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Gen. Buell soon afterward reached Nashville, and established there his headquarters, while his army was quartered around the city. Col. Stanley Matthews, 51st Ohio, was appointed Provost-Marshal, and soon restored the city to order; discovering and reclaiming a considerable amount of Rebel stores which had been appropriated to private use. The bridges and roads northward were speedily repaired, and railroad connection with Louisville reopened. The wealthier classes had in great part left, or remained sullenly disloyal; but among the mechanics and laboring poor a good degree of Union feeling was soon developed.

By the Union successes recorded in this chapter, the Rebel stronghold at Columbus, Ky., commanding the navigation of the Mississippi, had been rendered untenable. It was held by Maj.-Gen. Polk, Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, who had expended a vast amount of labor in strengthening its defenses, while the adjacent country had been nearly divested of food and forage to replenish its stores. Its garrison had been reported at 20,000 men; but had been reduced by successive detachments to 2,000 or 3,000. Com. Foote, on returning from Clarksville to Cairo, speedily collected a flotilla of six gunboats, apparently for service at Nashville; but, when all was ready, dropped down the Mississippi, followed by three transports, conveying some 2,000 or 3,000 soldiers, under Gen. W. T. Sherman, while a supporting force moved overland from Paducah. Arriving opposite Columbus, he learned that the last

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the Rebels had left some hours before, after burning 18,000 bushels of corn, 5,000 tons of hay, their cavalry stables, and much other property; while many of their heavy guns, which they were unable to take away, had been rolled off the bluff, here 150 feet high, into the river. The 2d Illinois cavalry, Col. Hogg, from Paducah, had entered and taken possession the evening before. A massive chain, intended to bar the descent of the Mississippi, had here been stretched across the great river, but to no purpose; the Missouri end being loose, and buried in the mud. of the river-bed.

Island No. 10 lies in a sharp bend in the Mississippi, 45 miles below Columbus, and a few miles above New Madrid on the Missouri bank. This island had been strongly fortified, its works well supplied with powerful guns and ammunition, under the direction of Gen. Beauregard, so that it was confidently counted on to stop the progress of the Union armies down the river. Gen. Pope with a land force of nearly 40,000 men, had previously marched down the Missouri shore of the river, reaching and investing New Madrid, March 3. Finding it defended by stout earthworks, mounting 20 heavy guns, with six strongly armed gunboats anchored along the shore to aid in holding it, he sent back to Cairo for siege-guns; while he intrenched three regiments and a battery under Col. Plummer, 11th Missouri, at Point Pleasant, ten miles below, so as to command the passage of the river directly in the rear of No. 10. The Rebel gunboats attempted to dislodge Col. Plummer, but without

38 March 4.

THE REBELS ABANDON NEW MADRID.°

success. Pope's siege-guns arrived
at sunset on the 12th, and, before
morning, had been planted within
half a mile of the enemy's main
work, so as to open fire at daylight,
just 34 hours after their embarkation
at Cairo. The Rebel garrison had
meantime been swelled to 9,000 in-
fantry, under Maj.-Gen. McCown,
and nine gunboats directed by Com.
Hollins, on which our fire was mainly PPLEASANT
concentrated. A heavy cannonade

from both sides was kept up through-
out the day, with little damage to
the Unionists, who, driving in the
Rebel pickets, steadily pushed for-
ward their trenches.

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MAP SHOWING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF ISLAND
NO. 10, NEW MADRID, TIPTONVILLE, ETC.

A violent thunder-storm raged through most of the following night; and at daylight it was discovered that the Rebels had left, taking Brig.-Gen. Makall, who assumed it very little with them. Thirty-three in a bombastic proclamation. Meancannon, several thousand small arms, with ammunition, tents, cartridges, wagons, &c., were abandoned by the fugitives, with scarcely an attempt even to destroy them. Our loss during the siege was barely 51 killed and wounded.

Com. Foote, with his gunboats, had moved down from Columbus early in March, opening on the Rebel works at No. 10 on the 15th. Two days later, a general attack was made, with five gunboats and four mortarboats; but, though maintained for nine hours, it did very little damage. Beauregard telegraphed to Richmond" that our vessels had thrown 3,000 shells, expended 50 tons of powder, and had killed but one of his men, without damaging his batteries. He soon left for Corinth," ceding the command at No. 10 to

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time, Gen. Pope's engineers were quietly engaged in cutting a canal, 12 miles long, across the Missouri peninsula, opposite No. 10, through which steamboats and barges were safely transferred to the river below the Rebel stronghold; while two of our heavier gunboats succeeded in passing the island" in a heavy fog. Gen. Pope, thus relieved from all peril from the Rebel flotilla, pushed a division" across the river toward the rear of the remaining Rebel stronghold, and was preparing to follow with the rest of his army, when the Rebels under McCown, sinking their gunboat Grampus, and six transports, abandoned No. 10 to its fate, and escaped eastward, leaving Makall to be driven back upon. the swamps, and forced to surrender some thousands of men, several gun

41 The Carondelet, April 4, and the Pittsburg, April 6. April 7.

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boats, and more than a hundred | fight, and was run upon a shoal, cannon.13

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Com. Foote, having refitted, moved down the river in order of battle, followed by transports conveying part of Gen. Pope's army; finding his way first impeded at Fort Pillow, or Wright, situated on the first Chickasaw Bluffs, near the Islands Nos. 33 and 34, about 70 miles above Memphis. Landing his mortars on the Arkansas bank, he commenced " a bombardment of the fort at a distance of three-fourths of a mile, and was replied to with energy and accuracy. The high stage of the river prevented cooperation by our army; so the cannonade was kept up for two weeks with spirit on both sides, but with little effect.

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where she sank; while the Mallory, which had attempted to crush her, was herself caught by the St. Louis, cut into and sunk, most of her crew going down with her. One of the Confederate gunboats had ere this been burnt; another had her boiler exploded by a shot; while the rest were so crippled as to render them nearly ineffective; so they gave up the fight and drifted down the river, under cover of the smoke, to the protection of their batteries. The Cincinnati was our only vessel that had suffered, and she had but 4 wounded.

A month later," Fort Pillow was evacuated, as was Fort Randolph, twelve miles below. Some damaged guns were left in them, but nothing of much value. Com. Davis dropped down next day to within gun-shot of Memphis, where he came to anchor; and next morning, with five gunboats and four rams, slowly approached the city. Soon, a Rebel fleet of eight

order of battle, opening fire when within three-fourths of a mile. The

A powerful ram having been received by the Rebels from below, they resolved to test its efficiency; and accordingly made an attack on our fleet," the ram leading, backed by three gunboats, and making a rush at the Cincinnati, whose rapid broad-gunboats was seen approaching in sides at short range made no impression on her assailant's iron mail. The boats collided with a fearful | Union ram, Queen of the West, soon crash, instantly followed by a broad-struck the Rebel gunboat, Gen. side from the Cincinnati and a vol- Price, crushing in her wheel-house, ley of musketry; directly after which, and causing her to leak so badly Commander Stembel fired his pistol that she was headed at once for the at the head of the Confederate pilot, Arkansas shore. The Rebel gunkilling him instantly. The pilot's boat, Beauregard, now made at the mate thereupon shot the Commander Queen, which attempted to strike through his shoulder and neck, dis- her; but the shock was skillfully abling but not killing him. The evaded by the Beauregard's pilot, Cincinnati, though crippled and sink- who struck the Queen aft so heavily ing, was able to withdraw from the as to disable her. The Union ram

43 Gen. Pope, in his official report, says: "Three Generals, 273 field and company officers, 6,700 prisoners, 123 pieces of heavy artillery-all of the very best character, and of the latest patterns-7,000 stand of small arms, several wharf-boat loads of provisions, an im

mense quantity of ammunition of all kinds, many hundred horses and mules, with wagons and harness, &c., are among the spoils."

44 April 12.

46 May 4.

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April 17. 47 June 4.

MEMPHIS SURRENDERED BY THE REBELS.

Monarch thereupon made at the Beauregard, and struck her heavily on the bow, causing her to fill rapidly and sink, while the Monarch took the Queen in tow and drew her out of peril. Com. Davis's flag-boat, the Benton, threw a 50-pound ball from a rifled Parrott into the Rebel gunboat Gen. Lovell, striking her aft, just above the water-line, and tearing a great hole, into which the water rushed in a torrent. In four minutes, she had sunk in 75 feet of water, carrying down a part of her crew. There remained but four of the Rebel boats; and these, which had been for some time drifting, though firing, now turned their bows toward the Arkansas shore, which the Jeff. Thompson soon reached, when her officers and crew leaped off and ran into the woods, while a shell exploding on her deck, set her on fire, and she was burned down to the water. The crew of the Gen. Bragg and the Sumter escaped in like manner; while the swifter Gen. Van Dorn fled down the river. The battle had lasted a little over an hour, and its result was most decisive.

No man was killed on board our fleet. Memphis, whose population had all been interested spectators of the combat, surrendered immediately.

An expedition, comprising four gunboats and a steam transport, conveying the 46th Indiana, Col. Fitch, was soon dispatched up the Arkansas and White rivers, to open communication with Gen. Curtis, known to be approaching from the West. Reaching St. Charles, the Mound City, then in advance, was fired on from two concealed batteries,

48 June 24.

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and replied, while our troops were landed below to take those batteries in the rear. A ball, from a siegegun on the bluff, pierced the side of the Mound City, and passed through her steam-drum, filling the vessel instantly with the scalding vapor. Of the 175 persons on board, barely 23 escaped injury. Many jumped overboard, frantic with pain, and were drowned; while the boats sent from the Conestoga to their relief, were fired on by the Rebels with grape and canister, killing most of our scalded and frantic fugitives. In a few minutes, Col. Fitch had carried the works by a charge, capturing 9 guns and about 30 prisoners, including Col. Frye, the commandant. The expedition failed to effect its purpose.

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The triumphant Union fleet soon proceeded down the river, encountering no serious obstacle till near Vicksburg, where it communicated with Com. Farragut, whose fleet from the Gulf lay below this natural stronghold, accompanied by Gen. Williams, with four regiments of infantry. The Rebel fortifications were bombarded" for several hours, without result; but Lt.-Col. Ellet, with two rams, went that day up the Yazoo river, to capture three Rebel gunboats, which, on his approach, were set on fire and impelled down the current, with intent to envelop our vessels in the flames. The Rebel boats were destroyed.

The siege of Vicksburg was continued by our fleet, and a determined attack made on it July 1, but de feated. The Rebel ram Arkansas came down " the Yazoo, ran through the astonished Union fleet, and took 60 July 15.

49 June 26.

refuge under the batteries of Vicksburg, unharmed. Repeated attempts to destroy or sink her" were defeated by the shore batteries; and, on the 24th, the siege was raised; Com. Farragut, with Gen. Williams, returning down the river; while Com. Davis, with his fleet, steamed up to the mouth of the Yazoo, thus abandoning, for the time, the reopening of the Mississippi.

Gen. Grant's victorious army, after a brief rest at Fort Donelson, recrossed, considerably strengthened, to the Tennessee, just above Fort Henry, where several gunboats and a large number of transports, passing down the Cumberland into the Ohio, and thence into the Tennessee, took up our soldiers by regiments and started with them on a new movement up the Tennessee. General Charles F. Smith had been designated by Gen. Halleck to direct this movement, but was soon disabled by the sickness of which he died not long after reaching Savannah, Tenn., and Gen. Grant was thus restored to chief command. The rendezvous of the expedition was at a little place called Danville, where the railroad from Memphis to Clarkesville and Louisville crosses the river. The gunboats Tyler and Lexington had already made a reconnoissance up the Tennessee, meeting their first resistance at PITTSBURG LANDING, an insignificant two-house nucleus of a prospective village, 8 miles above Savannah and 20 miles N.N.E. of Corinth, Miss., at the junction of the Memphis and Charleston with the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The country hence to Corinth is rolling, and generally

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wooded. Two or three miles southward is Shiloh Church, and some ten miles farther is the road-crossing known as Monterey, where there were half-a-dozen houses. The region is thinly and recently settled; still mainly covered by the primitive forest; gently rolling, and traversed by a number of inconsiderable creeks, making eastward and northward, to be lost in the Tennessee.

At Pittsburg Landing, the Tyler found a Rebel battery of six guns, which it silenced, after a mutual cannonade of two hours; returning thence to Danville and reporting. The movement of the army southward on transports was continuedthe 46th Ohio, Col. Worthington, leading, on the transport B. J. Adams-so far as Savannah, where it was landed," and proceeded to take military possession. All the transports, 69 in number, conveying nearly 40,000 men, were soon débarking the army, with its material, at and near this place, whence Gen. Lew. Wallace's division was dis| patched " to Purdy, a station 16 miles W.S.W., where the railroad was destroyed. Gen. Sherman's first division was next ** conveyed up the river to Tyler's Landing, just across the Mississippi State line; whence the 6th Ohio cavalry was dispatched to Burnsville, on the Memphis and Charleston road, some miles eastward of Corinth, which was likewise destroyed without resistance. The expedition then returned unmolested to Savannah.

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