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[55] 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 infantry, under Maj.-Gen. McCown, and nine gunboats directed by Com. Hollins, on which our fire was mainly concentrated. A heavy cannonade from both sides was kept up throughout the day, with little damage to the Unionists, who, driving in the Rebel pickets, steadily pushed forward their trenches.

A violent thunder-storm raged through most of the following night; and at daylight it was discovered that the Rebels had left, taking very little with them. Thirty-three cannon, 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 Richmond1 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,2 ceding the command /un> at No. 10 to

Map showing the relative positions of Island no.10, New Madrid, Tiptonville, etc.

Brig.-Gen. Makall, who assumed it in a bombastic proclamation. Meantime, 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 island3 in a heavy fog. Gen. Pope, thus relieved from all peril from the Rebel flotilla, pushed a division4 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 gunboats,

1 April 1.

2 April 5.

3 The Carondelet, April 4, and the Pittsburg, April 6.

4 April 7.

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