From Island No. 10

Special to the Chicago Times.

CAIRO, April 2.

Accounts from Island No. 10 represent matters there unchanged.  The bombardment continued at intervals.  Shells have been thrown into the new fortifications in the bed of the river.  A few shots have been received in return, with no great damaged on either side.

The rebels are continually building new fortifications.  They are improving every moment of time, and when the attack is made it will be found that the delay has greatly enhanced the difficulty of capture.

Firing is continually heard in the direction of New Madrid, and it is supposed that the enemy are making desperate efforts to prevent Gen. Pope from crossing the river.  They have erected batteries on the point opposite New Madrid, which command a stretch of about five miles of the river, and place his transports in danger of annihilation.  He must silence these batteries before he can cross to the relief of the fleet.

The rebels have also built batteries on the river below New Madrid, and have their gunboats in readiness for action. – There are one or two of these boats guarding the point where our troops are expected to cross.

Advices direct from New Madrid report that Gen. Pope is in active preparation and will soon be in a condition to enter the field, with an overwhelming power.  We are not permitted to give details of his plans, but they will be such as will accomplish the desired result, if it is within the range of possibility.

There is nothing from the Tennessee river of direct importance.

We hear that Gen. Grant is nearly prepared for the grand battle that is expected.  The members of his staff who are here have been ordered to report at head-quarters immediately.

Gen. Buell is on the line of the Nashville and Decatur Railroad, making very slow progress.

The terrific storm that visited this locality last night extended over a wide track of country, and did an immense amount of damage.  Ten or twelve lives were lost by the breaking loose and sinking of boats. – At Paducah and Mound City a large number of houses were unroofed, and several lives lost.  We have heard nothing of its effects on the bombarding fleet.

Special to Evening Journal.

CAIRO, April 2.

The Pike arrived tonight from the fleet.  She reports the gunboat and mortars uninjured.  Two Transports were somewhat damaged.

CAIRO, April 3.

The steamer Philadelphia which was blown away in the gale, yesterday, and supposed to be lost, has been found, on the shore just above Columbus.  She is badly damaged and lost three of her crew.

Eight persons were blown overboard from the steamer Americus and drowned.

A flat boat, occupied by a poor family as resident, was blown away and sunk, the family escaping upon a coal barge, as it floated past.

The Cairo and Columbus wharf-boat was towed back last night, not much damaged.

Things are working at Island No. 10. – Night before last Col. Roberts of the Ills. 42d, with 40 picked men of his command in company with a boat’s crew from each of the gunboats, under command of 1^st master Johnson, of the St. Louis, started at 11 o’clock to take soundings.

At 12 o’clock they brought up at the redan fort, which is the upper one of the rebel works, where they landed.  The rebel sentinels fired their pieces and ran in, leaving the battery in our possession.

The union troops found six guns here which they spiked and left.  One of the guns was a massive 64-pounder; the rest were 24 and 32 pounders.

Not a man was killed or wounded on our side, nor was any one hurt on the other so far as heard from.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, April 4, 1862, p. 1