An incident that occurred to the rebel forces stationed in the shore batteries at Island No. 10, illustrates how easily, fortuitously, or perhaps we ought in this case to say providentially, an army may be caught in a position from which it is impossible to escape. About five thousand men were stationed in and [a]bout the shore batteries.
On Sunday night, as soon as they saw the Pittsburgh run the blockade in safety, and knowing that the transports to convey Gen. Pope’s forces across the Mississippi had been got thro [sic] the slough, and that very soon a strong force would be in their rear, they abandoned their camp and all its contents on Monday afternoon, and left for Tiptonville, only five miles below by land, but by the river, fifteen miles below New Madrid, hoping thence to escape by their transports. But on reaching the little town what was their surprise to find the gunboats Carondelet and Pittsburg moored to their shore. On the left was a swamp through which runs the outlet of Reelfoot lake; in the front were the gunboats; on the right was the Mississippi, and they found when too late, Gen. Paine, with a strong force, posted in their rear. The rebels were caught in a trap from which there was no possible escape. A bloodless victory, with two thousand prisoners, was the immediate result. Great numbers fled to the swamps, but were soon gland to surrender, raising the whole number of prisoners taken there, at the Island and other places, to near five thousand men. Thus what the rebels acknowledged to be the key of the Mississippi, a position strong by nature, and fortified with consummate skill and great expense, and defended by five thousand men, and a hundred and twenty-five cannon in battery, most of them very heavy, and numbers of them rifled, was taken, and the whole army captured by Com. Foote and Gen. Pope, without the loss of a single man. History will record it as taken all in all, the most wonderful and brilliant achievement of the war.
– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Friday, April 18, 1862 & also in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday April 17, 1862
On Sunday night, as soon as they saw the Pittsburgh run the blockade in safety, and knowing that the transports to convey Gen. Pope’s forces across the Mississippi had been got thro [sic] the slough, and that very soon a strong force would be in their rear, they abandoned their camp and all its contents on Monday afternoon, and left for Tiptonville, only five miles below by land, but by the river, fifteen miles below New Madrid, hoping thence to escape by their transports. But on reaching the little town what was their surprise to find the gunboats Carondelet and Pittsburg moored to their shore. On the left was a swamp through which runs the outlet of Reelfoot lake; in the front were the gunboats; on the right was the Mississippi, and they found when too late, Gen. Paine, with a strong force, posted in their rear. The rebels were caught in a trap from which there was no possible escape. A bloodless victory, with two thousand prisoners, was the immediate result. Great numbers fled to the swamps, but were soon gland to surrender, raising the whole number of prisoners taken there, at the Island and other places, to near five thousand men. Thus what the rebels acknowledged to be the key of the Mississippi, a position strong by nature, and fortified with consummate skill and great expense, and defended by five thousand men, and a hundred and twenty-five cannon in battery, most of them very heavy, and numbers of them rifled, was taken, and the whole army captured by Com. Foote and Gen. Pope, without the loss of a single man. History will record it as taken all in all, the most wonderful and brilliant achievement of the war.
– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Friday, April 18, 1862 & also in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday April 17, 1862
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