General Halleck arrived at
Pittsburg Landing April 11th, and assumed command, for the first
and only time in the field. He soon drew to him a third army (Army
of the Mississippi), about 30,000 strong, under General John Pope.

Island No. 10, in the bend of the Mississippi above New Madrid,
was occupied early by the Confederates with a strong force, well
fortified, with the hope that it could be held and thus close the
Mississippi River against the Union forces from the North. Early
after Fort Donelson was taken, Flag Officer Foote took his fleet
of gunboats into the Mississippi, and in conjunction with the army
under General John Pope sought the capture of the island. Pope
moved about 20,000 men to Point Pleasant, on the west bank of the
river, March 6, 1862, which compelled the Confederates, on the
14th, to evacuate New Madrid, on the same side of the river, about
ten miles above Point Pleasant and the same distance below the
island. Pope cut, or "_sawed_," a canal from a point above Island
No. 10 through a wood to Wilson's and St. John's Bayou, leading to
New Madrid.(18) The position of the Confederates was still so
strong with their batteries and redoubts on the eastern shore of
the river that Pope with his army alone could not take it. Attacks
were made with the gunboats from the north, but they failed to
dislodge the enemy. Foote, though requested by Pope, did not think
it possible for a gunboat to steam past the batteries and go to
the assistance of the army at Point Pleasant. With the assistance
of gunboats Pope could cross his army to the east side and thus
cut off all supplies for the Confederate Army on the island.
Captain Henry Walke, U.S.N., having expressed a willingness to
attempt to pass the island and batteries with the _Carondelet_,
was given orders to do so. He accordingly made ready, taking on
board Captain Hottenstein and twenty-three sharpshooters of the
42d Illinois. The sailors were all armed; hand-grenades were placed
within reach, and hoses were attached to the boilers for throwing
scalding water to drive off boarding parties. Thus prepared, the
_Carondelet_, on the night of April 4th, "in the black shadow of
a thunderstorm," safely passed the island and batteries. It was
fired on, but reached New Madrid without the loss of a man. The
_Pittsburg_, under Lieutenant-Commander Thompson, in like manner
ran the gauntlet without injury, also in a thunderstorm, April 7th.
These two gunb