Between New Madrid and Island No. Ten, on both sides of the Mississippi, extend immense swamps or bayous, which forbade military operations, and which also hemmed in the rebel forces themselves, and prevented their escape in case the island should be captured.* It was, in fact, a huge and complicated system of water-locked defenses, at the centre of which, and guarding the channel of the Mississippi, lay the strong and almost unassailable fort of Island No. Ten, like a dragon of fable, coiled in the heart of its swampy fastnesses; and, to carry out the illustration, belching forth sulphureous flames. In order to completely invest this fortification, it was necessary first to obtain possession of New Madrid, and thus cut it off from below, as the river ran, though really above, geographically speaking. This task was assigned to General John Pope, who proved himself an able and energetic commander, with great resources and perseverance. As early as the 22d of February, General Pope was dispatched by General Halleck from St. Louis, with a considerable body of Ohio and Illinois troops, to attack New Madrid. His transports landed at Commerce, in Missouri; and his main column, toiling through miry swamps, on the same day that Columbus was evacuated (March 3d), appeared before New Madrid, where Pope found to oppose him, in addition to a large rebel force, Hollins's flotilla of gun-boats on the river. He retired out of reach of their cannon, and sent to Cairo for heavy siegeguns. He also planted successfully a battery twelve miles down the river, at Point Pleasant, in the rear of Island No. Ten. As soon as his heavy artillery arrived, being laboriously dragged through the swamps, after "a quick, sharp siege," in which the Confederates suffered greatly, they fled precipitately, leaving New Madrid in Pope's possession.

*Boynton's "History of the Navy during the Rebellion,” vol. i., † Lossing's "Civil War in America,” vol. ii., p. 239.

p. 535.

The morning that the National troops under General Pope entered New Madrid (March 14), Commodore Foote left Cairo with his fleet, to co-operate with him at Island No. Ten; but before giving an account of his operations at that point, there are a few matters of previous occurrence and some correspondence to be taken notice of.

We mentioned the spirited services of the gun-boats Taylor and Lexington on the Tennessee River, undertaken to prevent the rebels from refortifying at Pittsburg and Chickasaw. This gallant conduct drew forth the lively praise of the flagofficer, who, beyond almost any commander in the war, was generous to render his subordinates their full honor, but it also called forth this sailor-like order:

แ

"CAIRO, March 4, 1862.

SIR,-I have received your report, and have forwarded it to the Secretary of the Navy, with commendatory remarks. But I give a general order that no commander will land men to make an attack ashore. Our gun-boats have no more men than are necessary to man the guns; and as the army must do the shore work, and as the enemy want nothing better than to entice our men ashore and overpower them with superior numbers, the commanders must not operate ashore, but confine themselves to their vessels. In haste, respectfully, A. H. FOOTE.

"Lieutenant-Commanding Gwin.

"P. S.--Be cautious, as it is an element equally necessary to bravery, and life must not be risked without a prospect of success."

It is but right to presume that if Foote had lived long enough he would have organized the Navy Department of the West into a more homogeneous body, doing its own work more exclusively but effectively, and having its own position and rights more clearly understood, so that the Army would have looked upon it in the light of an ally and equal, not of a mere auxiliary, and that something of the high and united spirit of the American Navy would have been breathed into it. We are perhaps even now inclined to think of the Navy

as confined wholly to the ocean coast, and to forget the immense extent of inland waters over which a well-regulated naval organization should extend; although it is the desire of every patriotic heart that civil war will never again require the services of fighting vessels so far within our own borders. It is to be fervently hoped that the broad realms of North and South, united by the Mississippi River, by nature, by origin, by kinship, by liberty, shall be evermore one happy nation.

The two following letters at this time relating to things immediately past and present betoken much anxiety and despondency of mind, and we insert them for the reason that this is not intended to be a eulogy, but a real life, with its lights and shadows. Yet some of the statements in these letters are important, as coming from a man of strict truth and honesty. The first is addressed to a relative of his family:

"CAIRO, March 9, 1862.

"MY DEAR SIR,-I place a high value on your letter, independently of the source from which it comes, as it is an effort for you to write. I wish I had the time, if I have the ability, to respond by one as good.

"I send Augusta the certificate of the best surgeon here, who is at the head of the Sanitary Committee, relative to my wounded foot, or, perhaps, I might more properly call it a diagnosis. I have pain in my foot; but you will see from the certificate that there is no danger to be apprehended, unless it is to the government from my not being able to give personal attention to my varied duties. Still every moment of my time from seven A.M. till eleven P.M. is occupied with office duties. I am on crutches, and should be happy at the idea of being able to lay them aside.

"I have to work against a good deal of opposition. Not even a Navy officer at home can conceive of the magnitude of my work-navy-yard and fleet duties; and I would not again pass through the mental agony and bodily effort, certainly for all the credit I do or can receive from the public. It is a bitter cup, and I can hardly drink it. It has added ten years to my age, and it is quite enough to break any man down. I do not like the course that has been pursued in regard to me. On the 28th of January I suggested the attack on Fort Henry, and gave my orders

two days before the fight for Lieutenant-Commanding Phelps to proceed up the Tennessee, and destroy the rebel gun-boats and their property as far as the river was navigable, and off he went to Mississippi and Alabama without a word from Halleck. Yet, he and McClellan got the credit of the thing. The rebels and many of our Army officers say that our desperate fight demoralized the rebels at Fort Donelson, so much so that they could not even cut their way through the lines the next day in their attempt to escape; and if they had not been demoralized, why, a military man would ask, did they not hold on in their intrenchments? Still I fought Fort Donelson four days before I was ready, as I wanted my six mortar-boats; but General Halleck urged me, and I determined to take the only course, by a close action, which could secure us a victory without the mortar-boats. Then I went up and took possession of Clarksville, hoisting our flag and issuing the proclamation, and General Halleck says in his official dispatches it was four days afterward occupied by General Smith, making no allusion to my command. I was then ready to proceed on and take Nashville, and was about starting when I received an order not to do it, which if I had done, the Assistant-Secretary of the Navy says, I would have saved a million dollars' worth of rebel arms and a factory for making percussion-caps. The citizens expected the gun-boats, and General A. S. Johnston advised them to leave and abandon the city, as I was coming-hence the panic; and, after all, Buell could not march in until he got a gun-boat first off the city. Now I am wanted to go, even if not prepared, to the attack of Island No. Ten and New Madrid, and Assistant-Secretary Scott urges me; but I have refused positively to do it, and will wait till Wednesday, when I will have the mortar-boats and the Benton, and can, God willing, who gives the victory, do it easily. I have no fears for this week's work.

"Oh, how I long for this war to terminate! I have had enough of it, and I think the South will also have been taught to respect Yankee pluck. I pray that God may soon send us peace and prosperity. As for myself, wonderful to say, excepting my foot, I am in remarkable health.

"Excuse my haste, as I have more than I can possibly attend to in the way of business, and I may have to delay writing to Augusta; if so, please show her this. I hope to return here after going down about sixty miles to attack No. Ten and New Madrid. In the mean time, let Augusta write as usual, and I will write when I get a chance. With love to all. A. H. FOOTE."

Very truly yours,

"MY DEAR WIFE,-Your excellent letter and William's came this morning like sunbeams just as I was writing a letter of sympathy and condolence to our dear friend Commodore Smith on Joe's death.* It was a sad affair; but such things will happen in war. I can not express my horrible pressure of responsibility; and now, honestly, I am almost crazy that no troops have been furnished to accompany me and occupy

* This promising young officer went down in the Cumberland at Hampton Roads, March 8th, 1862. Senator Grimes, of Iowa, spoke thus of him in the United States Senate, March 13:

"But while I would thus honor the gallant living, I would bear my tribute of affectionate respect for the memory of the heroic dead who fell in the engagement in Hampton Roads. Let the remembrance of that brave young officer, whose obsequies are now being performed in another part of this city, who, when his vessel was sinking beneath his feet, replied to a summons to surrender that he would never give up the flag intrusted to his keeping, and the next moment met death with composure, be cherished by his countrymen. The name of Smith, already illustrious in the annals of the American Navy, will be added to the bright galaxy of those who have freely laid down their lives at the call of their country."

We can not refrain from adding the father's response to the letter referred to, for its manly pathos.

"March 21, 1862.

"MY DEAR FOOTE,- I duly received your kind note of condolence, and now I have to sympathize with you in your bereavement and loss of a darling boy. We must bow our heads and lick the dust, and say, 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.' I was relieved by receiving the mutilated remains of my son, and I deposited them with those of his mother. We are looking most anxiously for reports of your success at No. Ten. God give you the victory.

"I have just received a letter from my only son, and he inclosed one for you, which I forward herewith. He has a hard time with his gunboat, but I pray he may be spared to me. I fear Farragut has a difficult task to ascend the Mississippi-his vessels draw too much water; but I hope you may meet him at New Orleans.

"Our arms seem to be victorious every where except in the untoward event at Newport News. We have been too indifferent about the monster Merrimack. I am glad to know my son performed his duty as well as any man could under the circumstances. I am almost crazy with the cares that rest upon me, which I shall endeavor to dispose of to the best of my ability; but I am old, and my mind is somewhat impaired; yet I shall stick to my post, and do all I can for the cause of the Union and the defense of liberty.

"I am taxed to the utmost of my power. God bless you.

"Yours as always,

"Flag-Officer A. H. Foote."

JOSEPH SMITH.

S