ARMY OPERATIONS.. 



61 



what might be termed the eastern bank of the 

 river, but at this point the stream varies from 

 its southern course and turns abruptly to the 

 northwest, leaving this island in the southern 

 angle of the bend. It is about forty-five miles, 

 by the course of the river, south of Columbus, 

 .and about twenty-six miles from Hickman. It 

 is near Obionville, which is in Obion coun- 

 ty, in the northwest extremity of Tenu 

 where it borders on Kentucky and Missouri. 

 The Mississippi river passes to the north and to 

 the south of Obionville, leaving a land distance 

 between the two waters very inconsiderable, 

 and easily walked across in less than an hour, 

 although" the voyage by water between the 

 same points, owing to the bends in the river, 

 is about twenty miles. The surface of the sur- 

 rounding country is nearly level. Obionville 

 is connected by a'tnrnpike road with Columbus, 

 in Kentucky, via Hickman, and with Troy, the 

 capital of the county. 



The fortifications on the island and main- 

 land adjacent consisted of eleven earthworks, 

 with seventy heavy cannon, varying in caliber 

 from thirty-two to one hundred pounders, 

 rided. The bombardment commenced on the 

 16th of March, and continued with more or 

 less vigor until the 7th of April. A different 

 plan, however, was arranged for the capture 

 of the island. This consisted in cutting a 

 canal across a portion of the 'narrow and low 

 peninsula, by which the transports could pass 

 below the island, and a part of the troops with 

 Gen. Pope at Xew Madrid be taken across the 

 river, and thus completely invest the island. 



On the 21st of February, by orders of Gen. 

 Halle ck. Gen. Pope proceeded to Commerce in 

 Missouri above Cairo, and was followed by a 

 force numbering in the aggregate about forty 

 thousand men. With this army Gen. Pope pro- 

 ceeded southwardly in the early part of the 

 last week iu February, destined for Xew Mad- 

 rid. In a direct line the distance from Com- 

 merce to Xew Madrid is about fifty miles, but 

 by the road it is between sixty and seventy-five 

 miles. On the 3d of March he arrived with 

 his forces before Xew Madrid, and found the 

 place occupied by five regiments of infantry 

 and several companies of artillery. The defen- 

 sive works consisted of one bastioned earth- 

 work, mounting fourteen heavy guns, about 

 half a mile below the town, and another irreg- 

 ular work at the upper end of the town, mount- 

 ing seven pieces of heavy artillery, together 

 with lines of intrenchment between them ; six 

 gunboats, carrying from four to eight heavy 

 guns each, were anchored along the shore be- 

 tween the upper and lower redoubts. The 

 country being perfectly level and the river so 

 high that the guns of the boats looked di- 

 rectly over the banks, Gen. Pope found the ap- 

 proaches to the town commanded, for miles by 

 guns of heavy caliber. 



His first step was to occupy Point Pleasant, 

 twelve miles below, in such a manner that his 

 force could not be driven out by the Confed- 



erate gunboats, and thus blockade the river from 

 below. lie next procured siege guns from Cairo, 

 which arrived on the 12th of March, and were 

 placed in battery during the night within eight 

 hundred yards of the enemy's main work, so as 

 to command that and the river above it. The 

 battery consisted of two small redoubts con- 

 nected by a curtain, and mounting four heavy 

 guns, with ride pits in front and on the flanks 

 for two regiments of infantry. As soon as day 

 dawned on the 13th, these batteries opened fire, 

 and were replied to by the whole of the ene- 

 my's heavy artillery on land and water. In a 

 few hours several of the gunboats were disabled, 

 and three of the heavy guns dismounted in the 

 enemy's main work. The cannonading contin- 

 ued all day without producing any impression 

 on the position of Gen. Pope, other than the 

 disabling of one gun by a round shot. The ef- 

 fect of the contest during the day convinced 

 the Confederate commander that he could not 

 hold the town, although he had previously re- 

 ceived reinforcements of men and guns from 

 Island No. 10. Accordingly in the night, dur- 

 ing a violent storm of rain, he evacuated the 

 town by crossing over to the Kentucky shore. 

 This evacuation was made with considerable 

 precipitation. Almost everything was left be- 

 hind. Even the pickets were abandoned. 

 ' Thirty-three pieces of artillery, magazines 

 full of fixed ammunition, several thousand stand 

 of small arms, hundreds of boxes of musket 

 cartridges, tents for an army of ten thousand 

 men, horses, mules, wagons, &c., were among 

 the spoils." 



The Confederate fleet was commanded by 

 Com. Ilollins, and their land force by Gens. 

 McCown. Stewart, and Gantt. The Union loss 

 was fifty-one killed and wounded ; the Confed- 

 erate loss was estimated by Gen. Pope to be 

 larger. A number of their dead were left un- 

 buried. By the possession of these works Gen. 

 Pope commanded the river, so as to cut off all 

 communication with Island Xo. 10 from below. 

 It was on the day after this evacuation that the 

 fleet left Cairo. 



In order to cut off entirely the retreat of the 

 Confederate force from Island No. 10. it was 

 necessary that a portion of Gen. Pope's army 

 should be taken across the Mississippi to the 

 Tennessee shore. To bring down transports a 

 channel was made, twelve miles long, six of 

 which were through heavy timber. The trees 

 standing in water, had to be cut off four feet 

 below its surface. While this work was pushed 

 forward the bombardment of the island was 

 continued. On the night of the 1st of April, 

 under the cover of darkness and storm, a 

 boat expedition from the fleet, with a small 

 force under the command of Col. Roberts of 

 the 42d Illinois, landed at the upper or Xo. 

 1 Fort on the Kentucky shore and spiked 

 the six guns mounted, and retired without 

 injury. The pickets of the enemy fired and 

 fled, and the troops in the vicinity also re- 

 .1. As the work on the canal approached 



