat, who urged that if he was sent
back his boat might bc DESTROYED before
morning. The De Soto is one of the
larges. class of Mississippi River boats,
nearly new, and elegantly fitted. She is
worth, at low estimate, $1,000
At an earl hour this morning the gun
boats Mound City and ST. Louis dropped
down to guard the Island, and soon after
were followed by transports carrying the
Fifth Wisconsin and Twenty seventh
Illinois Regiments of Volunteers. The
cncampments on the main land being
found deserted, Us reported by the Island
forces, the Fifth Wisconsin were landed
there to guard the public property. The
Twenty seventh Illinois were deharked
upon the Island. The force on the Isfand
WAS made UP Of detached ccmpaa,. 8,
unper comand of Captain Hume, number
ina in the aggregate about three hundred
men.
The moro important works were on the
mainland, where had been encamped the
main body of the rebels, variously estina-
ted at from SIX TO ten thousand strong.
The number Of tents would indicate even
a larger force than the higher number
mentioned. Their evacuation commenced
at T. NJ, from which time until night
they were scattering, their officers going
first and the men following so soon As
they discovered their liberty \ few
stragglers remained, preferring to take /
their chances with the " Yankees than to
fight in so forlorn q cause as that Of the !
Southern Coufederacy. Besides these /
there were found one hundred and forty !
seven SICK in the hospital-the aggregate |
of sick, stragglers, and those surrendered |
on the Island making about five hundred. |
Il, ~. L IL. -
bp an eye-witness-a deserter-as amusing /
in the extreme. No order to evacuate was |
issued, one command taking the hint to |
leave from another as the commandant
and his staff set the example They went,
as my informant says, like . flock OF
sheep" nor did they stop in their ot,ha,t
to look after their personal effects. Pri-
vate baggage and othe propdrty were left
in all the tents, and fragments of cook ed
rations, frequently tables being discovered
fully set for dinner or supper Tents We're
left innsbruck; ammunition in boundless
stores; commissary stores without end,
and all manner of munitions of war in the
most lavish profusion. There were two
large buildings filed TO overiowing with
ordnance stores, and several magazines
stored with powder, she'll and other explo-
sives. There were forty heavy guns
mounted upon the several batteries,
twenty-nine of which We're spiked, how
ever, and thirty seven in good order, ready |
for mounting, two field pieces, and two |
King George II. mortars making n total |
of eishty-four pieces. Two wharf boats of |
the largest class were also secured, loaded |
down with all manner of commissary |
stores, besides which there were piled up
on the river bank FIVE hundred barrels of
mess beef, countless bags, barrels, hogs
heads, and other packages containing rice, |
coffee, sugar, etc, with corn, oats, and |
forage sufficient to supply the entire force |
with their necessary animals, for weeks. |
Tere were also surrendered nine steamers, |
70 which more full mention is made below
The cause OF this hasty and ignomnious
retreat is attributable to the successful
passage of our gunboats by their batteries
and the crossing of Gen Pope with his COM |
mand, threatening their rear. Yet even |
with these disadvantages it can but appear |
cowardly to evacuate so important a strong |
hold, so securely fortified, and so lavishly |
supplied; the more so since their losses |
had been extremely light, their garrison |
in good health, and their supplies suf1ici- |
to withstand weeks Of siege.
The commandant Of the post was Brig |
Gen. Mackall, the same who few weeks |
since made such flaming speech in Mem |
phis, promising to die rather than yield
to the g Yankee hirelings." He assumed
the command on Saturday last, relieving
Gen. MeCown, who is now on trial at
Memphis before court-martal for evacu |
ating New Madrid and for permitting the
Federal gunboat to pass the blockade on
the night previous to his supersedured.
Mackal was in the Mexican war, where
he held Coloners commission. On as
suming command he ventured upon the