The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-05-19
NEW MADRID AND ISLAND NO. 10.

NEW MADRID AND ISLAND NO. 10.
Brilliant asssralsnip that Resulted in the
catturSiof Those strongholds.
DDrroK NATIONAL TRIBUNE, On March
10 the engineers advanced to within 500
yards Of the ensmy's works, threw up in
First Bris.d. Of TIC Second Division, CONF
posed of the 2Tth, Seth, 48d and Esd Ohio
was ordered forward At 3 o'clock a. m.
March 13i to support the batteries. The
brigade. commanded by Brig. Gen. D. 8.
Stanley. 4rrived at the breastworks at
daylight. - We were marched in the rear
and formed in line of battle on the right
rebel forts. They opened the battle by
hrng musketry at our cannoneers. but the
men from 1.-The trenches drove them back in
confusion and forced them to seek shelter
behind the walls of their forts at New
Madrid. Our men now opened upon the
rebel forts and gunboats with their "a, 81.
and 24pounders. They soon forced the
rebel gunboats to seek shelter behind
skirt Of woods. The rebels responded
with their siege guns in their forts. Upon
seeing us formed in line in an open field.
they began furious discharge of shot and
shell. Our officers, upon seeing the danger
OF orr position. faced us about and
marched us at double-quick to the rear of
our breastwOrks and then halted us. and
brought us to front face in full view OF
the enemy's guns. They threw shells very
fast. but not many of them exploded. III
they had our loss would have been much
heavier. We could see the cannon balls
coming bounding over the ground.
saw one in particular strike the
ground, bounce and strike file
OF soldiers. cutting both legs off the
fro, Io<> hn
rear rank. The cannonading during the
day was incessant and severe Quite often
We would hear our gunners shout when
they would dismount or disable a rebel
gun. Once the rebels fired a 32pounl
solid shot into the muzzIc Of one of our 24-
Founders and burst it open. Then such
a shout as they raised, II seemed to shake
their glee was of short duration, for one Of
our gunners aimed a shot that struck one
of their 32pounders and knocked it into
the ditch below. Once, i'll the afternoon
i-ponnd shell FROM one of the gunboats
cut its way among the treetops and
Branches Of the woods and landed in 4
pond n few yards in advance of us.
bored through cypress tree some
three feet thick. struck the ground.
bounced over us and fell few yards in
our rear. Some of the boys ran back and
got the shell. 1t was IL foot in diameter,
and was marked L. S. At shutdown the
firing ceased. heavy clouds gathered in the
west thunder roared and lightning
flashed in terrible grandeur. Everything
indicated a dreadful rain. which soon burst
upon us, and poured down in torrents all
night. The rebel boats were active all
night, running mp and down the river. We
were relieved at daylight of March IA,
and we now asccrtained that the rebels
had skedadded. leaving all their artillery.
ammunition and stores. We marched
back and lay in camp during the day.
the forts and their surroundings. There
were in both forts %. 80. IL and "a
FOUNDERS and 10 pieces of smaller caliber,
with large quantities OF ammunition. They
also left several wagons and teams and
large quantities of provisions in the bar
racks. The town was almost totally de-
stroyed. We lay in camp doing drill and
picket duty from March rs to April 5.
On April II one of our gunbOats the Car
and was ancheIed at New Madrid. April
) the gunboat Pittsburg ran the blockade
at No. 10 and anchored beside the CarOn-
delct. The two gunboats proceeded down
the river and Silenced the rebel batteries
on the Kentucky shore, four miles below
New Madrid. This fort had three "a
FOUNDER rified cannon and one 64-pound
battery, and proceeding down the river
slenced two more batteries between there
and Point Pleasant then went after the
batteries at Point Pleasant The boat
would run past the batteries and pour in
broadside after broadsde in rapid success
sion.
l find in my diary: "April Last
night our transports came down through
the channel that Col Bissell and his men
had been engaged 13 days in cutting
through the timber. 1t was quite gigantic
undertaking. but the zeal and perse-
verance of this gallant corps at last ac-
complished the wonderful feat. Nothing
could exceed the surprise and modification
Of the rebels when they perceived that We
had not only gunboats but transports be-
low their formida bic batteries at No. 10:
for they pronounced it not only impreg-
nable but impossible. and they never for q
moment contemplated the ultimate sue
cess of the attempt to cut a channel eight
miles in length, through heavy forests. and
deep enough and wide enough for trans
ports to pass. To them it appeared the
task OF years. All praise, therefore, to the
energy and perseverance of Col Bissell
and his regiment of Western Engineers.
Island No. 10 was now al our mercy, and
its inha bitants knew it. and Immediately
began to skedaddle. At 6 o'clock a. m. the
first three boats loaded with men from
PalneS DIVISION, left their anchorage at
New Madrid and proceeded down the
river, near our gunboats. anchored four
miles below, at the landing on the Ken
lucky shore. The rebels fed at our an
proach. We landed formed in line. and
scaled their works, and they fled in terror
and confusion, throwing away everything
in their disorderly retreat
April S.--Last night the batteries at
Island No. 10 surrendered to Commodore
Foote, the garrison retreating to Upton
vile: We pursued them closely, and they
arrived at Tiptonvile before daylight and
our advance was very near them. They
camped. and We're anxiously waiting the
arrival of transports to convey them down
the river. Our men drew up silently be-
hind them. Daylight disclosed to them
their critical position. Two mighty men
of war, black as night. with 32-pounder
r!iled PARROTS poking frowning heads out
through the portfolios: the Star Spangled
Banner floating proudly at their mast
heads, lay in the river in front of them:
south of them an impa ssable swamp. on
the east and north bristled thousands of
threatening Federal bayonets, cleaning in
the morning sunlight, controlled by thou
sands OF brave, loyal hearts and strong
arms, eager to rush upon them and ami,
hilate rebellion. We mercifully sent a flag
of truce and terms of capitulation were
agreed upon, and they, 5000 in number.
surrendered as nriSoparS IF uor