Surrender of Island No. Ten. 289 around it. The crisis is close at hand, and we are anxious to meet after this long suspense. My foot is statu quo. A chronic tenderness and swelling, uncomfortable up to the knee at times. I have no apprehension of a serious result; but it greatly impairs my activity and efficiency, as I can not inspect the steamers or make alterations. Still, we must submit to all that God sends us. "I have a great deal of writing to do, and much in the way of granting interviews and giving orders, which, as I trust nobody else to do, you will excuse my short and hurried letters. I will add, if any thing come up before mail. I write you, and have done so for ten or twenty days, every day. Do you get all my letters? I send some of Prentice's criticisms in the Louisville Journal. "Mail ready. Very affectionately, with kisses and love to all, "A. H. FOOTE." On the 7th, in the morning, the two gun-boats that had run the batteries went down the river and attacked and silenced the enemy's field-guns that had been stationed to prevent the crossing of the land forces. Thereupon the transports with the troops immediately prepared to cross the river; but before this was accomplished, the rebels saw that their works were rendered defenseless, and they commenced abandoning the batteries along the Tennessee and Kentucky shores that Foote was on the point of attacking with a grand assault in co-operation with the Army. Equal consternation prevailed at Island No. Ten; and at twenty-five minutes past three on the morning of the 7th of April a flag of truce came to Commodore Foote, surrendering to him the island. The surrender was made even before the news had arrived at the island of the silencing of the field-guns below, and the crossing of General Pope's army to the Tennessee side. Pope's forces, as soon as they were landed, were marched toward Tiptonville, to intercept the rebels retreating from the batteries and from Island No. Ten. They were successful in this, and drove the fleeing enemy into the swamps, and on the 8th made them prisoners in large numbers, but few escaping. Thus, although U the Army and Navy were co-operative in the capture of this important stronghold, and both were essential to this end, Island No. Ten was at the last actually surrendered to the gun-boats. The following are Flag-Officer Foote's official reports of the event: "FLAG-STEAMER BENTON, OFF ISLAND NO. TEN, April 8-1 A.M. "My telegram, three hours since, informed the Department that Island No. Ten had surrendered to the gun-boats. Captain Phelps has this instant returned, after having had an interview with the late commandant. I have requested General Buford, commanding the troops, to proceed immediately, in company with two of the gun-boats, and take possession of the island. The batteries on the Tennessee shore have been hastily evacuated, where we shall find, no doubt, in the morning, large quantities of munitions of war. "I communicate with General Pope, who has, under cover of the two gun-boats which gallantly ran the blockade, crossed the river in force, and was ready, as well as the gun and mortar boats, with General Buford and his troops, to make a simultaneous attack upon the rebels, had they not so hastily evacuated the Tennessee shore and surrendered Island No. Ten. A full report will be made as soon as we can obtain possession of the land-batteries, and I am able to communicate with General Pope. "A. H. FOOTE, Flag-Officer. "The Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy." "FLAG-SHIP BENTON,' ISLAND NO. TEN, April 8, 1862 (via Cairo). "I have the honor to inform the Department that since I sent the telegram last night announcing the surrender to me of Island No. Ten, possession has been taken of both the island and the works upon the Tennessee shore by the gun-boats and the troops under command of General Buford. Seventeen officers and three hundred and sixty-eight privates, besides one hundred of their sick and one hundred men employed on board the transports, are in our hands, unconditional prisoners of war. "I have caused a hasty examination to be made of the forts, batteries, and munitions of war captured. There are eleven earthworks, with seventy heavy cannon, varying in calibre from 32 to 100 pounders, rifled. The magazines are well supplied with powder, and there are large quan Official Correspondence. 291 tities of shot, shells, and other munitions of war, and also great quantities of provisions. Four steamers afloat have fallen into our hands, and two others, with the rebel gun-boat Grampus, are sunk, but will be easily raised. The floating battery of sixteen heavy guns, turned adrift by the rebels, is said to be lying on the Missouri shore below New Madrid. Two wharf-boats, loaded with provisions, are also in our possession. "The enemy upon the mainland appears to have fled with great precipitation after dark last night, leaving, in many cases, half-prepared meals in their quarters; and there seems to have been no concert of action between the rebels upon the island and those occupying the shore; but the latter fled, leaving the former to their fate. These works, erected with the highest engineering skill, are of great strength, and, with their natural advantages, would have been impregnable if defended by men fighting in a better cause. "A combined attack of the naval and land forces would have taken place this afternoon or to-morrow morning had not the rebels abandoned this stronghold. To mature these plans of attack, absolutely required the last twenty-three days of preparation. General Pope is momentarily expected to arrive with his army at this point, he having successfully crossed the river yesterday under a heavy fire, which, no doubt, led to the hasty abandonment of the works last night. I am unofficially informed that the two gun-boats which so gallantly ran the fire of the rebel batteries a few nights since, yesterday attacked and reduced a fort of the enemy opposite, mounting eight heavy guns. "I am, sir, respectfully, etc., "A. H. FOOTE, "Flag-Officer, commanding Naval Forces, Western Waters. "The Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy." In regard to the operations below the island of the two gun-boats, the Carondelet and the Pittsburg, that were so effective in the final result, this is the commodore's report: “U. S. FLAG-STEAMER "BENTON, OFF ISLAND NO. TEN, "SIR,-I have the honor to inclose a report from Commander Walke, of the gun-boat Carondelet, detailing the services rendered by him and the Pittsburg, Lieutenant - Commanding Thompson, in the vicinity of New Madrid, from which it will be seen that the boats opened upon and effectually silenced and captured several heavy batteries on the Tennessee side of the river, on the 6th and 7th instant, without which destruction it would have been impossible for General Pope to have crossed the river for the purpose of attacking the rebels in the rear at Island No. Ten, while the gun and mortar boats would make the attack in front. "There has been an effective and harmonious co-operation between the land and naval forces, which has, under Providence, led to the glorious result of the fall of this stronghold, Island No. Ten, with the garrison and munitions of war; and I regret to see in the dispatches of Major-General Halleck, from St. Louis, no reference is made to the capture of forts, and the continuous shelling of gun and mortar boats, and the Navy's receiving the surrender of Island No. Ten, when, in reality, it should be recorded as an historical fact that both services equally contributed to the victory-a bloodless victory-more creditable to humanity than if thousands had been slain. "I also inclose reports from Lieutenants-Commanding Gwin and Shirk, of the gun-boats Taylor and Lexington, on the Tennessee, giving a graphic account of that great battle, and the assistance rendered by these boats near Pittsburg; stating that 'when the left wing of our army was being driven into the river, at short range, they opened fire upon the enemy, silencing them, and, as I hear from many army officers who were on the field, totally demoralizing their forces, and driving them from their position in a perfect rout in the space of ten minutes.' "These officers and men, as well as those of the Carondelet and Pittsburg, behaved with a degree of gallantry highly creditable to themselves and the Navy. "I proceed to-day, with the entire flotilla, to New Madrid, and leave to-morrow for Fort Pillow, or the next point down the river which may attempt to resist the raising of the blockade. "I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, "A. H. FOOTE, Flag-Officer. "The Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C." Foote was extremely jealous of the reputation of his little fleet, and we can not blame the pertinacity with which he insists upon justice being rendered to the brave men who did so. much to clear Kentucky and Tennessee and the Mississippi River of all the obstacles that the enemy, with their utmost effort and skill, could rear. The capture of Island No. Ten Fruits of Victory. 293 concerning which the enemy is reported to have said, “Thus far shalt thou go and no farther"—was a great event; and coming simultaneously with the hard-won battle of Pittsburg Landing on the 6th and 7th, in which the gun-boats so efficiently participated, it produced a profound impression North and South; and once more the Southern line of defense was broken, and the hopes of a northern advance of the rebel arms at the West totally and forever frustrated. The taking of Island No. Ten was a triumph of the most decisive character. "The number of prisoners taken by Pope and Foote together was seven thousand two hundred and seventy-three, including three generals and two hundred and seventy-three field and company officers. The spoils of victory were nearly twenty batteries, with one hundred and twentythree cannon and mortars, the former varying from 32 to 100 pounders; seven thousand small-arms; an immense amount of ammunition on the island and in magazines at points along the Kentucky and Tennessee shores; many hundred horses and mules with wagons, and four steamers afloat." This most valuable victory, shared by the Army and Navy, the result of patience, mingled with timely action, and not even marred by the sorrow of sanguinary slaughter-a bloodless victory-was a fitting end to the active military career of him who was not a man of blood, though a man of the sword. But a few days more of honorable responsibility, anxiety, and suffering, and the longed for rest came. * Lossing's "Civil War in America," vol. ii., p. 247. |