From Island No. 10

Special to the Chicago Tribune.

CAIRO, March 20 – 3 P. M.

I left the fleet above Island No. 10 yesterday at 1 o’clock p. m. the firing was only moderate from the Benton and Mound City, at intervals of fifteen minutes each, the object being to reduce the upper battery, two guns only of which were left standing, from which occasional shots were fired.

One of these struck the water close astern the transport Lewella, and within fifty feet of the tug on which was your correspondent.  The distance was at least two miles, showing that the rebel guns are not only rifled, but of their first class.  This arm of the service is fully meeting the expectation of the officers, and with a little more practice will make rapid work with the rebel fortifications.  Their range is three and three and a half miles.  The sixteen now in place ready to open will make fearful inroads in the ranks of the enemy.

The works at that point, both on the main land and the Island, are much more extensive than is generally supposed, as there are at least eighty heavy guns, and over 20,000 troops.  I saw ten regiments at one time on dress parade, on the main land.  These have moved their quarters out of the reach of the mortars, but the island is pretty will covered with tents.  The guns are many of them the largest size, and several rifled.

Our gunboats and mortars will drive this force out.  More mortars will be sent down, if required, but the officers think the present number enough to make it altogether too hot for the rebels, as these monster shells reach all parts of the works, dealing death and destruction in their pathway.  It is evident, however, that all of the rebel batteries have enough bomb proof casements for the men, as they can be seen to disappear when our shells fall into the batteries.

As soon as the upper fort or battery is reduced, then the gunboats will advance on the others in detail, and thus reduce them one by one with little danger or loss to themselves.  On Tuesday night the Mound City kept up a steady fire on the upper battery, preventing the rebels from making their usual nightly repairs, and the result was, that early in the morning they commenced removing their dead and wounded from the casemates of the fort.  Large numbers were carried out and taken back into the woods on stretchers, showing the deadly effect of the shot from the well aimed guns of the Mound City.

On Monday over 900 shots were fired from the gunboats, mostly shell, besides three hundred shell from the mortars.  The effect, as witnessed by the spectators, was grand and sublime, but to the rebels most terrific.  On Tuesday the Commodore directed that the fuses be cut down, with a view to destroy the works, and dismount the guns, and the result was most satisfactory.

The last guns of the rebels are in the two batteries below the bend; a distance of over two miles from the gunboats, and which threw their shot beyond them.

The old Pelican dry dock mounts fifteen guns and is iron-plated, but has not opened fire to show the range and size of her guns.  A masked battery near her has been by some mistaken for her.

The Pelican is an ugly looking customer, but she has no propelling power she cannot other was than fall a victim to tour ponderous mortars so soon as they can be brought to bear on her.

Gen. Halleck has sent a hospital boat sufficient to accommodate 300 patients.

As yet but one man has been killed by the enemy.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 22, 1862, p. 1