Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18

w ~ fully attacked Fort
Donelson on the
A " Cumberland. anG
the gunboats re-
turned to Cairo H.. department head
quarters, for repairs. March it steamed
down to the formidable Confederate for
tifications at Columbus, KY, on the MIS-
sissippi which had been evacuated the
day before as a result OF the 1all Oh
Forts Henry and Donelson.
ON the 9TH of March, while we were
descending the river from Columbus III
dense fog. the flag steamer Leading
the Confederate sunboat Grampus, OF
Daredevil Jack, the sauciest little vessel
on the river. suddenly appeared across
orr track and "close aboard" She
stopped her engines and struck her
colors and we all thought she was ours
at last. But when the captain or the
Grampus saw how slowly we moved. and
as no gun was fired to bring him to, he
stared off with astonishing speed and
was out of danger before the flag steamer
could fire gun. She ran before us yaw-
ing and flirting about. and blowing her
alarm whistle SO as to announce our APP
proach to the enemy, who had now retired
to Island No, 10. strong position
sixty miles below Columbus, where Gen.
r. G. T. Beaureguard. who was now III
general command of our opponents had
determined to contest the possession OF
the river.
March IL the hotilla and transports
containing achievements for the army
of Mai. Gen. John Pope. who was CO.
operating with Foote against Island No.
TO- and who the day before had forced
the evacuation of New Madrid. Mo-, at
the head of the first bend below the
island. continued on their way to Island
No 10. arriving in its vicinity about
. in the morning. The strong and muddy
current of the river had overlooked its
banks and carried away every movable
thing. Houses. trees, fences and wrecks
OF all kinds were being swept rapidly
down stream. The twists and turns of
the river near Island No. 10 are certainly
remarkable. Within radius OF eight
miles from the island it crosses the
boundary line of Kentucky and Tennes-
see three times, running on almost every
point of the compass We We're greatly
surprised when We arrived above Island
No. 10 and saw on the bluffs a chain OF
forts extending for four miles along the
crescent-formed shore, with the white
tents of the enemy in the rear. And there
lay the island in the lower corner of the
crescent. with the side fronting the Mis-
souri, shore lined with heavy ordnance.
opposite shore almost every point on the
river between the island and the Mis-
souri, bank could be reached at once by
all the enemy's batteries.
On the 18th an attack was made on the
upper battery by all the ironclads and
mortar boats. We opened fire on the
upper fort at 1 20 and by order of the
flag officer fired one gun a minute The
enemy replied promptly, and some of
his shot struck the Benton alag steamer),
but. owing to the distance from which
they were fired, did but little damage.
We silenced all the guns i'll the upper
fort except one. During the action one
OF the rifed guns of the ST. Louis ex-
ploded. killing and wounding several of
the gunners-another proof of the truth
OF the saying that the guns furnished the
western fiotilla were less destructive to
the enemy than to ourselves.
From March Il to April 4 but little
progress was made in the reduction of
the Confederate works-the six Gunboats
firing few shots now and then at long
range, but doing little damage. The
eleven mortar boats. however, were daily
throwing thirteen-inch bombs, and so eff
fectively at times that the Confederates
were driven from their batteries and
compelled to seek refuge in caves and
other places of safety. But it was very
pedition-the reduction of the works and
the capture of the Confederate forces
could not be effected by the gunboats
alone owing to their mode of structure
and to the disadvantage under which
they were fought in the strong and rapid
current of the Mississippi. This was the
opinion not only of naval officers, but
also OF Gen. Pope and other army Of
ficers.
The I'D of March the nonotonv of the
long and tedious investment was I'M
fortunately varied in very singular
manner. The CarOndelet being moored
nearest the enemys upper fort under
several large cottonwood trees in order
10 protect the mortar boats, suddenly,
and without warning. two of the largest
Of the trees fell across her deck NOR
tally wounding one of the crew and Sc
verely wounding another. and doing
great damage to the vessel. This was
twelve days before l ran the gauntlet at
Island No. 10 with the Carondelet
To understand fully the importance of
that adventure, some explanation of the
military situation at and below Island
No 10 seems necessary. After the evac-
uation of New Madrid. which Gen. Pope
had forced by blockading the river twelve
miles below, at Point Pleasant, the Con-
federate forces occupied their fortified
positions on Island No. 10 and the east
ern shore of the Mississippi, where they
the land side. They were in q cul-de-sac
and the only way open for them TO OBJ
tain supplies to effect retreat was
by the river south of Island No. 10.
4
Gen. Pope, with an army of
5000 men, was on the western side
OF the river below the island. Perceiv-
ing the defect in the enemy's position, he
proceeded with great promptness and
ability to take advantage of it. 1t was
his intention to cross the river and at
tack the enemy from below, but he could
not do this without the aid of gunboat
10 silence the enemy's batteries opposite
Point Pleasant and protect his army in
crossing lie wrote repeatedly 10 Flag
Officer Foote. urging him TO send down
gunboat past the enemy's batteries on