Military Correspondence.

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strance that I shall deem it an act involving, in all probability, the most disastrous consequences to the flotilla, and to the service which it was designed to perform.

"The pilot-houses are unsafe, and the vessels are not in a condition which would enable them to make any thing of a stand against such a resistance as the rebels have made in every instance. I can not, therefore, except under this strong remonstrance, be a party to an act which I believe would terminate in the utter demoralization of my command.

"I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, A. H. FOOTE, Flag-Officer. “Brig.-Gen. Geo. W. Cullum, Chief of Staff and Engineer."

In a letter of the same date to Lieutenant Henry A. Wise (Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography, Washington) he speaks of his preparations:

"The Benton is under way, and barely stems the strong current of the Ohio-five knots per hour-in this rise of water, but I hope by putting her between two iron-clad steamers to-morrow she will stem the current and work comparatively well. On Wednesday I hope to take down seven iron-clads and ten mortar-boats to attack Island No. Ten and New Madrid. A portion of iron plating for pilot-houses and chains got aboard a steamer from Cincinnati, which was prepared to go up the Cumberland, but will be here to-morrow or next day. As the current is in some places in the Mississippi seven miles per hour, the iron-clad boats can hardly return here; therefore we must go well prepared, which detains us longer than even you would imagine necessary from your navy-yard and smooth-water stand-point."

General Pope had just seized New Madrid with his land forces, and planted his batteries so as to command the stream down the river; and when the gun-boats assailed Island No. Ten from above, the place would be thoroughly invested, and the siege so full of picturesque and wonderful incidents, as it proved to be-would fairly commence.

This order from General Halleck was received March 12th:

"TO FLAG-OFFICER FOOTE:

"You will not make an attack on Island No. Ten till further orders. I wish to wait till General Pope gets his heavy guns in position to cut off the enemy's retreat. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General."

The following letter, of the same date, shows the writer's state of mind in regard to the enterprise :

"BENTON,' March 12, 1862.

"MY DEAR SIR,-I am grateful beyond expression for your kind letter of the 7th, and beg to be excused for this hasty answer, as we leave to-day for No. Ten and New Madrid, and I trust that God will give us the victory. Island No. Ten is very strongly fortified, and we shall have a hard fight. I shall be very cautious, as I appreciate the vast responsibility of keeping our flotilla from falling into the rebels' hands, as it would turn the whole tide of affairs against us.

"I will not show, nor have I shown jealousy against the Army. I am on the best of terms with Generals Grant, Smith, McClernand, and with all the junior officers. I thank you for your valuable friendship, and will strive to retain it. Respects to your family. I can hardly get through my work, so excuse this.

"I have the honor to be your friend,

"The Hon. Gideon Welles."

A. H. FOOTE.

On the morning of the 14th Foote moved down the river with his flotilla, consisting of seven iron-clad gun-boats and ten mortar-boats. He was joined at Columbus on the same day by Colonel Buford, in command of some twelve hundred troops, and reached Hickman that evening with the flotilla and transports. The boilers of the Louisville were here found to leak badly, and she was sent back to Columbus for repairs. We continue the narrative of events for the next two days in the flag-officer's own words, in his report to the Secretary of the Navy:

"On the 15th instant, at daylight, the flotilla and transports moved down the river, arriving in the vicinity of Island No. Ten at 9 A.M. The rain and dense fog prevented our getting the vessels in position, other than two mortar-boats, for the purpose of ascertaining their range.

"Early on the morning of the 16th instant I placed the mortar-boats in as good a position as the circumstances would admit, when they shelled several regiments out of their encampments, and, at extreme range, reached the batteries on No. Ten, the floating battery, and the five batteries on the Tennessee shore. The mortar-boats are in charge of Cap

tain Maynard, United States Army, as ordnance officer, assisted by Acting Lieutenant-Commanding J. P. Sandford, United States Navy, who volunteered his services.

"This morning, the 17th instant, soon after daylight, the mortar-boats being in position, I had the Benton lashed between two other steamersthe Cincinnati and the St. Louis-and with the remaining iron-clad steamers made an attack on the forts, at a distance of two thousand yards or more, on account of the rapid current rendering the boats too unmanageable to come within a shorter range, without endangering their being carried under the enemy's guns, and as a nearer approach would expose the bows and quarters of the vessels-their most vulnerable points -to a fire of six other batteries, mounting forty-three guns. We opened fire on the upper fort on the Tennessee shore at meridian, and continued to give and receive quite a brisk fire from this and also four other bat

teries on the same shore until darkness obscured the forts from view. The ten mortars, in the mean time, shelled the troops out of range, excepting those manning the batteries.

"The upper fort was badly cut up by the Benton and the other boats with her. We dismounted one of their guns, and the men, at times, ran from the batteries.

"Colonel Buford has been busily and I trust profitably engaged in making reconnoissances, and is preparing to mount his siege-guns.

"In the attack of to-day this vessel (Benton) received four shots, while a rifle-gun burst aboard the St. Louis, killing and wounding fifteen, officers and men. I inclose a list of casualties. The Cincinnati has had her engines injured, which may render it necessary for me to send her to Cairo for repairs.

"I hope to be able to silence the upper battery to-morrow, after which we can plant the mortars in a position where we expect to be able to shell the rebels out of their batteries. The place is even stronger and better adapted for defense than Columbus has ever been. Each fortification commands the one above it. We can count forty-nine guns in the different batteries, where there are probably double the number, with ten thousand troops.

"From exhaustion, arising from continuous service and want of sleep, you will excuse this incoherent, discursive report.

"Our shells bursting prematurely, we have to drown them before loading the guns. The fuses-many of which, I am informed, were made before the Mexican War-ought to have been condemned.”

This was really a spirited and well-fought engagement, although it resulted in nothing definite. The Benton was frequently struck. The vessels at one time drew quite near to the batteries, and attacked them in something of the old dashing, desperate style, although this method could not possibly be carried out under the circumstances, since the boats were really not adapted to fighting in the strong and rapid Mississippi; but we must pause a moment in these warlike scenes to take notice of a sorrowful and touching event. On the day (the 14th) when Commodore Foote set forth from Cairo in all the pomp and circumstance of his numerous and powerful command upon his expedition against Island No. Ten, his sec