NEW MADRID, April 8. – The Union force captured to-day 6,000
Confederate prisoners who were endeavoring to retreat from Island 10 and other
rebel fortifications. Three Generals and
other officers were taken with them.
General McCowan was in command assisted by Generals Stuart, McCall, Gray
and Gavitt. Gen. Stuart was a class mate
of Pope’s.
The rebel floating battery Pelican came drifting down the
river last night. It was caught and
towed into Point Pleasant, where it now lies.
Some shots were fired into it from our batteries as it passed them,
under the impression that some ruse was attempted by the enemy in thus giving
up an engine of war, which was intended to accomplish marvelous results for
them. No one was on board, and no damage
was done to the machine.
A gunboat also drifted down nearly to the upper fort, where
it sunk and is now almost out of sight – the smoke stacks and some of the
machinery only being visible, which the rebels stole last summer and
transferred into the Confederate service, was scuttled by them last night and
set adrift. She was caught, however, and
brought in to shore here just as she was sinking. She has since been pumped out and is now nearly
ready for use.
Gen. Pope returned to his head-quarters to-night, having been
absent since yesterday morning. He has
not yet made public his plans for future operations.
This encampment will probably be broken up in a day or
two. A heavy rain is falling to-night,
which in addition to previous storms, make our level camping ground quite too
moist for comfort.
– Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 12, 1862, p. 3
