, 1862-04-17
COM. FOOTE'S PROGRESS.
DRAWING NEAR TO MEMPHIS
The Rebel "Ditch" at Fort
Pillow.
Our Mortar Boats in Po-
SitiOn.
FIRST SHOTS EXCHANGED.
General Pope'a Army on Hand.


General Pope's Army on Hand.
The Situation Described.
NARRATIVE OF THE TRIP DOWN.
THE RIVER.
Especial Dispatch to Chicago Trbune.1
WASHINGTON, April 16. 1862
: The following dispatch has been received
at the Navy Depa1s sment. |
''CAno, April 15 1852.
ssThe flotills has been within three -quarteas
Of mile Of Fort Pu1 1ow, and thence returned
to take up a position two miles further up.
The rebel gunboats escaped below the Fort.
There arc ten of these boats below the Fort |
Our mortar-boats are In position, and had |
opened fire. This is up to 6 O'Clock last evc- /
ming. Gen. Pope's command occupy the Ar
kansas side Of the river"
ITO the Associated Press.1
PHILADELPHIA, April l6.-As special dispatch |
from Washington to the Eveni"g Bulletin says
that dispatch was received By the War De-
parment this morning from Com. Foote, EaT-
ing he is ready to attack Fort Pillow, having
succeeded in getting position for his gun
boots in the river below the fort. He has no
doubt Of success.
Especial Correspondence Chicago Tribune.l
OK BOARD T. S. GuEEoAT ST. LOUIS.
PLI1B POINT, OFF FEST Cu1cKAsAw BLUFF
TENNESSEE, April 1eth, 1862. .
Your correspondent having improved the
few days Of leisure afforded by the capture Of
Ieland No. 10. has just returned to the feet
after having enjoyed the suspicious quota of
civilization existing at Cairo. left this morn
ing upon the Dc Soto, which only few days
sgo bronght up the flag Of truce from the
Island. The De Soto is prize worth the cap
ture, she WAS built in 1860 for the Red River
cotton trade, and piled bctwsen New Orleans
and Shreveport. Of all the boats captured
she is the only one left unchanged by the de-
Etruciive hands Of the rebels. Her cabin,
ii its furniture and equipments, is very
model Of beauty. In lounges, ottomons, mir
rors, paintings, silver ware, and IN the moro
ordinary useful surroundings Of steamboat
necessities, there Is nothing left to be desired.
Capt. Carroll, formerly Of the Illinois, which
was seriously damaged in the late tornado,
has taken charge Of her and will run her
henccforth as the Flag Officers dispatch boat
Weleft Cairo at three o'clock this afternoon
and arrived at Island No. 10 about sunset. A
small force is encamped upon the 1nain shore
and the island, the balance Of the troops hay
ing joined Gen. Pope's division at New Mad
| rid. The froTning batteries looked very pa
| cihc as We rapidly steamed past AID shot out
| into the bend below the island just as the sun
| was sinking and staining the distant woods
| with ruby light. Later the moon arose,
aud lent with its mellow radiance beWitch-
ing charm to the family deseezned landscape.
Three hours Of beauty and reposo and We were
| at New Madrid in the midst Of the din and
confusion attendant upon the embarkation Of
the large army of Gen. Pope, who are TO fol
low the gunboats down the river. As we
neszcd the town, one Of the regimsnt:A bands
was playing most sWeet1y some Of those IA
miller home nirz. I had heard the game 4
Thousand times until they were as hackneyod
as the daily round Of an ordinary man's life:
/ but now, in the midst Of these martial sights
and sounds, they seemed clothed with neV
beauty and appealed to the heart with 1
: wond e1ful force. ALI along the rive
bank the watch fires CLEANED bright.
uutl they dwind1ed into 6tars at distant Poin
Pleasant. Drums were beating and fife:
snrie15ing Regiments were leaving quarter
| and embarking On transports. Many Of thu
| transports were already 1aden down to thei
| guards with soldiers, wagons, ambulauces
horses and commisary stores. Some were II
ing upon deck wrapped in their blankets
some chatting and smoking, here groul
singing, and there another intently engage
ut cards. Some twenty transports in all wer
eng aged, and New Madrid, foE once, at least
wore the aspect Of busy mart. Here It
learned that the entire fotilla left Island Nc
10 this morning, passing New Madrid at l
o'clock, and the DeSoto steamed On her va
to oyc1take the feet.
: We found the feet this morning as tw
e o'clock lying anchored abreast Of Needham'
}. Island, and at the mouth Of cut oil, on Il
Tennessee shore, fifty nine miles below Ne
l. Madrid. Eeedham's Island and cut of q,
n On. These i cut offs afe channels formed t
the current in the circular bends Of the rive
/ The floods arc constantly washing away tt
y banks by which new channels are formed, az
It in this instance running some distance |
Of land, communicating With the river aga
O. about mile below: The whole fleet Il
le lying upon the Tennessee shore, with the e.
= ceptlon Of the ammunition boat Great Yves
le ern, which was anchored In the ArEans
es shore opposite. The composition Of the fic
ton Of the gunboat Cairo, which was order'
e. from above two or three days since, and
Is, now making her first appearance in Miss
-, | sippi waters.
10 At daylight this morning We discovered tt
a. t first symptoms Of the enemy By the bla.
az columns ofsmoke rising from the chimneys
r. tleir gunboats over the distant woods. Z
- more clearly to understand our position,
~ refrr the reader to the map. especially th
part from the upper "cut-oH" to the FL
CLlckasaw Bluff on Which is located Fort
at low, or as it is now called By the rebe
Is | "FpRT WRIGHT"
~ EAT three o'clock the Benton tug Dauntlc
- Capt. Charley Leeds, who would follow t
Tor Benton into ten thousand batteries if ueces
nd II, made night reconnaissance with pick
and we1l-armed crew up the Ohio river. T
Oblon rises in West Tennessee and flo
AFT southwest into the Mississippi just above
-, cutoff before alluded to. The tug weut
'tei seSera. miles to ascertain whether any Of I
his rebel gunboats were in the river. The F
nk Officer took this vcFy cautious step to Prev
IN, their interceptiDg our rear. The reconnt
." sance, however, developed no valuable rest
Several Of the natives were found, most
them reiterating the old story Of "deyoti
the Rs Qos Of n then gg az s.i ness eo
9Th Ing to the Confederacy some miles further
+ba hut there WIS no time for hay expeditions.
-. From the appearance of the smoke 1t I
ano evident that the rebel boats were very ra
,ort in their movements, and although when tt
nns smoke was first observed they were ten
twelve miles distant, still it seemed on
| few minutes before they we're behind Ha
pat Point, concealed from our view by tho he
TWO timber.
, d. The Flag Officer and the crews Of the b
the were In the very best Of spirits. It has |
two been the desire Of our officers to meet
nee. rebel gunhoats upon the Mississippi and
,ave | their 1aunted superiority. The rebel ne
vere | papers have teemed with reports OF
ch a strength and formidable character Of t
I'D grnboats, floating batteries, rams and "
first note in the shape Of q hotilla- Common
+ 1t nor has added Its version, until We II
sup expected to fud behind that distant poi
nm- small feet Of Monitors, which would blos
atry. out Of existence, or annihl1ate us by run
o'ed us down without firing gun. Nov the
70 to had come, and the Flag Officer was quic
improve tie occasion.
: are One Of those useful couFierB OF the 1et
one tug-was sent down the river Teconnoite
mere and reported three guuboats behind the (
daily with another making rapidly up.
&C, About eight O'clock the Benton displ
! and her signals and rounded out into the str
ough AT this time the tcene was animated 10
le for extreme. In the distance the mysterious
2 last I my, his locality visible only by the tel
tther steamers Of smoke; in the immediate
sixty ground the gunboats. seven In nun
Founding Ont with their signals dizplayed
Gov swerto the Benton, and taking their posi-
II. o1,r 4