CAIRO, March 17.
ON BOARD THE BENTON,
Island No. 10, March 16.
Got under way at daylight this A. M., and dropped down to within range of the upper battery, and commenced to arouse them with the rifles of the Benton, while the mortar boats were being towed into position. Only a couple of shots were fired, when a white flag was seen to wave violently from the work and to continue waving until answered by a white flag form the flag ship. Of course firing ceased, as did also the hostile operations. Even the moving of the mortars, while a tug carried Lieut. Bishop down to see what was wanted. On arriving at the work he was answered that they were signaling their works down the river, and did not wish to communicate with us – a dirty subterfuge to gain time, which was followed up by the Grampus hoisting a white flag and steaming towards the tug from the Island. Lieut. Bishop was of the opinion that time enough had been lost and did not wait for the Grampus, but steamed up for the Benton, and the Grampus hauled down the white flag and ran back under cover again. Up to this time no rebel colors had been shown from the battery, but now it went up, and the preparations to get it down regularly and by approved methods went on with renewed vigor.
The mortars were soon in position and engaged in throwing the terrible thirteen inch shell, and Lieut. Bishop, disgusted at the bad taste of the rebels who did not wish to communicate with so gallant and good looking an officer, by permission of the flag-officer and Capt. Phelps, opened direct communication by means of the Benton’s rifled seventy-four’s with such a skill that the rebels ran from the works and their flag was covered with dirt and water. The firing was kept up steadily, though slowly, until 5 p.m. – the mortars expending 240 shells and the Benton 41.
The heart of every man in the flag-ship was saddened by sympathy with the poignant grief of our beloved flag-officer Foote, who receive by the dispatch boat at noon, intelligence of the death of his second son, a lad of 13 years and exceeding promise, of whose illness the Commodore had no previous intelligence.
To-morrow will see the reduction of one or more of the enemy’s works, and the closer investment of the whole place is very strong. From our point of view we could see 44 guns in position, and negroes were busily at work on a battery out of reach, in which to-morrow we shall probably find heavy guns mounted. With all this note of preparation and all these possibilities of a hard fight, some incredulous people will suspect that the troops which Pope drove out of New Madrid and which came to No. 10, are marching across the tracts of land from No. 10. To Merriweather landing, on the Mississippi below Point Pleasant, a distance of only five miles from the island over a practicable road, and that when they are embarked on the fleet of boats the smoke of which has been plainly seen all day at or near Merriweather, we shall find the nest empty and the river clear of rebels to Randolph for Fort Pillow.
The hopelessness of the rebel cause between Foote and Pope, in the presence of the boats, and the sullen and dull fight made by the rebel enemy give some color to the theory. I half believe it myself.
CAIRO, March 17.
The town is full of rumors from below, but there is little of anything that can be called reliable. We are anxiously expecting information from Island No. 10, but are as yet without anything definite. At last accounts, Com. Foote was at work, using his flotilla to the best possible advantage, moving his mortar boats out of range of the enemy’s batteries or gunboats, and throwing shells into their fortifications, it is supposed with terrible effect. The iron clad gunboats had not yet been brought into the action.
Two mortar flats had gained the proper range, and the accuracy of their fire fully equaled previous expectation.
We hear nothing of special interest from the Cumberland or Tennessee rivers.
Transports loaded with troops continue to arrive here and depart for their proper destination.
Cairo is still excessively muddy, and a considerable portion of the site is covered with water.
Much mortality is reported among the sick and wounded at Mound City.
The weather is clear, warm and spring-like. River swelling slowly.
To-morrow we expect news of importance from the gunboat flotilla, and west Tennessee wing of the army.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, March 18, 1862, p. 1
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